Support Home FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are new to Blink, we have assembled a list of commonly asked questions making it easier to find answers. If your question is not answered below, be sure to check out our dedicated FAQ section here, or use the search bar above.

Do I need Wi-Fi?

Yes! Wi-Fi is a main component of your Blink system. Blink requires a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Internet connection with a minimum of 2 Mb per second (2Mbps) upload speed (from your network to the internet).

Can I access my Blink system from my computer?

You can not currently access your Blink system from your computer, but purchase of newer cameras and the Sync Module 2 allows you to store up to 256 GB of files on a removable USB drive. The drive can be removed and used with your computer to view the files.

The Blink mobile app contains all camera and system settings, camera scheduling, and clip sharing functions.

Can my Blink account and systems be accessed by family members?

Yes! You can download our free app to as many iOS and Android devices as you like, using the same account login information on each. That way, the entire household can receive alerts and view systems. To ensure only authorized persons can access your Blink account, every time someone logs in they will need to complete a multiple factor security process. Click here to learn more about security best practices.

You may also connect Alexa enabled devices through the Blink SmartHome skill. Learn more about Alexa compatibility.

How many devices can I add to a Blink system?

For each Blink system managed by a Sync Module, a total of 10 devices can be added. Blink Wired Floodlight and Mini cameras manage their own individual systems, or can be added to Sync Module managed systems as one of its ten devices. For cameras on a Blink Plus Subscription Plan, an unlimited number of devices are covered in total, but each Sync Module manages a total of ten devices.

What is the range of the Sync Module? How far away can camera units be placed?

Assuming standard construction techniques (single building, no unusually dense construction materials) the Sync Module should be able to communicate with Blink cameras up to (and perhaps over) 100’ away in any direction. We also recommend keeping the Sync Module near your wireless router for best signal strength. The article describing signal strengths, and how to check them, is here. The goal is to have 'three bars' of signal connectivity at the Sync Module and each camera as depicted on the Sync Module screen in the Blink app.

Can I power my cameras with a USB cable or solar panels?

Blink cameras are designed to be powered by size AA 1.5 volt Lithium non-rechargeable batteries, or USB power cable. All cameras ship with their own power supply. The Blink Solar Panel Mount accessory is available at amazon.com (external link to the purchase page).

Some third party manufacturers claim to be compatible with Blink products. Third party power solutions are not supported because of the various problems and safety issues that may arise. Blink accessories are designed be safe for your use.

We cannot warranty devices connected to unreliable power sources, or when weather protection is removed. For the best experience, please only use the power solution that was provided in the original packaging, or authorized Blink products.

If you need replacement parts, contact Customer Support‍ to discuss your options.

Delete

What kind of batteries does Blink use? Are they easy to replace?

Blink cameras are powered by size AA 1.5 volt Lithium non-rechargeable batteries. Battery powered cameras ship with batteries, and they’re easy to replace when the time comes. Simply open the battery compartment, take out the old batteries, and insert the new pair. The device powers up and regain communications without input from you.

Blink camera batteries should be replaced by Energizer Ultimate size AA 1.5 volt Lithium non-rechargeable batteries, or their equivalent. These batteries can be purchased here.

Do not use Lithium Ion ( Li-ion ) rechargeable batteries as they may cause issues with your camera.

How long do the batteries last?

Battery life for Outdoor, Indoor (gen 2), and XT2 cameras is up to 2 years of standard use. We define "standard use" as: a total 5,882 seconds of live view, 43,200 seconds of motion-activated recording and 4,788 seconds of two-way talk; or said differently, 70 seconds per day, for two years.

The XT, and Indoor (gen 1) battery life is up to two years, based on 40,200 seconds of recording, averaging 50 seconds per day.

Battery life varies based on device settings, type of use, heat, cold, or other environmental factors. These things can affect battery life:

Using Alkaline or re-chargeable batteries. (Specifically NOT recommended)
Slow internet connection
Extreme temperatures
Weak signal strength between camera and Wi-fi
Weak signal strength between camera and Sync Module

DO NOT use "Lithium Ion" (Li-Ion) batteries as these may cause issues with your camera. Recommended replacement batteries can be purchased here.

How far from the camera can a person be seen?

Using your Blink camera at highest resolution, you will be able to view a person's facial features about up to 30 feet from the camera. At 32 feet, facial features can not be made out clearly, but a person can be recognized. Beyond 32 feet, recognition depends on the lighting conditions. For example, night vision is provided by an Infra Red illuminator and will not normally show the same detail and clarity of a daytime image.

