Blink Camera Blinking or Flashing Red: What to Do [2023]

The status indicators on my Blink cameras recently started flashing red, and I deduced that this has got to do something with the batteries.

But even after swapping the old battery pack for a fresh set, the problem still persisted, leading me to explore the many possibilities of why Blink Cams blink or flash RED.

If your Blink camera is flashing red, it could mean that the camera is experiencing issues with network connectivity or that the batteries have run out. Red lights also appear when the camera detects motion. Refreshing the device and the network, replacing batteries, and resetting the cam are some of the fixes for this issue.

Here's a quick look at the many instances when a Blink Camera blinks or flashes RED and how to fix it:

Why Blink Camera Flashes/Blinks RED	Causes and Fix
Blink Camera Flashing RED during initial boot/set up	Indicates the progress of the setup procedure. Not an issue
Periodic short RED flashes	Network issues. Can be fixed by checking the network connection and restarting the associated devices.
Brief RED flashes	Observable on Blink Cams when they detect motion and start recording.
Constant RED flashes	The battery has run out. Check and change the batteries.

Why is your Blink Camera Blinking or Flashing Red?

Of all the many possibilities of the Blink Cam flashing RED led, battery-associated issues could be the more probable of them all.

A battery-low alert is what usually triggers the red lights to flash.

The red light flashes 5 to 6 times, indicating that there is no sufficient charge in the batteries to power the Blink cameras.

Do not use rechargeable batteries to power Blink cameras as they most likely won't be providing enough volts to power the device.

If you still face a red light flashing issue after swapping the batteries, then the Blink cameras are most likely to be indicating other errors.

Network issues and sync issues with the Sync Module could also trigger a RED led on your Blink Cam.

Blink has programmed the red lights to flash for different scenarios depending on the Blink cam model.

Here's a walkthrough video from us that'll help you understand if your blink camera is recording or not.

Why Do the Blink XT2, XT, Outdoor, and Indoor Cameras Show a Red Light?

The Blink XT2, XT, Outdoor, and Indoor cam models are the ones that support batteries for operation.

Here are the instances where the Blink XT2, XT, Outdoor, and Indoor cameras flash red:

Flash red every three seconds	The Blink camera is disconnected from the internet
Five long red flashes	During the initial boot of Blink camera, before connecting to the internet
Short red flashes every three seconds	Blink camera is searching for a WiFi connection
Red light flashes briefly	Happens during motion detection

If you notice red flashes still after swapping the old batteries with a fresh pair, do not worry much as that is something the Blink cameras do initially.

Similar to the green light, the Blink cameras will still flash, typically five long flashes, and keeps repeating the flash till the device connects to the internet.

You might also notice red flashes if the Blink camera detects motion.

If the red lights still persist after the above-mentioned conditions are cleared, then it could just mean that the swapped batteries are not compatible.

A Red Light Status on Blink Video Doorbell Cameras

The indications for Blink Video Doorbell cameras reside on the LED ring surrounding the doorbell button.

It is usually triggered when the camera is connecting to your home network.

It also shows up during the initial setup or when it detects a change in your WiFi connection, indicating that the Doorbell is ready to connect.

Why Does the Blink Mini Camera Show a Red Light?

If your Blink Mini is showing a red light, it is sending you a message that it has no connectivity to the internet.

RED LEDs can also pop up on Blink Mini if and when the setup procedure is incomplete.

In either case, checking the network status and restarting the setup procedure could be your way out.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Blink Cam Blinking or Flashing RED

Now that you have the necessary info to deduce the exact culprit of this issue, let's go through the various troubleshooting steps involved in fixing this issue:

Check Your Internet Connection

Make sure that your internet connection is up and running properly.

The best way to check the status of your internet connection is to try connecting your smartphone or laptop to the network.

If data transfer is occurring as expected, then you are good to go.

Check Your Internet Router

If your internet connection is not working as expected, then do check your internet router's indication lights to decode the situation.

If your router is showing any error signals, then it is best to first get that patched up.

Power cycling the Router could get rid of most temporal issues that your Router may be experiencing, and it is easy to execute.

Doing so may come in handy for numerous other Blink issues such as Blink Network request failed.

Here's how to do so:

1. Unplug the power cable from the Router and leave it to rest for a few seconds.

2. Press and hold the power button for a couple of seconds. Repeat this step a few times.

3. Plug back in the cable.

Turn on the Router after a couple of minutes and check for issues now.

Power Cycle Your Blink Camera

A power cycle is simply a hardware reboot for your Blink camera.

This basically resets all the charges that reside within your Blink camera and basically refreshes the device from within.

It helps in getting rid of any unbalanced charges that might have been residing within your system that might have been wreaking havoc.

You can perform a power cycle on your Blink cameras, no matter which model, by following the steps given below:

• Unplug your Blink camera from power. If your camera uses batteries, then remove the batteries.

• Let the Blink camera sit idle in its powered-off state for about a minute.

• Plug the Blink camera back to power. If your camera uses aged batteries, swap them out for a fresh pair.

• Let the Blink camera sit idle in its powered-on state for about a minute.

Try connecting the Blink camera to your WiFi again after performing the power cycle to check if the red light still hasn't changed to a solid blue.

Refresh Motion Detection on your Blink Cam

As observed on most Blink Cams, the LED can flash RED when it detects motion. But the flashing is perennial, it usually indicates issues with motion detection.

And so, it would be imperative to check and refresh the motion detection settings on your Blink Cam.

Here's how to do so:

1. Hop on to the Blink app and open the Settings tab of your Blink Cam.

2. Select Motion Settings.

3. Toggle OFF and ON the Motion Detection option.

Exit the Settings menu and restart the Cam to set in motion the made changes.

Reset Your Blink Camera

If the above steps do not help in getting rid of the red light situation, you can proceed to perform a factory reset on your Blink camera.

This will wipe out all data from the Blink camera and will completely recover the Blink camera to factory defaults.

Do note that Factory resetting will remove all connected devices, and you will need to pair the device again using the Blink app on your smartphone or tablet.

You can perform a factory reset on your Blink camera by following the steps given below:

• Using a smartphone sim ejector pin, thumb tack, or any similar small and sharp object, press the reset button hole on the underside of your Blink camera.

• Keep pressing till the red light changes to a blue and green light, signifying the initiation of the reset process.

Final Thoughts

If you still face issues with your Blink camera randomly flashing red without much luck fixing it, you can try contacting Blink support.

I hope my article on how you can fix your Blink camera flashing red has been a worthwhile read and has aided you with the same.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much life does a fresh set of batteries provide for Blink XT2?

The Blink XT2 can record up to a total of 53,870 seconds (about 15 hours) on a single pair of 1.5V batteries, leading to a 2-year endurance.

Is Blink owned by Amazon?

Blink Cameras are a smart security camera division that is owned by Amazon.

You May Also Enjoy Reading

• Blink Camera Clicking Sound: How To Fix [2023]
• Blink Camera Speaker Not Working: How to Fix [2023]
• Blink Camera Not Recording At Night: How To Fix [2023]
• Blink Cameras Failed To Arm: How To Fix [2023]
• Blink Camera Only Recording 1 Sec/5 Sec/20 Sec: How to Fix [2023]
• Blink Camera Thumbnail Failed: How to Fix [2023]