Ring is a home security company owned by Amazon that makes smart video doorbells and security cameras. Ring pioneered the video doorbell market and currently leads with over 50% market share according to industry reports [1] [2]. Ring allows users to see, speak to, and record visitors that activate the video doorbell camera. Users may want to delete Ring videos for privacy reasons or to free up storage space on their devices. Ring provides options to delete videos manually or automatically over time.
Reasons to Delete Videos
One of the main reasons people may want to delete Ring videos is due to privacy concerns. In May 2023, Ring settled with the FTC over allegations that its employees had improperly accessed users’ video footage without permission (FTC Says Ring Employees Illegally Surveilled Customers). There have been other reports of Ring videos being accessed without authorization as well (Ring’s privacy failures led to spying and harassment).
Many users are concerned about their videos potentially being viewed by Ring employees or hackers without consent. Deleting videos proactively can help mitigate such risks. There are also concerns about police partnerships with Ring, which provide law enforcement access to certain user videos (The privacy loophole in your doorbell).
In summary, privacy issues are a top reason Ring owners may choose to delete their video footage.
How to Delete Videos
According to Ring.com (https://ring.com/support/articles/6shp7/Sharing-Unsharing-and-Deleting-Your-Ring-Videos), there are a few ways to delete Ring videos from the app:
From the Ring app on your phone or tablet:
- Tap on the ‘Event History’ icon in the bottom menu bar
- Tap on the video you want to delete to open it
- Tap on the three dots in the top right corner
- Select ‘Delete’ and confirm to delete the video
You can also delete videos in bulk from the Event History screen:
- Tap the ‘Edit’ button in the top right
- Select the videos you want to delete
- Tap the trash can icon to delete the selected videos
Deleted videos will be removed from your Ring account across all devices.
Video History
When you delete a video from your Ring device, it will remain in your video history for a certain number of days before being permanently erased. According to Ring’s support article, videos remain accessible in your account’s video history for up to 30 days after deletion if you do not have an active Ring Protect subscription plan. With a Ring Protect Basic or Plus subscription plan, deleted videos will remain in your video history for up to 60 days before being removed.
This extended access allows you to recover and restore recently deleted videos if needed. However, after the 30 or 60 day period, deleted videos are permanently erased from Ring’s servers and can no longer be recovered.
Recovering Deleted Videos
It is possible to recover deleted Ring videos in some cases. When you delete a video from the Ring app, it is removed from your phone or tablet, but Ring may retain a copy in the cloud for up to 60 days, depending on your subscription plan. The Basic Plan stores videos for up to 60 days, while the Plus Plan extends this to 120 days.
During this window, you can recover deleted videos through the Ring app. Simply go to your Events screen, tap on a recording, and select “Recover” if it was recently deleted. Ring states that they cannot recover videos deleted over 60-120 days ago as they are permanently erased from the cloud.
If the window for cloud recovery has passed, third-party data recovery software provides another option to restore deleted Ring videos. Programs like Disk Drill and EaseUS can scan the phone’s storage and find video files marked for deletion that have not yet been overwritten. This requires that the video was saved locally before being deleted. See this guide for instructions on using recovery software.
Permanently Deleting Videos
If you want to permanently delete all your Ring videos so they cannot be recovered, you need to delete your Ring account. Deleting your Ring account will erase all your videos from Ring’s servers so they cannot be accessed again.
To delete your Ring account and all associated videos:
- Open the Ring app and tap on the menu icon in the upper left corner.
- Select Settings and then select Delete Account.
- Enter your account password when prompted.
- Confirm that you want to delete your account and all data.
Once your Ring account is deleted, all your videos will be permanently erased from Ring’s servers. There will be no way to recover or access those videos again, so only delete your account if you are absolutely certain.
According to Ring’s support page, deleting your account is the only way to permanently erase all your videos.
Video Storage
The number of videos that can be stored depends on your Ring subscription plan. Without a subscription, Ring devices can only store videos recorded in the last 24 hours. With a basic Ring Protect subscription, you get 60 days of video storage by default, with options to adjust from 1 to 180 days. Higher tier Ring Protect Plus and Protect Pro plans offer 60 days of video storage by default, with options to extend up to 1 year.
According to Ring’s support article, the maximum video storage limits are:
- Basic Ring Protect: 180 days
- Ring Protect Plus: 180 days
- Ring Protect Pro: 1 year
Storage time can be manually adjusted in the Ring app under Video Settings. With an active Ring Protect subscription, increasing storage time allows keeping more videos for longer before they are automatically deleted to make space for new recordings.
Ring Subscription Plans
Ring offers various subscription plans that provide different levels of features and services. The key difference between the plans is the amount of video storage provided.
The basic Ring Protect Plan starts at $3.99/month or $39.99/year and provides 60 days of video storage (Ring Protect Plans | Home Security and Video Monitoring …). The Ring Protect Plus plan is $10/month or $100/year and offers up to 180 days of video storage (General Information on Ring Protect Subscription Plans).
For unlimited video storage, Ring’s top tier plan is Ring Protect Pro at $20/month or $199/year. This plan includes professional monitoring and other enhanced features like a cellular backup connection. However, for most homeowners just looking for longer video storage, the Protect Plus plan with 180 days is sufficient (Ring Protect Pro | Subscription Plan with 24/7 Professional …).
So in summary, more expensive Ring plans provide more storage for videos, which affects how long your videos remain available before being deleted to make space for new recordings.
Alternatives to Deleting
Instead of deleting videos completely, users have other options to manage storage and privacy without losing footage permanently. Here are some alternatives to consider:
Adjust Preferences
One alternative is adjusting your Ring app preferences, instead of deleting videos. You can manage aspects like resolution quality, frequency of recordings, motion zones, and more. For example, you can set your Ring Doorbell to only record when motion is detected in specific areas (Source). Or you can set the video quality lower to save on storage space. See Ring’s guides on using modes and other preferences to optimize your settings.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few main points to keep in mind when deleting Ring videos:
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You can delete individual videos from the Ring app or web dashboard manually, or delete a range of videos based on date.
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Deleted videos remain in your video history for 60 days before being permanently erased.
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During the 60 days, you can recover deleted videos from your history if needed.
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The only way to immediately and permanently delete videos is to contact Ring support.
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Higher-tier Ring subscription plans like Ring Protect Plus offer more cloud video storage and longer video retention.
Overall, deleting Ring videos is a straightforward process, with multiple options to remove videos temporarily or permanently depending on your needs. Just be aware of how long deleted videos remain recoverable, and how to permanently erase them right away if preferred.