What's the maximum distance Blink cameras sense motion detection?

The maximum motion detection range is approximately 20 feet for all blink cameras. Some factors that influence motion detection are the app sensitivity setting, camera placement, object size, infrared illumination and object temperature.

Can a Blink camera detect motion through a window or glass?

The Blink PIR sensor on XT and XT2 cameras can not reliably detect motion on the other side of glass. Some users have placed cameras facing out a window or through a glass door to use Blink's Live View option. A Blink XT, or XT2 camera looking through glass will react to heat on the near side of a pane of glass, so it will not reliably activate with motion beyond it.

Mini cameras are somewhat capable of motion detection through glass, since they use pixel difference analysis instead of IR heat signature. This can only work under very limited conditions such as when light is present, with the camera positioned as close as possible to the glass, and with the recording LED and IR LED disabled to reduce reflections. The Blink Mini was not designed to detect motion through glass and the results can be unreliable.

How wide is the field of view?

The Blink camera has a field of view of 110°. When you have connected your camera during the setup process, you can open a Live View to see your camera's perspective with a short delay. This will enable you to position your camera and ensure that the field of view can adequately capture the area(s) you want to cover.

Do Blink cameras pan and tilt?

Yes, the Pan-Tilt Mount is designed exclusively for use with the Blink Mini camera and supports user-controlled pan-tilt functionality directly from the Blink app. Learn more about the Pan-Tilt Mount.

For our other cameras, Blink’s included mount will allow you to easily set the positioning of a camera view, but the standard mount is not controlled remotely.

Please visit the appropriate article for more information:

Mounting Your Blink Wired Floodlight Camera
Mounting Your Blink Mini Camera
Mounting the Blink Video Doorbell‍
Mounting Your Blink Indoor (gen 2) and Outdoor Camera‍
Mounting Your Blink XT2 Camera‍
Mounting Your Blink XT‍
Mounting Your gen 1 Indoor Camera‍

What is the camera resolution for Blink cameras?

Blink cameras can record up to 1080p resolution, except for the Blink Indoor (gen 1) which has a resolution of 720p. The resolution is configurable in camera settings, learn more from our article here.

The camera frame rate ranges from 7.5 frames per second in low light situations to 30 frames per second in good lighting. The decreased frame rate in low light allows the camera to capture more light and present a clearer picture. Check out our article here about configuring your system to capture images in low light.

What is Instant-On?

With Blink’s Instant-On technology, recording starts within a fraction of a second, so you get a clear look at who or what triggered the alert.

How long can I set the camera to record for?

Clip length is customizable from 5 to 60 seconds. For information on how to change your clip length, click here.

When observing Live View on the Blink Mini, you must tap a "Continue" button every 60 seconds. When using Alexa devices for Live View, the length is five minutes.

How much data does a single clip use?

A five-second motion clip with audio is roughly 750 KB of data. This is important to note when you are viewing clips via cellular data rather than Wi-Fi.

With just five-second motion clips, a 256 GB USB drive will be full after approximately three-hundred and forty thousand (340,000) clips are stored.

Where are motion clips stored?

New device owners have a free trial subscription of the Blink Plus Plan to store an unlimited number of clips in Cloud Storage.

By default, clips are automatically deleted when they age to 60 days (30 days max in EU and UK). You can adjust when clips are automatically deleted from 3, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days (30 days max in EU and UK).

To learn how to share your motion clips outside of the Blink app, click here.

If your account was created on or before April 15th, 2020, you will continue to have access to free cloud storage and other features for any devices set up on your account. You are allotted 7,200 seconds of recording per Sync Module.

You can upgrade to saving unlimited number of clips by purchasing a Blink Subscription Plan at any time. Click here to learn more.

Is there Local Storage?

The Sync Module 2 has an active USB 2.0 port that accepts a USB drive between 1 GB and 256 GB in size, with at least 375 MB of free space available.

By default, the USB drive directly records motion clips from Blink Outdoor, Indoor (gen 2), and Mini cameras that are attached to the Sync Module 2 system. These clips are available in the Blink app Clip List. Local Storage does not need to be configured other than to set up the Sync Module 2 with a USB drive and connect one or more of the cameras mentioned. Live Views are never saved to the USB drive.

