Pin, Touch or Face ID for Ring App

There needs to be a login to open the app. This login could be a face, fingerprint or pin. Right now, if I accidentally leave my phone unlocked, anyone can pick it up and disarm or disable a zone. It’s a security device. It needs security features.

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@Howie10 wrote:
There needs to be a login to open the app. This login could be a face, fingerprint or pin. Right now, if I accidentally leave my phone unlocked, anyone can pick it up and disarm or disable a zone. It’s a security device. It needs security features.


Hello @Howie10 , I understand your concern for extra security. But you should already feel very secure with the Ring App.

If you are referring to “Arming or Disarming the Alarm” using your home Keypad, that already requires a PIN. No worries about giving you code to others to use, because you can already set up or remove a “Guest code” (different code) for them to use, without giving out your code.

If you are referring to “Disarm, Home, Away” Alarm Modes or other settings in the Alarm through an App, many of us feel the Two-Step-Verification (2SV), which requires entering a code from Ring, is already a sufficient authentication method that you already had to use to initially get into your Ring App.

If you are concerned that someone just might pick up and then use your mobile smart-phone (or portable Tablet), to arm/disarm/modify your Ring App settings, you can either:

-1. Consider using the lock-screen feature that already exists on your mobile phone (time-out or via a single phone button-push). So, only you can reopen your phone (either by your mobile phone code, or fingerprint, and some phones can use facial-recognition). In addition to your Ring App (that you already had to use the 2SV to initially get into your Ring App), you probably have many things currently on your phone that you don’t want others to access if you leave your phone unattended. **Using the mobile phone’s existing “Lock-out” feature IS a very good security practice. ** You can set your mobile phone to lock quickly or delay for a certain amount of time-passage, and also lock with a single push lock it immediately. Unless you use a very long time period setting, it is very unlikely a thief could steal your phone while it is unlocked, and quickly get into it ( before it locks) to get your Ring information (in addition to all your other sensitive information on your phone). If you are worried about this, then set a shorter time-period for your phone to lock quicker. Most phones also have the ability to wipe & lock remotely.

-2. Or you can simply log-off your phone’s Ring app after use. Then you’ll have to repeat the Two-Step-Verification 2SV again to gain access to your phone Ring App.

If you are controlling your Ring alarm system on your PC through the Ring.com website, and concerned someone might access your PC while you are away, simply close that web-page on your browser (you don’t even have to log-out). Then you will need to repeat the 2SV to get back in.

If you are concerned about the available PC Ring App (not the same as using your PC at the Ring.com website), those PC Apps are designed for primarily viewing your Ring cameras, and have limited menu-options, and do not provide a way to arm, or disarm, or change important settings of your alarm system.

@Howie10 , If you still feel you want an additional fingerprint/Pin option in your app, hopefully Ring should then additionally provide the selectable option to “opt-out” of this. Many people that feel the 2SV is more than sufficient, and would not want any additional delays getting to their Ring App. This is especially true when trying to answer a Ring Video Doorbell or viewing a Ring Security Camera quickly. Adding an additional extra layer of security could be considered way too excessive to them.

I hope this information makes you feel that the App is already very secure.

There should be touch id required to just open the app, and then again to arm/disarm. I use the xfinity home system at another location and their app has that option for both which is much more secure. Would prevent someone from picking up an unlocked phone, and prevent simple erroneous action. You want to open the app, or arm/disarm the system, easy to confirm with touch id.

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I agree. Why are more people not voting up this feature. I installed the alarm system yesterday and it seems like this functionality is really important. Say someone steals my phone, they get into my Ring App and it clearly displays my address too! They can easily get to my address, disarm and clean us up.

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@Brad wrote:

There should be touch id required to just open the app, and then again to arm/disarm. I use the xfinity home system at another location and their app has that option for both which is much more secure. Would prevent someone from picking up an unlocked phone, and prevent simple erroneous action. You want to open the app, or arm/disarm the system, easy to confirm with touch id.

Hello @Brad , I understand your concern for extra security. But you should already feel very secure with the Ring App.

