Ring's doorbells are very useful devices, but thanks to better integration with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, they are about to get even better

Ring doorbells and cameras are getting a wave of new features, including options for Alexa to greet visitors and help protect your home from outside visitors

Designed to make things more convenient for you and your guests, Alexa Greetings asks how the virtual assistant can help the person at the door Based on the response, Alexa can either take a message or provide instructions for a package to be delivered

Unfortunately, the Alexa Greetings feature is not for everyone The feature requires a Ring Video Doorbell Pro and Ring Protect subscription Starting at $3/month or $30 for a full year

If you can't get to the door right away, Ring will also introduce a new "Quick Reply" feature; unlike Alexa Greetings, this feature does not involve Alexa and uses pre-recorded messages, saving you the trouble of answering the door It can also be used without a Ring Protect subscription

Six active phrases are provided to explain that you cannot answer the door or what to do if there is a delivery If subscribed to ring protection, visitors can also leave messages, which can be played back at their convenience

Finally, Ring has added motion alerts to many of its devices, including the Wired Doorbell, Wired Spotlight Cam, Floodlight Cam, and Indoor Cam When a device detects motion, it displays "Warning - You are now being monitored and recorded by Ring," potentially scaring off unwanted visitors

Such a feature is not necessary if the Ring doorbell faces a busy street Therefore, this feature can be turned on and off whenever desired in the Ring app

Video doorbells not only allow you to see who is at the door before you open it, but Ring's latest feature makes it even more useful In fact, you don't even have to open the door or interact with the visitor personally, as Alexa does it all for you

If you have Ring Video Doorbell Pro or subscribe to Ring Protect, you'll want to set up Alexa Smart Response right away It's that easy

The first thing you need to do is make sure your Ring app is up to date This feature is still being rolled out, so it is not available to everyone yet As long as you keep your app up-to-date, you will be able to activate and enjoy this new feature as soon as it becomes available

Next, go to the Ring app and find the "Smart Responses" tile Here you can enable all of these new features

Alexa Greetings is the first feature you will want to set up and can be enabled immediately on the Smart Responses screen Once you have it set up, you will need to configure it so you can specify how long to wait for Alexa to greet the visitor; Alexa will make it clear that she is Alexa and not an actual person, so you don't need to wait too long before responding After all, you are not wasting someone's time for no good reason

You can also tell Alexa where to deliver packages That way, the doorbell can direct you to the delivery person when you tell it that you have a delivery that does not require a signature

Quick Reply can also be enabled in the Smart Response section of the Ring app Therefore, go there first There, click on "Smart Assistant" and toggle Quick Replies on, and the app will run through the setup process

You can choose from six pre-set responses, such as asking visitors to leave a message, where to put their luggage, or to wait just a few seconds before going to the door

This feature is available on all Ring models except Ring Video Doorbell Wired Also, it is not necessary to subscribe to Ring Protect, but it is required if you wish to save messages for later review

Motion alerts can be toggled on and off for a particular device from the device dashboard You will need to set up at least one motion zone if you have not already done so

Disabling motion alerts does not disable motion zones Therefore, Ring will continue to detect and record people coming toward you without any specific notification