What Is A Good Sensitivity For Blink Camera?

Racking your brain over setting the perfect Sensitivity for detecting motion in your Blink Cam? The answer might be a bit tricky to find!

Blink Cameras may be many things - an affordable Smart Monitoring System, feature-rich and reliable - but what distinguishes it from its competitors is its motion detection capabilities.

I, too, spent an ungodly amount of time setting the Sensitivity right on my Blink XT2 to avoid false triggers. Though the process wasn't easy, I did eventually crack it.

Best Sensitivity Settings for Blink Cameras

If you want to detect larger objects like cars on your Blink Camera, set the Sensitivity in the lower half of the spectrum (2 - 4). For detecting smaller entities like Humans and pets, dial the Sensitivity above the median mark (5 - 8). Motion detection is susceptible to the prevailing weather and time of day.

Getting the perfect Sensitivity for detecting the intended objects can vary from premise to premise, especially if you consider the geography, the Camera placement, and the ambient lighting.

Setting the Sensitivity on Blink Cameras is pretty much a trial-and-error game.

Even with the most ideal of conditions and accurate Camera placements, configuring the Sensitivity demands a lot of time tinkering with the scenarios.

Regardless of the limitations, here are the best Sensitivity configs for Blink Cameras depending on the scenario:

Scenario	Sensitivity (daytime/well-lit)	Sensitivity (night/low light)
Indoor	4 - 7	6 - 9
Outdoor	4 - 8	5 - 9
People	5 - 8	7 - 9
Pets	6 - 9	8+
Cars	3 - 6	5 - 8

Before we get on with the article, there are a few things to consider while configuring the Sensitivity on a Blink Camera.

Factors Affecting Motion Sensitivity on Blink Cameras

First and foremost, Blink Cameras rely on a PIR (passive infrared) to sense motion. PIR sensors detect entities based on their heat signature.

So, the more the heat signature, the more likely the Blink Camera detects motion. Hence, living organisms are more likely to be triggered by the Blink Cam than other objects.

Next, Blink Cameras can detect and trigger events within 20 feet of the Field of View of the Camera.

And so, if an object moves closer to the Camera, it is likely to be detected.

Ambient lighting is yet another aspect that is to be taken into account while configuring the Sensitivity. If the premise has sufficient light, you can lower the Sensitivity. Else, proceed counterintuitively.

Finally, the prevailing weather conditions also affect Motion Detection.

During adverse weather conditions like heavy rain, hailstorms, etc., lower the Sensitivity to reduce false triggers.

With all that accounted for, let's look at how to change the Sensitivity of Blink Cameras:

How to Change Sensitivity on Blink Cameras

Now that we have a general understanding of what Sensitivity means on a Blink Camera, let's start configuring it.

Before we can adjust the Sensitivity on a Blink Cam, you'll have to arm the Blink Camera. You can arm the Blink Cam by toggling ON Armed from the bottom of the Blink App.

As with every other configuration you make on a Blink Cam, Sensitivity, too, should be changed from the Blink app.

Follow these steps to change the Sensitivity of your Blink Camera from the Blink app:

1. Open the Blink app and tap on the Camera Settings icon of the Blink Cam.

2. Select the Motion Settings tab.

3. Ensure that Motion Detection is enabled.

4. You can now adjust the Sensitivity slider to your liking.

Exit the tab to save the changes.

You may have to tweak the Sensitivity a couple of times to get the desired results. Very much like a trial-and-error method.

But even if you modify the Sensitivity for a specific scenario, environmental elements can interfere with the detection and trigger false alerts.

Tree leaves rusting, swaying bushes, and the occasional tumbleweed can all trigger the Camera and notify you of a false alert.

To further optimize the Motion Detection, you'll have to implement a much more focused detection method, which is readily available on Blink Cameras.

With Activity Zones, you can focus the Camera's Motion Detection aspect on a specific zone of the Camera's FOV.

Here's how to enable Activity Zones on your Blink Camera:

Activity Zones on Blink Camera

Have a large swathe of trimmed bushes lined on your driveway? And do they trigger false alerts with their fancy swaying?

With Activity Zones, you can effectively focus Motion Detection away from such inconsistencies.

What you get with Activity Zones is the provision to focus the Camera's motion detection feature on a particular zone of the FOV where events are likely to occur.

All you have to do is to configure where you would like to focus the Camera within the frame of the Camera.

