Amazon-owned Ring may finally be ready to launch its long-teased “Always Home Cam”—a flying indoor security drone that patrols your home autonomously.
The drone was originally announced in 2020 with a promised 2021 release, but the launch never materialized. Now, according to Business Insider, the device could be released in limited quantities soon.
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What It Does
Developed under Ring founder and CEO Jamie Siminoff, who recently returned to lead the company, the Always Home Cam is designed to fly pre-programmed paths through a home when the user is away.
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Obstacle avoidance prevents crashes
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Auto-docking for recharging
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No audio recording—only video
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Five-minute flight limit per charge
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One-floor use only (cannot fly between levels)
Ring’s pitch: Replace multiple stationary indoor cameras with one mobile drone that can patrol key areas.
“Some indoor cameras just monitor the room. Ours can move around it when you’re away,” the company says.
Built for the Amazon Ecosystem
Amazon acquired Ring in 2018, folding it into its expanding home surveillance and smart home product lineup.
The Always Home Cam integrates with the Ring App, allowing users to watch live video feeds from anywhere.
It has been priced at $249.99, a dramatic drop from its original estimated cost of $2,000 when the hardware was first being developed.
Critics Call It a Surveillance Overreach
While Ring frames the drone as a high-tech solution for privacy-minded homeowners, privacy watchdogs and digital rights groups remain skeptical.
“It’s difficult to imagine why Amazon thinks anyone wants flying internet cameras linked up to a data-gathering company in the privacy of their own home,” said Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch, a U.K.-based privacy advocacy group.
Critics argue that the drone’s integration with Amazon’s data network and history of cooperation with law enforcement raises serious questions about how much surveillance is too much—even if no microphone is included.
Innovation or Intrusion?
Siminoff defended the concept in a Ring blog post, saying the drone was designed to solve a problem with fewer devices, not more.
“How could we solve this problem with one solution?” he asked.
“We wanted to create one camera that could give users the flexibility of every viewpoint they want around the home.”