If you are referring to “Arming or Disarming the Alarm” using your home Keypad, that already requires a PIN. No worries about giving you code to others to use, because you can already set up or remove a “Guest code” (different code) for them to use, without giving out your code.

If you are referring to “Disarm, Home, Away” Alarm Modes or other settings in the Alarm through an App, many of us feel the Two-Step-Verification (2SV), which requires entering a code from Ring, is already a sufficient authentication method that you already had to use to initially get into your Ring App.

If you are concerned that someone just might pick up and then use your mobile smart-phone (or portable Tablet), to arm/disarm/modify your Ring App settings, you can either:

-1. Consider using the lock-screen feature that already exists on your mobile phone (time-out or via a single phone button-push). So, only you can reopen your phone (either by your mobile phone code, or fingerprint, and some phones can use facial-recognition). In addition to your Ring App (that you already had to use the 2SV to initially get into your Ring App), you probably have many things currently on your phone that you don’t want others to access if you leave your phone unattended. **Using the mobile phone’s existing “Lock-out” feature IS a very good security practice. ** You can set your mobile phone to lock quickly or delay for a certain amount of time-passage, and also lock with a single push lock it immediately. Unless you use a very long time period setting, it is very unlikely a thief could steal your phone while it is unlocked, and quickly get into it ( before it locks) to get your Ring information (in addition to all your other sensitive information on your phone). If you are worried about this, then set a shorter time-period for your phone to lock quicker. Most phones also have the ability to wipe & lock remotely.

-2. Or you can simply log-off your phone’s Ring app after use. Then you’ll have to repeat the Two-Step-Verification 2SV again to gain access to your phone Ring App.

If you are controlling your Ring alarm system on your PC through the Ring.com website, and concerned someone might access your PC while you are away, simply close that web-page on your browser (you don’t even have to log-out). Then you will need to repeat the 2SV to get back in.

If you are concerned about the available PC Ring App (not the same as using your PC at the Ring.com website), those PC Apps are designed for primarily viewing your Ring cameras, and have limited menu-options, and do not provide a way to arm, or disarm, or change important settings of your alarm system.

@Brad ,and @saleem85 , If you still feel you want an additional fingerprint/Pin option in your app, hopefully Ring should then additionally provide the selectable option to “opt-out” of this. There are many people that feel the 2SV is more than sufficient , and would not want any additional delays getting to their Ring App. This is especially true when trying to answer a Ring Video Doorbell or viewing a Ring Security Camera quickly. Adding an additional extra layer of security could be considered way too excessive to them.

I hope this information makes you feel that the App is already very secure.

Hi Boone,

Thanks for your comment. I appreciate what you are saying, and I already have all that in place. It still doesn’t stop someone potentially snatching your phone whilst your on it and unlocked and keeping it unlocked and then using it. Of course the chances of that are probably slim, but I feel it is still a good feature. Perhaps they should just add in a simple extra feature of touch Id or pin code when you disarm the alarm. That way as another neighbor mentioned, would not delay any doorbell rings etc.

They can also make that optional for people to decide.

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Most apps controlling sensitive data offer a touch/Face ID option to prevent unauthorised access. This is in addition to unlocking the phone. Common examples include messaging, banking, cloud storage.

If Ring take security seriously then I would hope this feature is high on their priority list.

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Have to agree this should be a standard feature, the Hive app has it, and that only controls my heating…

Vote for this feature to be included in the App. Even small Apps have Face ID option to unlock the App!

With the recent push from ring of the ring alarm, you would have thought that the access to the app on the mobile would be behind a login each time you want to open it, much like a bank account app, or even other smart alarm apps.

Currently, to access the app, all you have to do is open the app - The person would then have access to the full dashboard, including all cameras, doorbells and full access to the alarm to disarm with no question, and to make things worse, the full address is displayed top left!

I get that the app is designed to quickly open to access a ring doorbell, however it should also be sufficiently secure for an alarm system, which currently it is not. It could also be argued that the phone should be locked, however there are known ways around this, including if the phone was robbed while unlocked.

What it should have is a fingerprint scan to open the app, supported by a backup of a pin - And this be something that can be optionally turned on in the app settings, so that those who do not want this, and rather have the quick access can also have that.

