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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think ring doorbells are intrusive?

139 replies

museumum · 11/01/2022 19:18

I’ve just discovered that my friends ring football starts recording audio when its motion sensor triggered.
Thank fuck we were only saying “you press it ds, it’s that one on the left” etc and not saying anything more personal or offensive but wtf?
AIBU to find it very intrusive to be recorded like that without knowing!

OP posts:
Bitofachinwag · 11/01/2022 19:38

@Tara336

Your recorded in shops, by dash cams in cars, by CCTV on the street, why would a Ring doorbell be intrusive when we are watched pretty much everywhere we go?
Because it records audio! Also because you don't expect to be under surveillance when you go and visit a friend!

Yes OP they are very intrusive. And what's worse is that Amazon have access to the footage and audio and can use face recognition to analyse patterns, see who you visit etc. (

And no, it doesn't matter if your life is "interesting" or not. Consider how this could be used in the future.

If I had suggested to someone 20 years ago that in the future we'll be happy to pay for large businesses to record our every move (and our opinions and feelings if you have an Alexa) they would not have believed me. That's the kind of.thing that only used to.happen in dictatorships.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 11/01/2022 19:40

I have a ring doorbell and have never used it to listen to people outside my house. I always have the volume right down on my phone if I do need to look back on it for any reason.

The audio is there to have conversations with the person outside your house so they may as well record audio too.

OldTinHat · 11/01/2022 19:40

I have a Ring doorbell. I can't afford the subscription so it doesn't record, but I have a sticker on my front door saying I have a Ring doorbell.

All it means is, if someone does ring the bell, I can see who it is through the app. I can hit the mic and talk to them if I want to. Or I can ignore them.

No recording much to the frustration of the local police!

Bebabelouba · 11/01/2022 19:40

Also not the best if you are a victim of dv and want to leave. Your every move in the vicinity of the DB and all visitors can be listened to) monitored by a partner who is elsewhere....

WakeUpLockie · 11/01/2022 19:41

I mean that’s pretty much the point.
Don’t say things you don’t want people to hear when you’re right outside their door? Doorbell or not, it can be heard.

CorneliusVetch · 11/01/2022 19:43

@Sockbabies

I have one, it became an absolute star when I had a big incident happen followed by witness intimidation as despite hiding behind the bush, the voices were heard and clearly.

Honestly wouldn't be without it.

Sorry about the incident sockbabies but it seems victims of crime like you and I who want to feel safe in our homes are “actually pretty sick” and our friends should ditch us.
saraclara · 11/01/2022 19:43

@WakeUpLockie

I mean that’s pretty much the point. Don’t say things you don’t want people to hear when you’re right outside their door? Doorbell or not, it can be heard.
The point of a ring doorbell is to listen to your friends' personal conversations? Really?
DobbyTheHouseElk · 11/01/2022 20:02

I didn’t know that! Bloody hell. A friend of DC parents have one, I dread to thin what I’ve muttered to myself as I’ve been waiting for them to answer the door. Yikes.

megletthesecond · 11/01/2022 20:08

I have to day I've never watched back any footage of a friend or family at the door. They could be saying anything about me. I just skim the footage and check anyone dodgy who walks past.

Bonnealle · 11/01/2022 20:11

Well it can’t record 360 degrees - it’s attached to the wall and has a back! Mine has been brilliant, caught a car break in outside, shows that things haven’t been delivered when the company has said otherwise, and makes me feel a lot safer when home alone that I can see who is knocking on the door.

WhatIsThisPlease · 11/01/2022 20:15

We got one after DP got his car broken into.

I hate it and so do most delivery men/postmen as they all knock on the door now rather than ring the stupid thing!!

If it helps OP, we've only looked at the footage once, when we needed evidence that a courier had collected a parcel.

Musicaltheatremum · 11/01/2022 20:20

My in-laws have one. Brilliant for when strangers call. We can see who it is as they are very vunerable at 97 and 94. They also don't hear the bell if they have their headphones on watching TV so we can speak to the person at the door and then phone them to answer the door. My mil once fell outside her house we saw her in the ground and were able to phone FIL to help her up.
They do have their uses.

