Ring launches new app store betting on AI beyond security

With over 100 million cameras deployed, Amazon-owned Ring is poised to leverage its significant market presence with the launch of a new app store that will enhance the capabilities of its cameras. Initially focused on areas such as elder care, workforce analytics, and rental management, the store will allow developers of various sizes to tap into Ring’s ecosystem to reach customers.

First announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the app store arrives as Ring expands beyond smart doorbells and home cameras to solutions aimed at businesses. The new store is also made possible by advancements in AI technology, which can utilize Ring’s ability to see and hear things in the real world and provide users with insights in specific situations.

For instance, one launch partner, the company Density, has an app called Routines that focuses on elder care, allowing families to monitor their loved ones, such as aging parents, and receive alerts about concerns like falls or changes in routines. An app from QueueFlow helps businesses understand wait times and congestion in places where people need to wait, such as events, restaurants, service counters, and waiting rooms.

An app from Minut enables Airbnb hosts to monitor their properties, connecting with other camera-less sensors that track parameters like excessive noise and temperature. Ring founder and CEO Jamie Siminoff explains that the goal is to expand the capabilities of Ring cameras beyond just providing home security. “With AI, there’s just an incredible amount of long tail use cases,” he told TechCrunch.

However, there will be restricted areas due to growing consumer backlash against surveillance technology, which has also impacted Ring. After the company launched features that could find lost pets or monitor wildfires, customers became aware of the extensive capabilities of these cameras and how that could lead to a world where people couldn’t go anywhere without being tracked and recorded. Aware of the potential for negative PR, Siminoff noted that the terms of use will not allow apps that offer certain privacy-invasive features, such as facial recognition tools or license plate readers.

“We’re trying to be careful to make sure that it is being used for apps that deliver value to the customer,” he said regarding the Ring app store. “Certainly, we have to listen to what’s happening out in the market and the scrutiny.” Following customer backlash, Ring canceled its partnership with Flock Safety, a maker of AI-powered cameras that share footage with law enforcement. This partnership would have allowed agencies using Flock to request footage from Ring doorbell and camera owners.

The future of Ring’s app store will be discoverable within the Ring app for iOS and Android devices and will initially be limited to customers in the U.S. before rolling out more broadly. However, adding apps to your Ring setup won’t involve using the platform’s in-app purchase payment systems, meaning Ring won’t pay Apple or Google commissions when customers decide to expand their Ring experience with a partner’s tools. Siminoff explains that this is because Ring isn’t the one distributing the apps—users will still likely need to download the partner’s app from the app store to access the new functionality.

Nonetheless, this represents an interesting way to build an app ecosystem outside of traditional app stores while still benefiting from Ring’s distribution on iOS and Android. “It’s not just that Ring is doing an app store. It’s that Ring has a lot of cameras out there, and therefore it is a big enough surface area that if developers do write something, they can get a decent number of customers and hopefully build a successful business,” Siminoff said.

In terms of monetization, when Ring directs a customer to one of its partners, it will take a commission on those sales. For now, that’s a 10% fee, but Ring says it’s open to apps offering other business models beyond subscriptions, such as one-time fees or even free, ad-supported apps if that’s what customers want. At launch, there are around 15 apps available, but many more are in the pipeline, the company said. Developers can submit their apps for consideration through Ring’s developer site.