The Blink Home Security Camera System is an affordable connected surveillance solution featuring battery-powered wireless security cameras you can place anywhere in your home. These diminutive 720p cameras offer motion detection, push alerts, and relatively good image quality, save for some pincushion distortion around the edges of images.
You’ll pay a lot less for a Blink camera than you will for a wired camera like the Icontrol Networks Piper nv or the Zmodo Pivot, but both the Piper nv and Pivot offer home automation capabilities and a better all-around 1080p picture. Reveal more in Blink indoor home security camera system with motion detection review.
Key feature – Blink indoor home security camera system
Trust us, Blink isn’t known for fancy features and technology. But at the relatively low price point, we honestly weren’t expecting cutting-edge technology. We also understand that many people value simplicity and DIY home security systems. From our hands-on experience with these products, that’s exactly what you get with Blink. Still, we did come across a handful of great features, which we think you’ll like. These features include:
Instant Alerts
Once your Blink camera is armed, it will begin detecting motion and, when triggered, it will send an instant activity alert to your smartphone. This allows you to quickly assess the situation and jump into action (by calling a neighbor or the police) if needed.
Blink App Available on iOS, Android, and Fire OS
While it’s really common to have apps available on iPhone and Android, it’s pretty rare to see a home security system with built-in Fire OS support. We like the flexibility here.
Live-Streaming Video
You can open the Blink app and view your live-video feed and recorded footage from pretty much anywhere in the world. We really enjoy using smartphone controls for home security products.
Blink Indoor Home Security Camera
Motion Detection, HD Video, 2-Year Battery Life and Cloud Storage Included
Two-Year Battery Life
These no-maintenance cameras only require you to check on them every two years. Blink uses exclusive technology and efficient (but limited) recording features to keep the batteries running longer than most cams we’ve tried. We think this is one of Blink’s biggest strengths.
5–60 Second Video Clips
Blink’s default clip length for a motion alert is 5 seconds, which is why Blink batteries are able to last for two years. If you’d prefer longer recordings (highly recommended!), you can opt for 60 seconds. And if that’s not enough, you can sign up with a cloud plan for 60-days of video history.
Alexa Voice Controls
Blink plays very well with Amazon’s Alexa — in fact it has native integration with Alexa-compatible devices, allowing you to control your camera using only your voice.
IFTTT Compatible
If This Then That (IFTTT) is a highly-flexible home automation platform that connects smart devices to your Blink system. We recommend taking advantage of this, but keep in mind that smart home products will cost you.
Pricing for Blink Indoor, Blink XT2, and Blink Mini
Prices start at only $34.99 for the Blink Mini, and range up to $79.99 and $99.99 for the Blink Indoor and Blink XT2 respectively. That’s three security cameras all under $100! We’ve tested countless devices from all the big-name brands, and we can say that Blink is cheaper than many of its competitors. Also, we like that there aren’t any contracts, required subscription costs, or installation fees to worry about. Here’s a roundup of the latest Blink prices:
| Blink Model | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Blink Indoor | $79.99 | – Built-in motion sensor alarm – Battery powered security system – Live-view streaming – Free cloud storage – One-way audio – 720p HD video quality |
| Blink XT2 | $99.99 | – Extended battery life – Two-way audio – Custom motion detection – Compatible with Alexa – Use indoors or outdoors – 1080p HD video quality |
| Blink Mini | $34.99 | – Smartphone controls via app – Instant notifications – Live-video streaming – Two-way talk – HD video quality – Indoor use only |
In our experience, Blink’s biggest competition is Ring, which is ironic considering that Ring is also an Amazon-owned company.1 Ring too has three cameras under $100: the Ring Indoor Cam, the outdoor Stick Up Cam, and the Peephole Cam. We found the features of these brands to be similar across the board. Blink also has cloud storage options that are strikingly similar to Ring’s services. See below for Blink’s monthly subscription options.
Blink Cloud Subscription Breakdown
| Blink Cloud Subscriptions | Free | Basic | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live-streaming | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Recording | x | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Storage | x | 60-days rolling | 60-days rolling |
| Video Sharing | x | ✓ | ✓ |
| Number of Cams | x | 1 | Unlimited |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | Extended |
| Monthly Price | Free | $3 per month | $10 per month |
| Annual Price | Free | $30 per year | $100 per year |
Blink indoor home security camera system with motion detection review
Design and Features
Each Blink kit consists of one or more cameras, a Sync Module that can support up to 10 cameras, and a mounting kit for hanging each camera on a wall. A single-camera kit goes for $99, the two-camera kit (reviewed here) is $159, a three-camera kit is $219, and the five-camera kit is $339. Individual cameras go for $70 a pop, and individual Sync Modules are $50 each. The company says that an add-on siren accessory will be available later this year.
Measuring 2.7 by 2.7 by 1.0 inches (HWD) and weighing a little more than 3 ounces, the Blink camera is small and light enough to place just about anywhere (as long as it’s indoors; the cameras aren’t waterproof), and because it’s powered by two AA batteries, it doesn’t have to be anywhere near an electrical outlet. The white enclosure with clear trim houses a 720p camera with a 110-degree field of view, a 3x digital zoom, an IR LED for night vision up to 20 feet, motion and temperature sensors, a microphone, and a wireless power radio that communicates with the Sync module.
On the front of the camera, you’ll find a lens enclosure, an LED indicator that glows blue when the camera is live, and a tiny microphone hole. The back panel is easily removed to gain access to the battery compartment and has a micro USB port that can be used to power the camera using an optional USB cable. It also has a small circular plug that can be removed for use with the wall mounting bracket.
