Ring has been offering users of its video doorbell the opportunity to play unique sounds and greetings on special occasions for several years, but the inventors of the video doorbell are taking it up a notch this year. Starting today, visitors who press Ring video doorbell buttons can be greeted by the holiday’s most adorable grump: The Grinch.
With the late Boris Karloff no longer available for hire, Ring turned to Saturday Night Live cast member—and Donald J. Trump impersonator–James Austin Johnson to voice the irascible character. Ring video doorbell users will be able to choose The Grinch as a “quick reply,” so that when a visitor presses the button, they’ll hear The Grinch utter phrases tailored to the reason you can’t immediately answer the door yourself. In some cases, he’ll also prompt them to leave a message you can retrieve on your smartphone.
This news is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best video doorbells.
To configure Quick Replies on your Ring Video Doorbell, launch the Ring app, navigate to Smart Responses, click Quick Reply Message, and then choose the message you’d like your visitors to hear when they ring the bell.
Michael Brown/Foundry
Ring provided us with several examples in text ahead of the availability of the quick replies (the text versions in the Ring app are shortened for space). When you just want to entertain visitors, you can choose from three recordings, including “OooooOoOoo!! Look who it is! Are you stopping by for a bit festive cheer? Ya WHATEVER. Yuck. Unfortunately, there is plenty of cheer to go around, but now you can have my portion! They’ll be there in a bit. Enjoy!”
If you’d prefer visitors leave a recorded message, you can have The Grinch respond with three other phrases, including “Okay, hello? Hi. (Coughing) Seems like there’s a bit of a SnAFuuuUuuUU with the Roast Beast in there. Wooo that is stinging my eyes! (Sniffs) TOO MUCH WHO-SAUCE! Sorry, please leave a message.”
You can hear Johnson perform one phrase, in character, in this promo video. His interpretation is much closer to Jim Carrey’s manic performance in the Universal film from 2000 than Karloff’s measured delivery, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.
You won’t need a Ring Protect subscription to take advantage of Quick Replies, unless you want to record your visitors’ reactions and play them back later. Johnson is also voicing The Grinch in Wondery’s family friendly ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast, in collaboration with Dr. Seuss Entertprises, where “he rants against Christmas cheer and roasts celebrity guests like chestnuts on an open fire.”
Don’t miss TechHive’s Ring Video Doorbell Plus review.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.