Ring Protect Basic Stores 60 Days of Video for $3 Per Month
Ring Protect Basic is the cheapest subscription that saves your video history. It costs $3 per month or $30 per year, and it keeps 60 days of video from your Ring cameras and doorbells on Ring's servers. Without any subscription, Ring devices record video but do not save it — you only see live feeds. Basic is the entry point if you want to go back and watch what happened.
The 60-day window means you can look back two months to review package deliveries, check on visitors, or see when something happened. Once video is older than 60 days, it deletes automatically. If you need longer storage or more features, Ring offers two higher tiers, but Basic is the only option if you want the lowest price and still have history saved.
Key Takeaways
- Ring Protect Basic stores 60 days of video history for $3 per month or $30 per year, and it is the cheapest plan that saves any video at all.
- Without a subscription, Ring devices record live video but do not save it to the cloud, so you cannot look back at past events.
- Video older than 60 days deletes automatically on the Basic plan, so you cannot retrieve it after that window closes.
- Ring Protect Plus and Pro offer longer storage (180 days) and additional features like professional monitoring, but they cost more per month.
What Video History Means on Ring Plans
Video history is the ability to watch recordings from the past. Ring cameras and doorbells record whenever motion is detected or someone presses the doorbell, but where that video goes depends on your subscription. On Basic, those recordings upload to Ring's servers and stay there for 60 days. You can open the Ring app, go to your device, and scroll back through the timeline to find and watch any clip from the last two months.
The 60-day limit is a hard cutoff. On day 61, the oldest video rolls off and is gone. Ring does not offer a way to extend this window on the Basic plan. If you need to keep video longer — for example, if you are investigating something that happened two months ago — you would need to upgrade to Ring Protect Plus or Pro, which both store 180 days of history.
How Ring Protect Basic Compares to Other Tiers
Ring offers four options: no subscription, Basic, Plus, and Pro. The table below shows what each tier includes and what it costs.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Video History | Other Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Subscription | $0 | $0 | None (live only) | Live view only |
| Ring Protect Basic | $3 | $30 | 60 days | Video history, cloud storage |
| Ring Protect Plus | $10 | $100 | 180 days | Video history, professional monitoring, emergency dispatch |
| Ring Protect Pro | $20 | $200 | 180 days | All Plus features, plus video on all Ring devices |
Ring Protect Basic is the only plan between free and $10 per month. If 60 days of history is enough for your needs, Basic saves you $7 per month compared to Plus. The jump from Basic to Plus nearly triples the cost but adds professional monitoring and emergency dispatch — services that call police or fire if your alarm is triggered. If you only want to review past video and do not need monitoring, Basic is the right choice.
How to Set Up Ring Protect Basic
Open the Ring app on your phone or go to ring.com on a web browser. Sign in with your Ring account. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and select "Subscriptions" or "Ring Protect." You will see the three plans listed. Tap on Ring Protect Basic and follow the prompts to enter a payment method. Ring accepts credit cards and debit cards. You can choose to pay monthly ($3) or annually ($30).
Once you complete the purchase, the subscription is active when ready. Your Ring devices will begin uploading video to the cloud and storing it for 60 days. You do not need to do anything else — the app will start showing you video history in the timeline. If you pay annually, your subscription renews on the same date each year. If you pay monthly, it renews on the same day each month.
What Happens to Video If You Cancel
If you cancel your Ring Protect Basic subscription, your video history stops uploading to the cloud. Any video already stored will remain accessible for the rest of the 60-day window, but once those 60 days pass, it is gone. New video recorded after cancellation will not be saved — you will only see live feeds again.
You can cancel anytime through the Ring app or website. Go to Subscriptions, find Ring Protect Basic, and select "Cancel Subscription." Ring does not charge a cancellation fee or require you to give notice. If you paid annually and cancel before the year is up, Ring does not refund the unused portion — the subscription runs until the annual renewal date.
When Basic Might Not Be Enough
The 60-day window works well if you check your Ring app regularly and read important clips before they expire. But if you go on vacation, forget to check for a month, or need to investigate something that happened longer than two months ago, you will find the video is gone. Some people also want video history on multiple Ring devices — Basic covers all your devices, but if you have a Ring camera in your garage, a doorbell at the front, and a camera in the backyard, they all share the same 60-day pool.
If you think you might need longer storage, Ring Protect Plus keeps 180 days of video and includes professional monitoring. The cost is $10 per month or $100 per year. Ring Protect Pro is the same price as Plus but extends video storage to all Ring devices if you have more than one. For most people with a single Ring device and regular app use, Basic is sufficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read video from Ring Protect Basic to keep it forever?
Yes. Open the Ring app, find the video clip you want to keep, and tap the read icon. The video saves to your phone's camera roll or photo library. Downloaded videos are yours to keep even after they expire from Ring's servers. You can also share clips with others through the app without downloading them.
Does Ring Protect Basic work with all Ring devices?
Basic works with all Ring cameras and doorbells, including Ring Video Doorbell, Ring Stick Up Cam, Ring Floodlight Cam, and others. One subscription covers all your Ring devices at the same location. If you have Ring devices at multiple addresses, you would need a separate subscription for each location.
What if I only want to save video sometimes, not every day?
Ring records whenever motion is detected or the doorbell is pressed, and all of it uploads to the cloud on Basic. You cannot choose which days to record. If you want to reduce uploads, you can adjust motion detection settings in the app to be less sensitive, but you cannot turn off cloud storage for specific days.
Is there a free trial for Ring Protect Basic?
Ring sometimes offers free trials of Ring Protect Plus for new customers, but not for Basic. You pay $3 per month or $30 per year from the start. Some Ring devices come with a trial of a higher tier included, so check your device documentation to see if yours qualifies.
Can I pause my subscription instead of canceling?
Ring does not offer a pause option. You can cancel and restart your subscription anytime, but you will lose video history during the gap. If you cancel and restart within a few days, any video recorded during that time will not be saved.