Jan. 24, 2024 - Ring launched the Neighbors app in 2017 to help connect communities. And over the years, we've done just that. The Neighbors app - and the communities that use it - have helped reunite more than three hundred thousand missing pets with their owners and helped families locate more than five thousand missing family members. During disasters and emergencies, residents have used the Neighbors app to share critical information with others in their neighborhood in real time. During Hurricane Ian, more than 45,000 local residents took to the Neighbors app to make donations, share shelter locations, and ask for help. My own family experienced the power of hyper-local community when we were evacuated during the Woolsey Fire in 2018. Our neighborhood used the Neighbors app to update each other about block-to-block conditions, and offer each other help and assistance .

We’ve all seen how Ring videos — whether heartwarming or silly — can bring us together to laugh, empathize or unite in a shared community. In 2023 alone, customers shared Ring moments with Neighbors, their social channels, and their friends more than a million times. Whether a bear relaxing in a pool or a neighbor helping out with some shoveling, millions of people have found joy and hope in Ring posts.

Today, we're announcing some changes to the Neighbors app based on what we’ve heard from our customers. We want to make it easier to continue to share the moments that matter. That's why we're introducing Ring Moments, a new post category that expands the content allowed on the Neighbors app beyond just crime and safety.

In addition to making it easier to share different kinds of videos, photos, and stories, we’re also introducing a new feature that makes it easier for Ring customers to enjoy the most popular Ring videos from across the country. Best of Ring, which will be available in the coming weeks, is a new in-app tile featuring a curated selection of our favorite Ring videos. Users can scroll through the selection to discover new content.

This week, we are also sunsetting the Request for Assistance (RFA) tool. Public safety agencies like fire and police departments can still use the Neighbors app to share helpful safety tips, updates, and community events. They will no longer be able to use the RFA tool to request and receive video in the app. Public safety agency posts are still public, and will be available for users to view on the Neighbors app feed and on the agency's profile.

As we look to the future of the Neighbors app, we're excited for what’s to come, and to see all the ways customers will continue to connect and share with each other and their communities.