RING is overhauling its app – and fans are vowing to boycott the brand in favour of Google.
The Amazon-owned app announced it will be locking a number of features behind a paywall, much to its users’ dismay.
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Core features, such as the Home and Away modes, are currently be free.
Home mode tells the Ring device that its user is home, so it won’t trigger motion alarms.
While the Away feature ensures cameras are recording at all times, with sensors around the home also on the look out for any movement.
But the favourite features won’t be for free much longer.
Ring has proposed a subscription-style paywall, called a Ring Protect Plan, which will come into effect on March 29.
A Basic subscription plan costs £3.49 a month or £34.99 a year. While a Plus plan costs £8 a month, or £80 a year.
Person alerts – notifications when a person has been spotted, photo previews of alerts and video saving and sharing are also set to be stripped from users unless they pay.
The same customers won’t even be able to access Amazon Alexa voice controls via the app without handing over a monthly fee.
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This is the same Alexa that is found in other Amazon products, such as the Echo smartspeaker.
Ring device owners have since vowed to ditch their doorbells and cameras.
One unhappy customer, by the name of Brandon, wrote on Tiwtter: “Pulled my @Ring doorbell off and bought a @Google Home one.
“I’ve about had it with companies forcing users into a subscription model by taking services they previously had.”
Another Twitter user wrote: “@ring Taking away features sucks.
“I’d love a refund for the two Ring doorbells I have that are even more useless without a subscription.”
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