Blink: Difference between revisions - Consumer_Action

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===Introduction of subscription model===

With the release of the Outdoor 3 in 2020, Blink ~~switched~~ from a free cloud model to a subscription system. The "basic plan" only allows 1 device per account ($3/m or $30/y<ref name="SubAmazon">https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Plus-Plan-monthly-auto-renewal/dp/B08JHCVHTY</ref>), while the "plus plan" allows for unlimited devices and includes an extended device warranty ($10/m or $100/y<ref name="SubAmazon" />).<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/subscriptions/purchase-blink-subscription-plan</ref> Previous accounts with Indoor, XT, or XT2 devices were given "legacy" status, which allowed for 7,200 seconds of free cloud storage per sync module.<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/using-your-camera/blink-storage-options</ref>

With the release of the Outdoor 3 and Mini<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techhive.com/article/578452/the-blink-mini-indoor-camera-is-blinks-least-expensive-cam-yet.html|title=The new $35 Blink Mini indoor camera is Blink’s least expensive cam yet|first=Ben|last=Patterson|work=Tech Hive|date=2020-04-02|access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref> in 2020, Blink began switching from a free cloud model to a subscription system (later finalized in early 2021<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techhive.com/article/579287/blink-announces-new-storage-options.html|title=Amazon’s Blink offers new storage options for its home security camera line|first=Micheal|last=Brown|work=Tech Hive|date=2021-03-19|access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref>). The "basic plan" only allows 1 device per account ($3/m or $30/y<ref name="SubAmazon">https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Plus-Plan-monthly-auto-renewal/dp/B08JHCVHTY</ref>), while the "plus plan" allows for unlimited devices and includes an extended device warranty ($10/m or $100/y<ref name="SubAmazon" />).<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/subscriptions/purchase-blink-subscription-plan</ref> Previous accounts with Indoor, XT, or XT2 devices were given "legacy" status, which allowed for 7,200 seconds of free cloud storage per sync module.<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/using-your-camera/blink-storage-options</ref> Some users with legacy accounts have had issues where the app would have users on a "30 day trial period" when upgrading cameras.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/blinkcameras/comments/16gft91/is_legacy_account_gone/</ref>

Users have complained the app forces you into purchasing a subscription even with local storage, with one user alleging they cannot filter clips, cannot have stable doorbell live views, and clip names on local storage are random numbers instead of dates, though others have reported different experiences without a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/blinkcameras/comments/yvqzz6/the_truth_about_blink_without_a_subscription/|title=The Truth about Blink without a subscription. : r/blinkcameras|author=u/sonnythemoney|work=Reddit|date=2022-11-15|access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref>

===Account bans for Homebridge use===

On April 16, 2021, it was reported that Blink accounts using a third-party Homebridge integration were banned.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/22381356/blink-homebridge-crackdown-amazon-subscriptions</ref> The reasons stated by Blink were "due to unsupported scripts or apps running on your system" and "the only automation that is permitted for use with the Blink system is through Alexa and/or IFTTT". According to Colin Bendell, the developer of the plugin, he states that 10,000 users of the plugin "is probably small potatoes for Amazon", as there were over 1 million downloads of the Android app.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20210728214821/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.immediasemi.android.blink</ref>

===Planned ~~obsolencence~~===

===Planned obsolescence===

For older cameras such as the Indoor, XT, and XT2, the local storage option for the Sync Module 2 cannot be utilized.<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/using-your-sync-module/sync-module-2-local-storage-operation</ref> Although this can be changed with a software update, that has not occurred.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ===Introduction of subscription model===
-With the release of the Outdoor 3 in 2020, Blink switched from a free cloud model to a subscription system. The "basic plan" only allows 1 device per account ($3/m or $30/y<ref name="SubAmazon">https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Plus-Plan-monthly-auto-renewal/dp/B08JHCVHTY</ref>), while the "plus plan" allows for unlimited devices and includes an extended device warranty ($10/m or $100/y<ref name="SubAmazon" />).<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/subscriptions/purchase-blink-subscription-plan</ref> Previous accounts with Indoor, XT, or XT2 devices were given "legacy" status, which allowed for 7,200 seconds of free cloud storage per sync module.<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/using-your-camera/blink-storage-options</ref>
+With the release of the Outdoor 3 and Mini<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techhive.com/article/578452/the-blink-mini-indoor-camera-is-blinks-least-expensive-cam-yet.html|title=The new $35 Blink Mini indoor camera is Blink’s least expensive cam yet|first=Ben|last=Patterson|work=Tech Hive|date=2020-04-02|access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref> in 2020, Blink began switching from a free cloud model to a subscription system (later finalized in early 2021<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techhive.com/article/579287/blink-announces-new-storage-options.html|title=Amazon’s Blink offers new storage options for its home security camera line|first=Micheal|last=Brown|work=Tech Hive|date=2021-03-19|access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref>). The "basic plan" only allows 1 device per account ($3/m or $30/y<ref name="SubAmazon">https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Plus-Plan-monthly-auto-renewal/dp/B08JHCVHTY</ref>), while the "plus plan" allows for unlimited devices and includes an extended device warranty ($10/m or $100/y<ref name="SubAmazon" />).<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/subscriptions/purchase-blink-subscription-plan</ref> Previous accounts with Indoor, XT, or XT2 devices were given "legacy" status, which allowed for 7,200 seconds of free cloud storage per sync module.<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/using-your-camera/blink-storage-options</ref> Some users with legacy accounts have had issues where the app would have users on a "30 day trial period" when upgrading cameras.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/blinkcameras/comments/16gft91/is_legacy_account_gone/</ref>
+Users have complained the app forces you into purchasing a subscription even with local storage, with one user alleging they cannot filter clips, cannot have stable doorbell live views, and clip names on local storage are random numbers instead of dates, though others have reported different experiences without a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/blinkcameras/comments/yvqzz6/the_truth_about_blink_without_a_subscription/|title=The Truth about Blink without a subscription. : r/blinkcameras|author=u/sonnythemoney|work=Reddit|date=2022-11-15|access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref>
 ===Account bans for Homebridge use===
 On April 16, 2021, it was reported that Blink accounts using a third-party Homebridge integration were banned.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/22381356/blink-homebridge-crackdown-amazon-subscriptions</ref> The reasons stated by Blink were "due to unsupported scripts or apps running on your system" and "the only automation that is permitted for use with the Blink system is through Alexa and/or IFTTT". According to Colin Bendell, the developer of the plugin, he states that 10,000 users of the plugin "is probably small potatoes for Amazon", as there were over 1 million downloads of the Android app.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20210728214821/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.immediasemi.android.blink</ref>
-===Planned obsolencence===
+===Planned obsolescence===
 For older cameras such as the Indoor, XT, and XT2, the local storage option for the Sync Module 2 cannot be utilized.<ref>https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/using-your-sync-module/sync-module-2-local-storage-operation</ref> Although this can be changed with a software update, that has not occurred.