News — Smart home
Ring Drone Cam: Release Date, Price, What It Works With
Ring's flying indoor camera ships in the US on 27 January 2027 for $249.99, once the FCC authorizes it. What it does, what it needs, and the Ring kit that triggers it.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out what Amazon has confirmed for the Ring Drone Cam, and the Ring devices on sale now that send it out when something happens. The 5 picks are grouped by the job they do, as How we choose describes, and the page is updated as the launch firms up. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Ring Window & Door Sensor (newest model), 2-pack
Good fit A back door or a window the drone should fly to when it opens
Not for A home that already has Ring Alarm contact sensors on every door
Good fit A hallway or a spare room you want watched without mounting a camera
Not for A house with a large dog that roams freely, where any motion trigger needs testing
Ring Indoor Cam, Plug-In, 1080p
Good fit The one room you want on camera all the time, not for a 5-minute flight
Not for Rewatching clips: needs a Ring plan
Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, Plug-In
Good fit An open-plan room that one fixed camera cannot cover
Not for Rewatching clips: needs a Ring plan
Good fit A front door that should be the first thing to send the drone out
Not for A buyer who needs a doorbell that never drops offline, which splits owners
Ships 27 January 2027 in the US, for $249.99
Amazon says the Drone Cam begins shipping to US customers on 27 January 2027, at $249.99. It is US-only at launch, and The Verge reports it comes in gray.
The date carries a condition. Amazon’s own notice says the drone has not yet been authorized by the Federal Communications Commission, and may not be sold or leased until it is. The Verge reports Ring says it is in the process of getting that certification.
It cannot be ordered yet, anywhere
Ring Drone Cam has no preorder. Amazon’s announcement offers email updates for the drone, while its business sibling, the $999.99 Ring Rover Cam, is on preorder now and ships on 16 December 2026. Until the FCC authorizes the drone, any listing claiming to sell one is not genuine.
A 165-gram indoor drone that flies on a trigger
The Drone Cam is a small indoor drone that stays docked, camera off, until it is sent somewhere. Amazon says it flies to set patrol points when a Ring camera, sensor or alarm is triggered, flies routes on a schedule, or goes on demand from the app.
| What Ring has said | Figure |
|---|---|
| Video | 2K, 148° field of view, rotates 360° |
| Weight | 165 grams, The Verge reports |
| Flight time | 5 to 8 minutes a charge, Ring told The Verge |
| Charging | 8 minutes per minute of flight, so about 40 minutes after a 5-minute flight |
| Low light | 2 built-in LED lights |
| Use | Indoors only |
The short flight time makes it a check-in device, not a constant watch. A 5-minute flight is enough to reach the back door and look, then it needs most of an hour on the dock.
It needs Wi-Fi and a Ring Protect plan
The drone’s navigation runs largely in the cloud. Ring calls the system AI Pilot: the drone’s camera and vision models map the home into a floor plan, then route around furniture between the points you set. The Verge reports that without an internet connection, all it can do is land.
Amazon’s footnotes say scheduled routes need a compatible Ring Protect plan, and The Verge reports video storage does too. Budget for the plan alongside the $249.99, the same way as for any Ring camera.
The sensors that send it out are on sale now
The drone only flies when something tells it to, so the useful purchase today is the trigger. The Window & Door Sensor alerts the app when an entry opens, and needs no base station. Amazon says the drone works with Ring sensors and alarms out of the box, but Ring has not yet published a list of which models.
Ring Window & Door Sensor (newest model), 2-pack
2 entry sensors that alert the Ring app when a door or window opens, with no base station needed.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Pack | 2 sensors |
|---|---|
| Base station | Not needed |
The trigger for a back door or a ground-floor window, the places a burglary starts.
Buy it if
- A back door or a window the drone should fly to when it opens
Don't buy it if
- A home that already has Ring Alarm contact sensors on every door
The Motion Detector covers a hallway or a spare room with 90° of view, and has a pet-friendly mode. A pet-friendly detector matters more with a drone: a false alarm now means a noisy flight, not just a notification.
Ring Motion Detector, 2-pack
2 motion detectors with a pet-friendly mode and 90° of room coverage, with no base station needed.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Pack | 2 detectors |
|---|---|
| Coverage | 90° per detector |
| Pets | Pet-friendly mode |
Motion cover for a room you would not put a camera in.
Buy it if
- A hallway or a spare room you want watched without mounting a camera
Don't buy it if
- A house with a large dog that roams freely, where any motion trigger needs testing
Fixed cameras still do the constant watching
A drone that flies for 5 to 8 minutes does not replace a camera that records all evening. The plug-in Indoor Cam watches one room continuously, and has a manual cover for when you are home. The Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam turns 360° from the app, which is the drone’s main promise, available today from a fixed spot. Pet cameras compared sets both against rivals that store video without a plan.
Ring Indoor Cam, Plug-In, 1080p
A small plug-in 1080p camera with colour night vision and a manual cover for the lens and microphone.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Video | 1080p HD, colour night vision |
|---|---|
| Privacy | Manual cover, camera and mic |
| History | Ring Protect plan |
Constant cover for the room that matters most.
Buy it if
- The one room you want on camera all the time, not for a 5-minute flight
Don't buy it if
- Rewatching clips: needs a Ring plan
Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, Plug-In
A plug-in Ring camera that pans 360° and tilts from the app, with Two-Way Talk and colour night vision.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Coverage | 360° pan, tilt |
|---|---|
| Audio | Two-Way Talk |
| History | Ring Protect plan |
A whole open-plan room from one plug socket, with no wait for the FCC.
Buy it if
- An open-plan room that one fixed camera cannot cover
Don't buy it if
- Rewatching clips: needs a Ring plan
The front door is the first trigger most homes have
A Ring doorbell is already a camera the drone can respond to. The Battery Doorbell 2K Plus has Retinal 2K video and a Quick Release Battery Pack, and owners praise its night picture, though reliability splits them. Video doorbells compared weighs Ring against 5 rival brands, including which ones record without a plan.
Ring Battery Doorbell 2K Plus
A Ring battery doorbell with Retinal 2K video and a Quick Release Battery Pack, which owners praise for its night picture.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Video | Retinal 2K, wide-angle |
|---|---|
| Power | Quick Release Battery Pack |
The doorbell that tells the rest of the system someone is at the door.
Buy it if
- A front door that should be the first thing to send the drone out
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who needs a doorbell that never drops offline, which splits owners
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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