Ring’s latest AI feature has completely changed the way I use my video doorbell

Those of you who already own a Ring doorbell will know it’s a brilliant way to boost your smart home security, especially given how strong the ecosystem is. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed most is the simplicity of the app – from checking clip history to speaking to whoever’s at the door. Even after testing plenty of the best video doorbells on the market, that’s still something I stand by today.

That said, things shifted quite a bit a few months ago when Ring rolled out its Familiar Faces feature in the UK. It might initially sound like a small addition, but in practice it’s entirely changed how I use my video doorbell day to day.

After just a few days of testing it, I quickly realised how much more useful it makes my whole setup, and I couldn't wait to share it with you any longer.

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So...what is Familiar Faces?

If you didn't know, Familiar Faces is an opt-in feature that lets your Ring devices recognise people who regularly appear at your door. You can build a private directory of up to 50 known faces, and when someone approaches your camera, the system can identify them and send more specific notifications based on who it is.

Over time, you can label and manage these recognitions directly in the Ring app, helping the system become more personalised to your household.

How did it improve my security setup?

From the moment I started using Familiar Faces, the biggest change was simply not needing to open the app every single time someone rang the doorbell. Instead, I’d get a notification telling me exactly who it was. If it was someone unknown – a new neighbour, for example – I could quickly label them in the app. However, if I didn’t, it wasn’t an issue either, especially for one-off visitors like delivery drivers.

It also surprised me how fast it all works. Face recognition kicks in almost instantly once someone is in frame, with no noticeable lag or processing delay. Given how smooth the Ring app already is, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised, but it still impressed me in real use. I also found myself using the Event Summary tab often, which showed me how many visits I'd had in a day, or how many from a specific person.

Another useful addition is being able to filter your video history by name. So, for example, if I wanted to check when my mum last popped by to water the plants whilst I was away, I could simply select her name and instantly see every recorded visit. The app shows the camera used, the time, and a quick preview of the clip, without me needing to manually scroll through any footage.

Anything to note?

There are a couple of things worth being aware of, although neither is a dealbreaker. First, the person at your door does need to be in clear view of the camera for a few seconds for Familiar Faces to kick in. I’ve mainly tested it on my Video Doorbell Pro, so I'm not sure how it holds up with Ring’s best security cameras as well, but it’s not instant from a quick passing glance from my own experience.

The second thing is that, occasionally, the system can create duplicate profiles for the same person. I’ve even shown up in my own directory as “unknown” when I changed my appearance slightly – like wearing a ponytail instead of my hair down or having a hood up. It’s not constant, but it does show the AI still has some way to go with consistency in recognition.

That said, neither issue really takes away from the experience. Overall, Familiar Faces has noticeably changed how I use my Ring doorbell, making it feel more intelligent and helpful day to day – and it’s easy to see why it could be a big upgrade for a lot of users.

Familiar Faces is available now to Ring device owners with a Ring Pro (£15.99/month) and Pro Intelligence plan.