A powered chime makes a noise when its doorbell button is pressed.

When you install a Blink Video Doorbell, you can connect the wiring from your existing doorbell, so the house chime will sound when the Blink doorbell button is pressed.

 If the available current falls below 16 VAC, your doorbell enters Event Response‍ mode.

Wiring for external doorbell buttons often has significant corrosion that can prevent enough current from being available. Be sure to connect only bare wires to the doorbell terminal posts, and remove corrosion if present.

Blink Mini cameras can be chimes for one or more Blink Video Doorbell when they are on the same system. How do I use my Mini camera as a chime?‍

Types of Powered Chime

There are two main types of chime systems. A mechanical chime uses a solenoid to move a striker that physically hits a piece of metal to make the "ding dong" sound. A digital chime plays a file when the circuit is closed.

Blink products do not support third party Bluetooth or wireless accessories at this time. To have a convenient indoor chime, learn more about how to use your Mini camera as a chime, or learn about using Alexa Doorbell Announcements‍.

Mechanical chimes in the US offer 16 VAC - 24 VAC that the doorbell uses for some features.

Digital chimes usually do not provide sufficient power.

Mechanical Chime example	Digital Chime example

Chime Volume

In the Blink app you can change how the doorbell sends signal to the chime. In a mechanical chime, you control how much force the strikers use. In a digital chime, you control how long the signal is sent, giving the file enough time to play. Learn more about how to change your chime volume.

If you own both a Blink Mini Camera and a Blink Video Doorbell, your Mini can work as a chime. This is useful if you don't have a doorbell chime installed in your home.

How it works

When the doorbell's button is pressed, a chime will play from its speaker. The same chime sound plays from each Mini camera that you have connected.

Note: When your Mini is playing the chime sound, it will stop playing for any Mini-based event like recording a motion clip, or entering Live View.

Add your Mini and Doorbell to the same system

As long as the cameras are added to the same system, your Mini can act as a chime for one or more Blink Video Doorbells, or any combination of Blink Video Doorbells and Mini cameras.

Setting up a Mini as a Video Doorbell chime

1. If you already have one or more Mini cameras on the same system as your doorbell, tap your doorbell's Device Settings and then tap Doorbell and Chime Settings.
2. Tap Use Blink Mini Camera as a Chime.
   • All Mini cameras that are on the same system as your doorbell will be displayed. If you don't see your Mini, see the troubleshooting tip below.
3. Select one or more Mini cameras by tapping the circle to the right of the camera name. Once selected, a blue checkmark displays.
4. Tap Save and your Mini camera(s) will chime when your Video Doorbell's button is pressed.

Event Response Mode
If your doorbell is in Event Response mode, you must press the doorbell's button to save changes to your doorbell's Settings.

Mini settings for the chime

Once your Mini and Video Doorbell are on the same system, you can control the chime volume by selecting your Mini's Device Settings. Then, tap Audio Settings to adjust volume levels.

Speaker Volume: Adjust this slider to change the speaker volume of your camera.

Mini as a Chime Volume: Adjust this slider to change how loud your Mini camera's speaker will play the chime.

Troubleshooting

Want to use Alexa devices as a chime for your Blink Video Doorbell? With Doorbell Press Notifications enabled, you can do just that.

Note: This feature is not active by default.

Turn on Doorbell Press Notifications

1. Open the Alexa app and tap Devices in the bottom right-hand corner.
2. Tap Cameras.
3. From the list of cameras, tap your Blink Video Doorbell.
4. When the Blink Video Doorbell first opens, Alexa shows the Live View. Tap Settings in the upper right-hand corner.
5. Tap Doorbell Press Notifications to toggle them on.
6. Tap Announcement Devices to select which Alexa-enabled device you want to chime when your Blink Video Doorbell is pressed.

Choose Doorbell Sound with Alexa

Using the steps below, you can customize the sound your Alexa device makes when someone presses your Blink Video Doorbell:

1. Open the Alexa app and tap Devices in the bottom right-hand corner.
2. Tap Cameras.
3. Select your Blink Video Doorbell.
4. Tap Settings in the upper right-hand corner.
5. Tap Doorbell Sound (if grayed out, turn on Doorbell Press Notifications).
6. Select a sound, then tap  to save and return to the SETTINGS screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use this article for understanding how to adjust the chime volume of your video doorbell.

Depending on your setup, there are two places where your doorbell can ring:

• The internal speaker of the Blink Video Doorbell plays a sound when the ringer button is pressed.
• If your doorbell is wired to your existing home's chime, it will make that ring when the button is pressed.