Here are the many Blink Cameras that support Activity Zones as of right now:

Camera Model	Activity Zone (Basic)	Activity Zone (Advanced)	Privacy Zone
Blink Indoor	✅	❌	❌
Blink Indoor (Gen 2)	✅	✅	✅
Blink Outdoor	✅	✅	✅
Blink XT	✅	❌	❌
Blink XT2	✅	✅	❌
Blink Mini	✅	❌	❌
Blink Video Doorbell	✅	❌	✅

As evident from the table, a select few Blink Cameras support Advanced Activity Zone. With the Advanced option, you can further focus the Camera on a much more compact frame.

Privacy Zones on Blink Indoor (gen 2), outdoor, and Doorbell grants you to block out zones on the FOV of the Camera. Think of it as a reverse Activity Zone.

Enable Privacy Zones if you prefer not to record the events happening in a particular zone of the Camera's FOV.

'Nough said about the technicalities, let's now take a look at how to set up Activity Zones on Blink Camera:

How to Enable Activity Zones

Follow these steps to configure Activity Zones on your Blink Cam:

1. Open the Blink app and tap open the Camera Settings tab.

2. Scroll down to the Motion Settings tab.

3. Tap on the Motion Zones ( or Zones) tile.

4. You can now see a grid pattern over the thumbnail photo of the Camera. Click on Update to refresh the thumbnail.

5. Select the zones on the grid to set Activity Zones.

6. Once you've configured the Zones, tap Done to complete the setup.

Now you have successfully set up Activity Zones on your Blink Camera.

How to Position Blink Camera for the Best Results

The degree of freedom you get with Blink Cameras is much like any other plug-in type of Monitoring Camera. It's very flexible when it comes to mounting.

Blink Cameras usually come with a mount and a mounting tool for securing the Camera to a surface. Some models, like the Blink XT/XT2, have a mount extender for extra breathing room.

Apart from the Blink Doorbell, which has limited scope for flexibility, you can install a Blink Camera on almost any premise.

Even though the Camera can be mounted anywhere you like, Blink has designed specific models tailored for specific purposes.

For instance, the Blink Mini and the Blink Indoor series are designed for indoor purposes, while the Blink XT/XT2 can be deployed indoors and outdoors.

Regardless of the purpose, here are a few pointers to look out for when mounting a Blink Camera:

★Mount the Camera where the motion happens: Rather than installing the Camera in a place where entities walk/enter towards the Camera, place it where the motion passes through for maximum efficiency.

★Avoid direct and indirect light sources in the Camera FOV: Keep an eye out for incident light sources like the Sun and car lights on the frame. Also, avoid indirect illumination from reflections.

★Look out for heat-emanating sources: Chimneys, Floodlights, and warm concrete walkways are all surfaces and objects with peak heat signatures.

If you position the Camera with such objects as the active elements in the frame, the Camera will trigger false alerts and miss out on actual events.

★Tinker with Night Vision judiciously: Night Vision works best in low-light scenarios. Always check the Live View tab before enabling Night Vision. Case and point - Garages.

★Try to steer away from Trees and other vegetation: Trees, bushes, and other flora can trigger false alerts by their gentle (or harsh) swaying. Best position the Camera facing away from such easy triggers.

And there you have it, a brief yet informative guide on how to place your Blink Camera.

Final Thoughts

Being able to configure the Motion Detection Sensitivity on your Monitoring Camera was once a feature available exclusively on high-end products.

With Blink, you now have the provision to do so, and that too, from the palm of your hand.

In this article, we go through the nuances associated with getting a good Sensitivity setting for your Blink Camera.

Included, too, is a brief guide on how to place your Camera for maximum efficiency.

If you have any further queries about this or any other matter, feel free to contact Blink support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I get the most out of my blink camera?

Here are some of the changes that could make the Blink experience much more fun:

1. Move the Camera and the Sync Module closer to each other.
2. Increase the clip length to the maximum (60 secs).
3. Reduce the Retrigger time to the minimum.
4. Set up Activity Zones for more optimized motion detection.
5. Implement Schedules for automatically arming and disarming the Camera.

Why isn't my Blink camera picking up motion?

If your Blink Cam fails to detect motion, adjust the Motion Detection Sensitivity up a point or two. In the case of nighttime recording, enable Night Vision and adjust the IR intensity.

How far away does the Blink camera detect motion?

Blink Cameras can detect motion within 5 - 20 ft of the Camera. Once the Camera detects motion, it sends motion alerts to the host device.

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