Ring Launches New 'TAKE' Encryption System, Set to Become Default for All Customers Worldwide

Amazon-owned Ring announced a new video encryption system Wednesday called TAKE, short for Throw Away the Key Encryption, which the company says will become the default privacy standard for all Ring customers worldwide once fully rolled out, beginning in phases this September.

According to Ring, TAKE is designed to deliver stronger default privacy protections for the company's video doorbells and home security cameras while still preserving the intelligent features customers rely on, including Smart Alerts, a balance the company says its previous end-to-end encryption option could not offer without sacrificing certain functionality.

Ring's videos have already been encrypted both while traveling to the cloud and while stored at rest, according to the company. TAKE adds an additional layer of control by using unique, rotating encryption keys for each video. A copy of those keys is temporarily held inside what Ring describes as a secure enclave within the cloud, a protected environment the company compared to a sealed vault that grants Ring access to the key only under strict, limited conditions tied to the specific intelligent features a customer has activated on their account. Once those features have processed the video, Ring says it discards and permanently deletes its copy of the key. From that point forward, only the account holder, along with any trusted Shared Users they have specifically chosen to enable, retains access to the keys needed to view the video on their own enrolled devices, such as a phone, tablet or computer.

Ring described the system using a household analogy to illustrate how the new encryption approach functions in practice. The company compared TAKE to house keys: the company that manufactures a lock does not keep a copy of the key for itself, a homeowner might give a spare key to a close friend or family member they trust completely, and if a handyman needs access to fix something, the homeowner lends a key only for the duration of the job before getting it back. According to Ring, TAKE operates on that same underlying principle, with the account holder retaining the master key to their videos and deciding who receives access to a spare, and for what specific purpose.

The new system builds on privacy protections Ring first introduced in 2021, when the company became the first major smart home security provider to offer customers full end-to-end encryption, or E2EE, as an optional setting for those seeking the highest available level of video privacy and control. That E2EE option will remain available going forward as an alternative to the new default TAKE system, according to Ring. Under E2EE, only a customer's specifically enrolled devices ever gain access to their encryption keys, a design that limits certain functionality; because access is restricted so tightly under E2EE, Shared Users and various cloud-based features are not supported under that setting, though core functions including live view, playback and direct video sharing continue to work seamlessly.

Under the new arrangement, every Ring customer will receive stronger encryption protections by default once TAKE fully rolls out, according to the company, while customers who want an even higher level of control can continue opting into the existing E2EE setting instead. Ring said customers will be able to manage their encryption settings at any time directly within the Ring app, adjusting those settings on a per-device basis and switching between the two encryption options as their needs change.

The announcement arrives alongside a broader hardware update from Ring. According to the company, Ring is also introducing 4K video support for battery-powered video doorbells for the first time, alongside three new 2K doorbell models that expand high-resolution video recording capability across both battery-powered and hardwired doorbell products.

Ring framed the TAKE rollout as part of an ongoing, continuous approach to privacy and security development rather than a one-time initiative. The company said it remains focused on listening to customer feedback regarding privacy priorities and continuing to develop new features and protections in response to those concerns as its technology and product lineup continue to evolve.

According to Ring, TAKE will roll out to customers in phases beginning in September, with the company indicating the system will ultimately become the default encryption standard applied to all Ring customers globally once that phased rollout is complete. The company has published a white paper detailing the technical specifics of the new encryption upgrade and has directed customers seeking additional information about how their video content is protected to visit Ring's dedicated privacy page.

The introduction of TAKE reflects broader industry-wide attention to privacy and data security within the connected home security camera market, a sector that has faced periodic scrutiny in recent years over how companies handle and protect sensitive video footage captured inside and around customers' homes. By introducing a system designed to combine stronger default encryption with continued access to cloud-based smart features, Ring appears to be positioning TAKE as a middle-ground option between standard cloud storage, which typically grants the company broader technical access to stored video, and full end-to-end encryption, which restricts cloud-based functionality more significantly in exchange for maximum customer control over video access.

As the phased rollout of TAKE begins in September, Ring customers can expect the new encryption standard to gradually become the default setting applied across their devices, with the company emphasizing that customers will retain the ability to adjust their specific encryption preferences at any time through the Ring app as the new system becomes more widely available across the company's global customer base.