If your Blink Video Doorbell is added to your system in the app but you haven't wired it so your home's chime will ring, here are the installation instructions.

Adjusting the Blink Video Doorbell's chime volume

By default, the video doorbell plays a digital chime sound through its internal speaker when the ringer button is pressed. To change the volume of this sound:

1. On your doorbell's thumbnail, tap More  and select Device Settings .
2. Tap Audio Settings.
3. Adjust the slider under Dingtone Volume.
4. Press Save.

Test your doorbell to see if the volume is at a level you prefer. If it is not at the volume you prefer, change the slider again, press Save, and test.

How to change the volume of a wired chime after installation is complete

If you need to change the chime volume after you've already completed the installation, follow these steps.

With wired installation, your video doorbell can activate your existing chime when the ring button is pressed. You can change the strength of the mechanical or digital chime sound by increasing or decreasing the amount of power your doorbell receives.

1. On your doorbell's thumbnail, tap More and select Device Settings .
2. Tap Doorbell and Chime Settings.
3. Follow these remaining instructions depending if you have a mechanical or a digital chime.

Chime types

• A mechanical door chime uses a striker to hit a bell or metal bar to make a distinctive sound when the doorbell button is pressed.
• A digital chime plays a file.

If your chime doesn't ring

Introduction

Transformers change the amount of available electrical energy between two or more circuits. If there is high resistance‍ in the doorbell wiring, or other devices are drawing power, the doorbell performance can be irregular. You may need a transformer with higher Volt-Amps output.

In North America, most electrical circuits supply 120 volts. In the UK, and most of Europe, power circuits supply 240 volts. Both of these power options are too powerful for a doorbell, so a transformer is added to decrease the voltage.

• Transformers always have their voltage and Volt-Amps (VA) printed on them. Sometimes this is called "max load" or "max power consumption rating", which is printed on the transformer.
  • VAC – Volts of Alternating Current. Refers to how much electrical energy can flow through the circuit. Volts may be listed as VAC, V, or Volt.
    
    
  • VA – Volt-Amps. A transformer's VA rating shows the maximum energy it can produce. A direct current (DC) transformer normally shows power in Watts.
    
    

The Blink Video Doorbell is compatible with doorbell transformers that output 16-24 vAC with a maximum of 40VA.

If you are able to choose your wiring, we recommend running 18 – 22 AWG wire between the transformer and doorbell.

Here’s an example of a US transformer:

• 16 Volts alternating current (VAC) and 10 Volt-Amps (VA) is the smallest recommended transformer to power the Blink Video Doorbell.
• The Blink Video Doorbell can be wired to a 16vAC - 24vAC transformer, with a maximum safe power rating of 40VA.

Introduction to Wires

Wire has one Conductor, and is different from cable. Cable actually refers to multiple wires or conductors bundled together in a jacket, or insulation. Wire is described by its "gauge" that ranges from 0000 to No. 40 and ends with the letters AWG for American Wire Gauge. Lower gauge numbers mean a thicker wire.

Wire insulation also known as shielding has printed text that specifies type and size every 12 inches. Insulation protects the wire and also allows easy identification using printed text and color coding. Thicker wire carries more current safely. Forcing too much current through a wire causes heat build up and fire hazard. Circuit breakers disconnect the current automatically, and fuses have a thin wire that heats and breaks reliably under a certain current load. Wire standards use letters that correspond to the insulation type and electrical capacity.

Wire Output

Wire gauge is a measurement of wire diameter. The diameter and length of a wire are used to find out how much current can safely pass through and how much resistance there is.

Example
A transformer with the output of 16VAC – 30VA will have approximately 1.87 Amps at 16-VAC available output for the doorbell under a load.

• “Under a load” means the connected or "closed" circuit when two wires touch, or when the doorbell button is pressed.
  
  

Transformer voltage output and the house chime voltage need to match.

How does resistance affect a Blink Video Doorbell?

The following symptoms can mean the doorbell wiring has too much resistance:

• Home Chime (mechanical or digital) does not activate with Blink Video Doorbell
• Mechanical doorbell does not go “ding” but does go “dong”
• Digital Chime does not play the complete melody
• Digital Chime sound is choppy
• Home Chime (mechanical or digital) 'sometimes' works
• Your doorbell enters Event Response and then goes back to normal
• Your Blink Video Doorbell shuts off and turns on randomly