Ring’s Search Party feature can notify you about local efforts to find a missing pet or person. If you do not want to receive these alerts or participate in searches, you can usually disable Search Party notifications from the Ring app. The exact menu names may differ slightly between iPhone, Android, and Ring app versions.
What Search Party Does on Ring
Search Party is a community feature connected with Ring’s Neighbors service. It can share nearby search requests, allowing local Ring users to receive information and help look for a missing person or animal.
Depending on your location and account settings, Search Party may involve:
- Push notifications about nearby searches
- Posts or alerts in the Neighbors section
- Requests to share information with other local users
- Optional location or neighborhood participation
- Links to contact the person who created the search
Turning off Search Party does not turn off your Ring cameras, doorbells, recordings, motion alerts, or standard security notifications. It only affects community search alerts and related participation.
How to Turn Off Search Party on Ring
Follow these steps in the Ring mobile app:
- Open the Ring app on your phone.
- Tap the menu icon in the upper-left corner.
- Select Neighbors.
- Tap the settings gear or Neighbors Settings.
- Look for Search Party, Search Party Notifications, or a similar notification category.
- Turn the Search Party switch off.
On some app versions, the setting may be located under Control Center, Privacy, or Notification Settings instead. If you see a general list of Neighbors alerts, disable the option related to Search Party while leaving other alerts enabled if you still want them.
After changing the setting, close and reopen the app. You may also need to wait a few minutes for the preference to synchronize with your Ring account.
Disable Search Party Notifications on Your Phone
If you cannot find a Search Party switch inside Ring, your phone may be controlling the alerts at the operating-system level. This method can stop the notifications, although it may also disable other Neighbors alerts.
On iPhone
- Open Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Scroll down and select Ring.
- Turn off Allow Notifications, or disable specific alert types if your iPhone provides separate options.
Turning off all Ring notifications also stops doorbell and camera alerts. For that reason, use the in-app Search Party setting first whenever possible.
On Android
- Open Settings.
- Tap Notifications or Apps.
- Select Ring.
- Tap App Notifications.
- Turn off the Search Party or Neighbors notification category, if it appears.
Android manufacturers use different menu names. If there is no separate category, disabling Ring notifications will affect every Ring alert, including motion and doorbell notifications.
Stop Participating in an Active Search
Turning off future notifications may not remove a Search Party request that is already active. If you created or joined a search, open the relevant post in the Neighbors section and look for options such as End Search, Close Request, Leave, or Delete.
If you created the request, ending it is usually the best option once the person or pet has been found. If someone else created it, you may only be able to stop following the post or mute its notifications.
Avoid deleting the Ring app as a first solution. Removing the app does not necessarily remove your account from a search, and reinstalling it may restore the same notification preferences after you sign in again.
If you cannot find an option to leave an active search, open the post’s menu and choose Report or Help. You can also contact Ring Support through the app. Provide the search title, approximate date, and your account email, but do not share unnecessary personal information publicly.
What to Check If Search Party Alerts Continue
If you turned off Search Party but still receive alerts, check the following:
- Confirm the correct Ring account: Make sure you changed settings on the account connected to your devices.
- Check multiple phones: A shared household phone may still have Ring notifications enabled.
- Review Neighbors settings: Search Party may be controlled separately from camera notifications.
- Update the Ring app: Older versions may display different settings or fail to save changes.
- Restart the app: Sign out and back in if the setting does not appear to apply.
- Check email and text alerts: Search Party information may arrive through a channel separate from push notifications.
- Review phone notification permissions: Your phone may have restored alerts after an operating-system update.
If the feature is unavailable in your app, it may not be active in your country or account. Ring changes community features over time, so the setting can also move after an app update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off Search Party without disabling Ring camera alerts? Usually, yes. Disable Search Party or Neighbors notifications inside the Ring app rather than turning off all Ring notifications in your phone settings. Your doorbell, motion, and camera alerts should continue normally.
Will turning off Search Party remove my Neighbors account? No. Disabling Search Party generally affects only that feature. You can continue using other Neighbors functions unless you separately leave or disable the Neighbors service.
Why can’t I find the Search Party setting in Ring? The feature may not be available in your region, your app may use a different menu name, or the option may appear only after a Search Party request is active. Update the app, check Neighbors and Control Center settings, and contact Ring Support if alerts continue.
Conclusion
To turn off Search Party on Ring, open the Ring app, review Neighbors Settings or Notification Settings, and disable Search Party alerts. If the option is missing, check your phone’s Ring notification categories and close any active search separately. This lets you stop Search Party notifications while keeping your essential Ring security alerts enabled.
