Ring Intercom is a smart doorbell alternative specifically for people living in apartments

Android Police

By James Peckham

Published Sep 1, 2022

A game changer for those living in communal buildings

Source: Ring

The benefits of smart doorbells are plentiful, with you being able to monitor who’s at your front door, talk to people when you’re out and communicate with those delivering parcels. That hasn’t been an option for those who live in larger communal buildings such as apartments, and that’s a problem Ring’s latest addition wants to solve. The Ring Intercom is explicitly designed for larger buildings, and if it’s compatible with your system, you may find it helpful.

It’ll add to your existing intercom system in your building, which is where this gets a little complicated. To help you determine whether your home’s system is compatible, Amazon has assembled a questionnaire for you to follow. It’ll ask you questions about the brand of your system, the specific features it offers, and more to determine whether this will work for you.

A press release from Ring explains, “Ring Intercom utilizes the existing compatible intercom system to trigger encrypted Two-Way Talk via the Ring app, meaning users can only answer calls from someone buzzing their apartment building door. The Ring app makes it easy to tailor specific privacy and security settings, with the ability to manage Shared Users, and enable and revoke access at any time.”

You may need to communicate with your building’s owner if you’re renting your property, but Ring claims this system is easy enough for anyone to install.

To start, the product is only available in Europe. It’ll begin in the UK and Germany on October 26 and then come to France, Spain, and Italy early next year. The thinking is that communal buildings are far more common in Europe than in the US. Ring has confirmed that the Intercom will come to the US, but it’ll be sometime during 2023 without a firm date confirmed. You can sign up for updates from Ring here.

In the UK, the price starts at £120, with a bundle including an extra battery pack coming in at £150. As with many Ring products, an introductory offer brings the price down to £90 if you pre-order, so you should expect regular deals on the new Intercom once it’s on sale.