Video doorbells are one of the best smart home devices you can own, and Ring doorbells are worthy of your consideration again. And to help prove that, Ring is releasing a few handy new features, including the ability to greet your visitors for you. It can even tell a delivery person where to leave a package, all without any interaction from you.

Being able to answer when someone rings the doorbell even when you aren't home is very handy. Sometimes, that's not possible, like when you're in a meeting at work or on the phone. That's where Ring's new Alexa greetings come into play. Your Ring doorbell will answer for you with Alexa's voice.

The feature requires a Ring Doorbell Pro and, like most cloud-enabled features, a Ring Protect subscription. But if you have both, you can set up Alexa greetings in the Ring app. Alexa will ask the purpose of a visit, record messages, and even prompt for information (like name and phone number). You can even have Alexa tell a delivery person where to drop off a package (hide it behind the gate).

If you have a different Ring Doorbell Pro or don't have a Ring Protect subscription, you can set Quick Reply responses instead. With Quick Replies, you choose up to six preset greetings, including "We can't answer the door right now, but if you'd like to leave a message, you can do it now," and "Please leave the package outside. If you'd like to leave a message, you can do it now."

You can watch any messages in real-time, and if you are a Ring Protect subscriber, you can check the recorded message later. Finally, Ring Cameras can now warn approaching visitors that they are being recorded. The feature is rolling out for wired doorbells, the Spotlight Cam Wired, Floodlight Cam, and the Indoor Cam. When a camera detects motion, it will speak the words, "Warning - you are now being monitored and recorded by Ring." You can turn the warning off in the Ring app. 

The new features are rolling out to users now.

Source: Ring