The Blink camera will record a clip of up to 10 seconds when the system is armed and motion is detected, but there is no way to record video on demand. Up to 7,200 seconds (or 720 10-second clips) of event-triggered video can be stored in the cloud for free before the oldest clips are overwritten.
You can download clips to your mobile device or delete them, and you can share them with friends via social media, email, text message, or Apple’s AirDrop in iOS. Although each camera contains a microphone, two-way audio is not supported like it is with the Yi Home Camera 2 and the Nest Cam ($199.00 at Google Store) . As of this writing the Blink cameras do not support IFTTT recipes, nor do they integrate with other connected home gear like smart lighting and door locks, but the company plans to add support for IFTTT in the future.
At 2.3 by 2.3 by 0.7 inches, the white Sync module is slightly smaller than the camera. It has Wi-Fi and power indicators on the top, a micro USB power port and an Ethernet port on one side, and a full size USB port on the other side. Inside is a Wi-Fi radio that connects to your home network and a low power radio for communicating with the cameras. The USB port is reserved for a future update that will let you record event-triggered video directly to a USB storage device, and the LAN port is used for troubleshooting connectivity issues.
The cameras are accessed and managed using a free mobile app for Android or iOS (I tested with the latter). The app opens to a home screen that shows your installed cameras by name with a still photo image taken during setup. At the bottom of the screen is a button for arming and disarming motion alerts. Each camera has a Live View button and a Snapshot button that updates the current still image. When you press Live View, you see a live stream that lasts for around 15 seconds before the app asks you if you want to continue. If you tap Continue you get another 15 seconds before being prompted again.
How to setup Blink indoor home security camera system?
A gear icon takes you to the Camera Settings screen, where you can enable motion detection, select a sensitivity level, check Camera-to-Wi-Fi signal strength, and view the current room temperature.
Here you can also view the camera’s battery level and adjust the IR light level for more detailed night vision. At the top of the home screen is an icon that takes you to an Account Management screen where you can change passwords and manage the system.
This is where you go to reconfigure the Sync module, if necessary, and create a schedule for arming and disarming motion detection. Tapping the Folder icon in the upper right corner takes you to a screen that displays all motion events with video thumbnails. Tap any thumbnail to view the clip, share it, or delete it.
How to install Blink indoor home security camera system?
Installing the Blink cameras couldn’t be easier. After downloading the app and creating an account I was prompted to setup the Sync Module. This is simply a matter of plugging the module into a wall outlet and waiting about 30 seconds for the LED light to start blinking blue. Once that happens, go to your phone’s Wi-Fi settings, select the Blink SSID, return to the app, and choose your home Wi-Fi network to use with the Sync Module. Hit the Connect To Wi-Fi button, name your Blink system, and tap the camera icon to add cameras.
Next, remove the back cover of each camera and install the AA batteries (the camera will blink red). Enter the serial number, from inside the camera, when prompted and wait around 10 seconds for the camera to be discovered. At this point you can check the camera’s signal strength, see a live view, or press Continue to name the camera, and take a picture to use as an identifier on the main screen. If you have additional cameras, you can add them at this point, or do it later.
Blink indoor home security camera system with motion detection performance review
In my testing, the Blink cameras delivered a relatively sharp 720p picture with good color representation, but images suffered from pincushion distortion (rounded edges). Night vision footage was crisp and well-lit, and motion detection worked fairly well, with my cats frequently triggering recordings. Recorded clips, while brief, appeared just as sharp and colorful as live the video feed. The system was armed and disarmed according to the schedule I set in the app, and the system never failed to send a push alert when motion was detected.
Customer frequently asked on Blink indoor home security camera system
What kind of batteries do I need for my Blink camera?
Both Blink cameras use standard AA 1.5V lithium batteries. Two AA batteries come with each camera, and you can use any standard (not rechargeable) battery when it’s time to replace them.
What is rolling Cloud storage?
Rolling Cloud storage means that once you’ve recorded the allotted amount of storage (two hours of video for Blink cameras) it will automatically start recording over the oldest footage. You don’t have to delete footage manually; it will automatically record over the oldest video clips.
Can Blink cameras be hacked?
Unfortunately, any device that uses Wi-Fi or is connected to the internet can potentially be hacked. In December 2019, Amazon (which owns Blink) released a fix for security vulnerabilities that a cybersecurity firm discovered in Blink security cameras.
You can minimize the chances of your cameras being hacked by taking standard internet security precautions.
- Keep firmware and software updated for all connected devices, including your Blink camera and home’s wireless router.
- Make sure your home Wi-Fi network and all of your smart devices are secured with strong passwords and two-step authentication when possible.
- Turn on encryption for your router and any other devices with that capability.
- Use firewalls and other security measures like antivirus and anti-malware protection.
What is the range of a Blink camera?
Blink cameras work within 100 feet of the Blink sync module, which bridges the cameras to the mobile app and your home Wi-Fi network. The cameras can detect motion up to 20 feet from the camera.
What happened to the Blink XT camera?
The Blink XT camera was the first iteration of the Blink XT2. After releasing the Blink XT2, the company phased out the Blink XT camera. If you have a Blink XT home security camera, it will still work with your sync module and other Blink cameras. The company still provides technical support for the Blink XT.
If you currently use the Blink XT camera, we recommend upgrading when it’s time to add to your Blink home security camera system. Over time, software updates and security patches may not remain current for obsolete camera models.