How to Access Blink Camera From PC: This Method Works [2023]

Having control over my Blink security camera system is convenient and all, but it would be much better if I could do the same using my trusty PC.

The Blink app is explicitly meant only for Android and iOS according to their marketing material, so I had to carve my own paths to ensure access to Blink from my PC.

With a few dedicated research hours down, I found the answer to this problem at hand.

To access Blink cameras from a PC, use an Android emulator like BlueStacks on a Windows or Mac computer. Using an Android emulator, it is possible to install the Blink app and access the Blink ecosystem from a PC. Note that there are no official methods to access Blink cameras from a PC.

Can You Access Blink Cameras Using a PC?

There is no official support for the Blink app for any operating system that runs on a PC.

This makes Blink restricted to only the mobile operating systems in iOS and Android, which is quite a bummer.

Considering many use their PC for controlling and managing their home security systems, it is surprising that Blink hasn't implemented a Windows/mac app.

Features such as arming-disarming, two-way talks, and recording, amongst others, are all locked behind the Blink app on a smartphone or tablet interface.

But fortunately, there are workarounds to this issue.

Unofficial Methods for Accessing Blink Cameras Using a PC

Thanks to the power of emulators, we can actually conjure up a working Blink App directly from the comfort of our PCs.

For the sake of this article, we are going to emulate an Android ecosystem on a Windows or Mac computer.

There are iOS emulators available, but Android emulators work best without many stability issues.

The emulator that this article will focus on is BlueStacks, one of the most popular Android emulators available in the market.

BlueStacks is free to use, and the Android apps that you use will basically be logging the device as an Android phone or tablet.

System Requirements for BlueStacks

BlueStacks, like any program, has a few minimum hardware requirements you need to check in order to get it working seamlessly.

Given below are the minimum and recommended system requirements for running BlueStacks 5 on your Windows PC:

	Minimum requirements	Recommended requirements
Operating System	Windows 7 and above	Windows 10 and above
CPU	Intel/AMD	Intel/AMD chip with single thread benchmark >1000
GPU	Integrated is enough	Intel/Nvidia/ATI with benchmark >=750
Graphic drivers	Latest	Latest
Virtualization	Not required	Required
RAM	At least 4 GB	At least 8 GB
ROM	At least 5 GB of free disk space	Depends on the apps installed
Storage	HDD or SSD	SSD
Internet	Any type of communication	Broadband or fiber preferred
Admin Access	Required	Required

Given below are the minimum and recommended system requirements for using BlueStacks on your MacOS computer:

	Minimum requirements	Recommended requirements
Operating System	MacOS 10.12 Sierra 64 bit	macOS 10,13 High Sierra 64 bit
CPU	Intel Dual Core	Intel multi-core chip with single thread benchmark >1500
GPU	Intel HD 5200 or higher	Intel/Nvidia/ATI with PassMark benchmark score >=750
Graphic drivers	Graphics Driver with OpenGL 2.1	Latest Graphics Driver with OpenGL 2.1 or higher
Virtualization	Required	Required
RAM	At least 4 GB	At least 8 GB
ROM	At least 8 GB of free disk space	At least 32 GB of free disk space
Storage	HDD or SSD	SSD
Internet	Any type of communication	Broadband or fiber preferred
Admin Access	Required	Required
Energy mode	High power mode should be enabled	High power mode should be enabled

Using BlueStacks on Windows

Using BlueStacks on Windows is as simple as installing the app from their website and running the program.

To install and use the Blink app via BlueStacks, simply follow the steps given below:

• From the browser on your Windows PC, visit the BlueStacks website.

• Tap on Download. It is best to stick to the latest version.
• The download should begin immediately. The package is not that big, but if your internet connection is slow, this may take a few minutes.

• Install the app by running the .exe file that has been downloaded. Follow the instructions on the screen to properly install the service.
• Once the app is booted, it will ask you for your Google credentials. Input the same to log in to your Google account on the emulated Android device.
• Once successfully logged in, you will be greeted with an Android home screen, from which you can open the Google Play Store.
• Open the Play Store and search for the Blink app.
• Tap on the relevant search result and begin downloading the Blink app.

• Once installed, you can boot the Blink app and log in with your Blink credentials to start controlling your Blink devices from the comfort of your Windows PC.

Using BlueStacks for MacOS

Installation of BlueStacks is similar on MacOS just as how it was on a Windows PC.

To install BlueStacks on your MacOS computer, simply follow the steps given below:

• From the browser on your MacOS PC, visit the BlueStacks website.
• Tap on Download. The website will automatically detect you are on MacOS and provide the relevant download file. It is best to stick to the latest version.
• The download should begin immediately. The package is not that big, but if your internet connection is slow, this may take a few minutes.
• Install the app.
• Follow the instructions on the screen to properly install the service.
• Once the app is booted, it will ask you for your Google credentials. Input the same to log in to your Google account on the emulated Android device.
• Once successfully logged in, you will be greeted with an Android home screen, from which you can open the Google Play Store.
• Open the Play Store and search for the Blink app.
• Tap on the relevant search result and begin downloading the Blink app.
• Once installed, you can boot the Blink app and log in with your Blink credentials to start controlling your Blink devices from the comfort of your Windows PC.

Final Thoughts

If you have further doubts regarding controlling your Blink home ecosystem from your PC, feel free to comment below.

Till Blink makes their own Windows or Mac version of the Blink app, you are unlikely to get further assistance from Blink support or Bluestacks support.

I hope my article on whether you can access Blink camera from a PC has been a worthwhile read and has aided you with the same.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is BlueStacks open source?

BlueStacks has chosen to private its source code and therefore is not open source.

Does Blink support RTSP?

Blink cameras are meant to be smart security cameras that capture short clips when it detects motion and does not support RTSP for 24x7 live footage.

You May Also Enjoy Reading

• How Do Blink Cameras Work? We Did the Research [2023]
• Can You View All Blink Cameras at Once? Yes or No?
• What Is A Good Sensitivity For Blink Camera?
• Do Blink Cameras Record Audio? Answered
• How Do I Get My Blink Camera Back Online?
• How to Tell if Blink Camera is Recording: Easy Trick!