Failing the above, it should require some pin, or fingerprint on the app when you select “disarm” this way it would be secure, provide that extra layer of protection, and still be fully usable for all.

I also do not get why the ring app displays the full address top left, it seems rather pointless - I know where I live/where the cameras/alarm is setup?

I agree. We are switching from XFinity. Their app requires fingerprint or login to activate or deactivate the alarm. This is nice, not just for added security, but in case you accidentally select the wrong function, you can ignore the selection by just not authenticating.

I agree! It is absolutely essencial for the ring app to have code/Face ID to open. It has been 2 years since the original post and they still didn’t update the app to incorporate this.
They make you put your exact address on the app and disarming the alarm is automatic without any code! Anyone that gabs my phone can know where I live and disarm my alarm.
Please do something about this Ring!

It is amazing to me that a security product\app does not have a pin\fingerprint login on the app!

I never thought about locking my ring app before until today. And the people at Ring should listen. I have a iPad and I use my iPad for all my smart home apps Ring, Alexa, cooking devices including a temperature control for my grill. That being said, I have cameras hooked up to my ring account including inside my home. Now my iPad never leaves the house so the chance of it being lost or stolen is far less then my phone. My issue was something I never thought about. My eleven year old grandson wanted to use my iPad, yes he knows the password. So I told him he could. That morning my wife a daughter had a fight and things were said. All families fight and as this was a rare occurrence it was soon over. But it was recorded in all it’s loud shouting glory. So what happened, of course my grandson had to going into the Ring app and found and views the argument in all its wonderful verbiage. Then I walked into the family room and he asked me why his mom and his grandma were fighting. I then realized how easy it was to be exploited by anyone, especially a small child or family member. My wife also reminded me that we sometimes walk around the house in less than I like to mention here. So yeah I really think that a extra layer of security to open the app would be helpful. Much like the fingerprint option on the hidden photo section of the iPad. This keeps prying eyes by putting a simple extra layer of protection. Ring I really hope your listening, secure your security app make a great tool greater.

Every app has an option to enable PIN or Face ID anytime it’s idle for a period of time. It’s baffling how a security company is okay with this not being in an option for their “neighbors”. Instead provide a work around that absolutely does help or resolve the issue. Ring needs to listen to their customers concerns and suggestions because there are many other security competitors that would love to have our business.

If user was held under a weapon in front of house, the offender could take users’ phone and use his/her face/finger print to unlock phone and use the ring app to unarm alarm. With the pin to open app, even if the offender has the phone unlocked, they will still need a pin code to open the ring app to unarm alarm.

I’ve recently installed the Ring Intercom and noticed that the Ring app can be accessed without any form of security.

The issue with this is that the app displays my address and, should my phone be lost or stolen, would easily give someone my address and the means to unlock the door to gain access.

I don’t have any other Ring devices but I imagine this would also allow access to cameras/lights/doorbells, or indeed any device controlled through the app.

This seems like a major security flaw and something I hope can be addressed urgently.

To add to my message above, which was merged from another topic I opened, I am absolutely stunned that this was first suggested 2.5 years ago and Ring have done nothing about it.

Ring’s response to me via a Twitter DM was “Your mobile device is equipped with a password and biometrics to ensure, if lost, that your phone is secure.”, which, while true, is a terrible response.

Imagine a banking app not having any security to access it because they say your phone has a lock on it. Would anyone use it? I very much doubt it.

For a company that requires 2FA to access this forum, it is absolutely ridiculous that they will abdicate security on their app to someone else.

I’ve now disconnected my Intercom and I certainly won’t consider buying any other Ring devices until this is resolved.

App has 2 big security flaws.

  • app allows to unarm the alarm without requesting a pin/pass which is so unsecure and due app can’t be lock that is an insane security flaw because anybody that can open the app can unarm the system.

  • app must have an option to block access by pin or fingerprint.

Ring please fix this is so easy to be done and is so importante.

This must be the single most important “feature” for Ring. Even my garage door opener app has this extra security layer. It’s shocking to me that it’s not yet implemented.

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