Ring is widening the net for its canine-tracking tech, and you no longer need one of its cameras to take part. The Amazon-owned company is rolling out its "Search Party" feature to all Ring app users in the US, expanding a tool that uses artificial intelligence and its vast camera network to help locate missing dogs, reports TechCrunch. Introduced last fall, Search Party lets a user report a lost dog or other missing pet in the Ring app. Local exterior Ring cameras then use AI to scan recent footage for animals that resemble the one described.
If the system finds a potential match, the camera owner gets a notification and can choose to share related clips with the pet owner, call them directly, or send a message through the app without revealing their personal phone number. Ring says the system has been helping reunite more than one dog a day with its owners since the launch. Previously, only people who had a Ring camera installed could access Search Party; now anyone using the Ring app, including users of the Neighbors community-safety app, can post about a missing pet and tap into the network.
As part of the expansion, Ring announced a $1 million pledge to supply camera systems to up to 4,000 animal shelters across the US, aiming to fold them into its broader network to boost reunions between furry friends and their owners. The company already collaborates with groups such as Petco Love and Best Friends Animal Society and says it's open to working with additional animal-welfare organizations. Football lovers, take note: People reports that Ring will be using its Super Bowl ad, the company's first, to promote the Search Party feature. Get a sneak peek of the commercial here.
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