Ring is changing how it encrypts the video from millions of doorbells and cameras, and making the new scheme the default.
The Amazon-owned company announced TAKE, for “Throw Away the Key Encryption,” on August 26, 2026, as reported by TechCrunch and CNN Business. Rollout begins in September and applies worldwide.
How it works
Under TAKE, video is encrypted with rotating keys. When a cloud feature needs to process a clip, for example Smart Alerts that distinguish people, vehicles and packages, a key is held temporarily in Ring’s cloud for the duration of that task and then deleted, within 24 hours at most. Ring says the design is built on the IETF’s Messaging Layer Security standard. Users can recover keys through a nearby camera, a passphrase, a cloud backup, another approved device or a passkey.
Full end-to-end encryption, which Ring has offered since 2021, remains available. Choosing it disables cloud-dependent features such as video search, AI descriptions and shared users, which is why few customers turned it on.
Why now
Ring has spent a year on the back foot over privacy. Its December 2025 “Familiar Faces” facial-recognition feature drew a backlash from privacy advocates and several state attorneys general, and a June 2026 class action alleges Ring stored images of passers-by without their consent. TAKE is the company’s answer: keep the AI features that sell subscriptions, while limiting how long Ring itself can read the footage.
What it means if you own a Ring camera
- You do not have to do anything. TAKE becomes the default; your smart alerts and video history keep working.
- If you want Ring to have no access to your footage at any time, turn on end-to-end encryption in the app and accept losing the cloud features.
- Neither setting changes what you can share with police or neighbors; that remains your choice per clip.
How it compares
Google Nest processes most detection on the device and encrypts stored video, but Google retains the keys. Arlo and Eufy offer local storage options that keep video off the cloud entirely. TAKE puts Ring in the middle: cloud-first, with a shorter window in which the company can decrypt.
Our best home security cameras guide compares Ring, Arlo, Wyze, Google Nest, Eufy and SimpliSafe on video quality, subscription cost, storage and privacy record.