Is Ring’s Search Party Safe for Caregivers? How the Super Bowl Feature Affects Your Privacy

If you watched the Super Bowl this year and ugly cried at that Ring commercial with all the lost dogs coming home…you were not alone.

As caregivers, dog lovers, and people who already feel like we’re juggling a thousand fragile things at once, that ad was designed to hit us right in the heart. In fact, I know people personally who have had loved ones wander from home. I can imagine that seeing this ad gave them a sense of “if only.”

Tech that helps reunite families with their pets?  Yes, please. Sign us up.

But after the tears dry and the chips are put away, it’s worth asking:

What is this new Ring “Search Party” feature actually doing—and what does it mean for caregivers who use Ring cameras around their homes?

This post is not here to scare you away from technology. My goal is to help you understand what’s happening so you can make intentional choices that protect both safety and privacy—for you, your loved one, and your care circle.

A Quick Note About Me (and Why I Care About This)

Welcome if you’re new here. I’m Jeanette Yates, founder of The Self‑Caregiver and host of the From Guilt to Good podcast. I cared for my own mother for several decades and now help caregivers set boundaries, use simple tools that make care (and life) easier, and move from feeling guilty to feeling good about the choices they’re making.

Caretech—technology that supports caregiving—is one such tool. Ring cameras, smart speakers, medication reminders, tracking apps…they can all be helpful. But only if we know what they’re actually doing in the background.

So let’s unpack this “Search Party” feature together.

What Is Ring “Search Party,” in plain caregiver language?

The Ring Super Bowl ad showed a heartwarming story:

A dog goes missing.  

The family is devastated.  

Neighbors and Ring devices come together to form a kind of digital “search party.”  

The dog is found. Everyone cries. The end.

Behind that story is a specific Ring feature called Search Party.

Here’s what it does, in simple terms:

• Someone reports a missing pet in the Ring app.  

• Ring uses AI (artificial intelligence) to scan video from nearby outdoor Ring cameras.  

• The AI looks for that specific dog—its shape, size, color, etc.  

• If it finds a match, that information helps reunite the pet with its family.

On the surface, it sounds like, “Your camera can join the neighborhood in helping bring lost pets home.”

And honestly? That is a beautiful idea.

But here’s the thing...  

For Ring’s AI to determine whether the dog is in your footage, it has to analyze it. That means more of what happens outside your home—people, cars, visitors, neighbors walking by—is being processed behind the scenes, even if the focus is “just pets.”

Why This Matters More When You’re a Caregiver

If you’re using Ring as a caregiver, chances are you’re not just using it as a doorbell with a fancy peephole.

You might be using a camera to:

• Keep an eye on a loved one who tends to wander or become disoriented  

• Know when a home health aide or nurse arrives  

• Feel safer when you or your loved one are home alone  

• Get alerts when there’s motion at the door

All very understandable reasons. But caregiving adds a few extra layers to this conversation. You’re not only managing your privacy. You’re also impacting the privacy and dignity of the person you care for, family members who live with you, visitors to your home, and your neighbors.

So when a new AI feature like Search Party is added, the question isn’t just, “Is this cool?” It becomes, “Does this line up with my values around safety, dignity, and privacy—for everyone my camera can see?”

Again, this does not automatically mean, “Turn it off.”  It means this decision deserves more than a 30‑second emotional commercial.

 Is “Search Party” On By Default?

For many outdoor Ring cameras, Search Party is turned on by default. That means you might already be part of this AI‑powered search network, which could include your outdoor footage in these scans.  I’m not trying to scare you. I’m sharing it because you deserve to know when your tech makes decisions on your behalf. You can’t make a truly informed choice about your home and your loved ones if you don’t know which features are quietly active in the background.

The good news? You do have options.

Make an Intentional Choice

As one of my favorite Peloton instructors says, “I make suggestions, you make decisions.” Below is a step-by-step guide to help you gain clarity and control over your Ring camera. You don’t have to do all of this…that decision is yours. These are suggestions!

Step 1: Check Your Settings—and Give Yourself Permission to Decide

Sometime this week, open your Ring app and tap on the three lines in the upper left corner >>select Control Center >> select Search Party

If you have the feature, it is probably enabled by default. Now, it’s your choice…Leave it on if you’re comfortable being part of this neighborhood search network OR opt out if you’d rather your footage not be used in this way right now.

Please note: There is no wrong decision here.

It is perfectly okay to say,  “This feature isn’t for me right now.” Opting out does not mean you’re a bad neighbor, you don’t care about pets, or that you are “anti‑tech.” It simply means you’re making a thoughtful decision based on the information you have today. You can always change your mind later.

Step 2: Be Mindful of What Your Camera Actually Sees

This step is less about settings and more about awareness. Take a moment and imagine a typical day through your Ring camera’s eyes:

• You leaving for work or errands  

• Your loved one stepping outside, maybe looking confused or unsteady  

• A home health aide arriving with bags and equipment  

• The neighbors walking their dogs  

• Kids biking down the street  

• Delivery drivers on your porch

Now gently ask yourself, “Am I okay with this—everything my camera can see—being included in an AI‑powered search feature, even if the goal is just to find lost pets?”

Again…There’s no one right answer.

You might realize:

• “Yes, I’m comfortable with that. The benefits feel worth it.”  

• “No, I’d rather keep this footage for my own use only.”  

• “I’m not sure yet, but I’m glad I finally understand what’s happening.”

If something feels “off,” remember you can adjust the camera angle to focus more on your property, turn off Search Party while continuing to use your camera, and change your mind later when you’ve had time to think.

The real shift here is from automatic to intentional.

 Step 3: Talk with Your Care Circle

Tech decisions feel heavier when we hold them alone. Your care circle might include the person you care for (if they’re able to participate), family members involved in care, professional caregivers, and even a friend who “gets it.” The goal is input, not full consensus, but transparent conversations build trust. 

From Guilt to Good: Reframing This Tech Decision

Because this space is called From Guilt to Good, we have to name the guilt that can sneak in around a decision like this.

You might feel guilty if you leave Search Party on:

• “Am I exposing my loved one or my neighbors to more surveillance?”  

• “Am I part of a bigger privacy problem?”

You might feel guilty if you turn it off:

• “What if someone in my neighborhood loses their dog and my camera could have helped?”  

• “Am I being selfish?”

Here’s a reframe I want you to sit with:

You are allowed to prioritize both safety and privacy.  

You are allowed to make an imperfect decision with the information you have today.

There is no gold star for choosing the “perfect” setting in a constantly changing tech world.

The real win is that you took the time to understand a feature that affects your home, your loved one’s dignity, and your own comfort. Then you made a choice on purpose, not by default.

That is you moving from guilt…to good.

Guilt whispers,   “Whatever you choose, it’s not enough.” Good says,  “You showed up, you learned, you decided with care. That’s enough for today.”

You are a thoughtful caregiver, doing your best in a very complicated world.

That’s enough. You are enough.

If this was helpful, please share it with another caregiver! And when you’re ready for more support in setting boundaries and using caretech without the guilt, you know where to find me.

You’re doing better than you think.