HeronLanyon · 11/01/2022 20:27

I could definitely be caught saying eg ‘remember we’re not supposed to know about x yet’ or ‘give me signal when you need to go’ or just some minor tiff you don’t want others to witness. All normal life but not to be overheard. Bloody hell.

HumbugWhale · 11/01/2022 20:34

Why does the ring have to be so loud?? A few of our neighbours have them and I can hear them from several doors away if the window is open. I find that pretty instrusive/annoying!

MissConductUS · 11/01/2022 20:37

We have one. I got an alert from the app recently that someone had rung the doorbell. It was an emergency medical services person who had been dispatched to the wrong address. There was no one home at the time. By talking to him through the doorbell I was able to convince him that it was a mistake and no one needed his assistance, and he could leave without worrying that someone inside was too ill to answer the door. They are brilliant, I'm so glad we put it in.

You should moderate your expectation of privacy when standing on someone's doorstep.

Longleggedgiraffe · 11/01/2022 20:39

My DMIL was robbed by someone who forced their way in when she answered the door. Since then, we installed a Ring Doorbell so the caller can be monitored and questions asked before the door is opened.
The property is your friend's and unless they installed the doorbell with the deliberate attempt to over hear conversations on thrir doorstep, you should accept they have the right to take what security measures they wish.

MissConductUS · 11/01/2022 20:39

@HumbugWhale

Why does the ring have to be so loud?? A few of our neighbours have them and I can hear them from several doors away if the window is open. I find that pretty instrusive/annoying!
The sound volume is fully adjustable using the app. There are also many different tones and chimes to choose from.
guiltynetter · 11/01/2022 20:46

I've become more wary of them recently as I thought they only recorded when you pressed the bell, I didnt know it was all the time!

I work for NHS in the community and was delivering something the other day to a patient in a very posh, gated community. It was really dark and hardly any of the huge houses had numbers or tiny ones so I had to go up close to see what number they were. I felt really self conscious thinking I could be on about 4 peoples ring doorbells 🙈

phoenixrosehere · 11/01/2022 20:50

You should moderate your expectation of privacy when standing on someone's doorstep.

This. Can’t help but wonder how bad some of the things some people say are if they’re that worried the owner of the house are going to hear it. Ring doorbell or not, many of us can hear people’s conversations from inside if the windows are cracked, have open vents, or we are in the back garden. I can hear people passing by our home on the pavement 10ft-12ft away from inside. No ring doorbell here even though probably would have been handy considering someone stole are front gate in broad daylight.

FawnFrenchieMum · 11/01/2022 20:57

We have one, it’s great for knowing if parcels have been delivered or not, I can tell someone I’m on my way (from the third floor so they don’t bugger off), tell the kids friends their not in without leaving my sofa (lazy I know) but it also has recorded people checking who is home and whose not (footage passed to the police).

Great to see who my teen is bringing into the house if we’ve left him alone lol
Had cold callers say, don’t use the ring doorbell it will record us. Makes me question why they are knocking somewhere that they don’t want to be seen?!

I don’t use it to check up on friends conversations on my doorstep!

We also have a camera in kitchen that has the record facility but we never record inside the house or watch it when anyone’s home, it’s purely there to check on the dog when he’s home alone and kept in the kitchen.

Bitofachinwag · 11/01/2022 21:52

So many people on here saying it's fine to record people without their knowledge, keep tabs on teenagers etc. But there's another thread where people think that letting their partner read their texts messages and look at their photos is a huge breach of privacy!

Cookerhood · 11/01/2022 22:06

Someone said there's a subscription? I don't think we pay anything.

Sideswiped · 11/01/2022 22:11

I have two neighbours who have them. Go Compare jingle anyone?
For those saying it's illegal, it isn't as long as you have correct signage...

I think the question is actually 'why do people feel the need to have them'?

I am a single woman who has at times felt insecure. I have CCTV cameras, but not a video doorbell. The upside of it for me is that the local dog owners no longer allow their dogs to shit on / near my front garden, so it's a win / win for me.

MrsDThomas · 11/01/2022 22:14

Id love a ring doorbell. But my wifi won’t stretch to the front door,😏

Great security, and i dont see an issue with then.

chessycurls · 11/01/2022 22:19

I agree it's strange but I have one. If it's any comfort I only actually look at the footage if I have a missed ring, I'm sure most do similar.