Blink: Difference between revisions

'''Blink''' is a manufacturer of home security cameras owned by [[Amazon]]. The company was acquired from Immedia Semiconductor as a subsidiary in 2017.<ref>https://www.androidcentral.com/amazon-buys-smart-doorbell-and-camera-maker-blink</ref>

Users are limited to the Blink app to manage their cameras, although there are plugins for services, such as Home Assistant.<ref>https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/blink/</ref>

Blink is one of the most well known battery-powered camera brands.<ref>https://www.cnet.com/home/security/best-wireless-home-security-cameras/</ref> Though there are others such as from [[TP-Link]], [[Arlo]], [[Nest]], and [[Eufy]].<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wireless-outdoor-home-security-camera/</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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524034607/https://www.techhive.com/article/578452/the-blink-mini-indoor-camera-is-blinks-least-expensive-cam-yet.html|archive-date=2022-05-24|url-status=live}}</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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122142210/https://www.techhive.com/article/579287/blink-announces-new-storage-options.html|archive-date=2022-01-22|url-status=live}}</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>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/blinkcameras/comments/16gft91/is_legacy_account_gone/|title=Is legacy account gone? : r/blinkcameras|author=u/SandiB14|work=Reddit|archive-url=https://archive.ph/eOPNd|archive-date=2025-03-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

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>

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.

**Sync Module (2016)<ref name="BDSSU">https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/blink-device-software-security-updates</ref>

**Sync Module XR (2024)<ref name="BP">https://blinkforhome.com/products</ref>