When Cloud Storage is active either with a subscription or free trial, Live View sessions and Motion Clips from Blink Outdoor, Indoor (gen 2), and Mini cameras are saved to the Cloud. If there is a USB drive available, all unsaved clips will be stored in a Clip Backup once per day.

XT2, XT, and Indoor (gen 1) cameras are not compatible with Local Storage. These cameras are given 7200 seconds of basic cloud storage for the life of the product.

The original Sync Module (black plastic case) has an inactive USB port, and will not save any files if you insert a USB drive.

How much storage do I get for recorded clips?

Your Blink Subscription Plan, or free trial, includes unlimited storage space for either a single camera (Basic Plan) or an unlimited number of cameras (Plus Plan). By default, each clip is automatically deleted when it reaches 60 days of age. You can change the Auto-delete setting to a maximum of 60 days (30 days in the EU/UK) at the top of the Clip Roll screen.

A Mini camera can save clips to the cloud when attached to a subscription plan. To use Local Storage, the Mini camera must be attached to a Sync Module 2 system. Click here to learn about Blink Mini storage options.

For older cameras - Blink XT2, XT, and Indoor (gen 1) - Blink provides 7,200 seconds (2 hours) of storage space for the life of the product. The storage space is 'given' to the Sync Module these older cameras are attached to.

Can my system automatically arm/disarm?

Yes, you can! With our scheduled arming feature, you can set times in advance for the system to automatically arm or disarm for motion detection. Click to learn how to activate a schedule.

For Schedules to work, each camera to be controlled must be enabled for motion detection.

What’s Live View?

Live View lets you see images and audio directly from a camera. A push-to-talk speaker enables live two-way audio from the Blink Video Doorbell, Indoor (gen 2), Outdoor, XT2, and Mini cameras.

With a subscription plan, you can save Live View sessions to cloud storage for later viewing. Blink Subscription Plans also enable Extended Live View - exclusively for Blink Mini cameras! This new feature provides images and sound directly from a Mini to the Blink app, up to 90 minutes at a time without user intervention. In addition, you can view regular Live View sessions up to five minutes without tapping on "Continue". Click here to learn more.

You can enter Live View from the Motion Alert system notification on your mobile device. Click to learn how to access Live View.

Some Alexa devices can access Live View from your voice command, learn more here.

Live Views are never saved to the USB drive.

Can I record when I’m in Live View mode?

If you have a subscription, Live View sessions can be saved to your clip roll.

See this page to learn more.

Do I need to run software updates on my Sync Module and Camera(s)?

Firmware updates will automatically be sent to your Sync Module and Camera(s). It is important that your Wi-Fi internet connection has at least 2 MB per second upload speed, and that it is available until the entire update is downloaded. Incomplete updates can cause the system to become stuck or unusable. Troubleshoot connectivity issues here.

Does Blink have Alexa or IFTTT functionality?

Yes! This will allow you to integrate Blink into other services that you may already use and love. Please note that IFTTT support is currently only available in North America and the EU.

The Alexa Skill is currently only available in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The Alexa installation guide is here. Learn more about the latest Alexa features here.
We will be adding support to other regions for these services in the near future.
Other third party scripts are not compatible with Blink products at this time.
Alexa Motion Announcements and Clip Viewing/Clip Status are not currently supported on cameras using Local Storage to record directly to a Sync Module 2 with attached USB drive.

Do Blink devices use Bluetooth?

No. Blink devices only operate through 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and Blink's proprietary Low Frequency Radio, not Bluetooth.

Can a Siren still be added to a Blink System?

Sirens are discontinued devices and no longer supported by the current version of the Blink app. It's extremely important to ensure that your Blink app is kept current with the latest version. Please contact support if you have additional questions regarding Blink Sirens.

Can a single camera exist in multiple systems or accounts?

No. A camera can only be added to a single account or system.

Cameras must first be deleted before added to different systems within the same account, or to a different account. Click here to learn more about deleting cameras.

Can my battery powered camera operate during a power outage?

Battery powered cameras require a connection to a Sync Module and to Wi-Fi. Blink Outdoor, and Indoor (gen 2) will attempt to record the first motion event after a power loss and upload that clip to the cloud once the system is back online. The 'offline' or power-out recording feature is not reliable however. Power and internet outages are a cause of system problems, please make sure both are always available. Learn about setting up Blink cameras.

Are Blink systems eligible for home insurance discounts?

No. Blink systems are not eligible, since insurance companies only offer discounts on "hard wired surveillance" security systems that trigger an alert to 911 dispatch.