Blink Mini RTSP: How-To Guide [2023]

I have often wondered if my Blink cameras supported RTSP out of the box.

My research online proved to be a huge waste of time, as there were not a lot of official sources with a proper explanation as to whether RTSP is supported.

A quick read on Reddit and Blink forums told me that there were in fact a lot of people having similar queries, but not a lot of answers.

So I figured I make this one-stop article to ultimately put this query down and give the proper to Blink Mini users as to whether their device supports RTSP.

Blink Mini does not support RTSP since it is a smart security camera and not intended to be used as a surveillance camera. Blink Mini can view live footage when needed for up to 90 minutes at a single stretch.

What is RTSP?

Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is a communication system implemented that helps in transmitting multimedia to an endpoint device directly from the server.

This essentially is a protocol that works in implementing a feature that we are quite familiar with in this day and age - Live streaming.

RTSP ensures that the multimedia file from the servers is accessed by the endpoint device directly without saving them to that device while allowing other features.

These features include communicating with the server to process commands such as play, pause, etc.

This is a protocol that is implemented on many security cameras such as CCTV cameras, in order to stream the live view to a designated control center.

RTSP also allows the footage to be accessed and streamed to other services supporting RTSP, making it an excellent option for centralizing streams to a single software for surveillance.

Does Blink Mini Support RTSP?

Now what this means to Blink Mini is that, if RTSP is implemented on Blink Mini, this allows for 24x7 playback of footage in the comfort of using the Blink app on your phone.

This effectively makes the camera active all the time, without relying on the motion sensor to trigger for capturing footage, making it essentially a replacement for CCTV cameras.

Unfortunately, Blink Mini does not support RTSP like other security cameras and instead relies on motion detection for capturing footage.

This was probably implemented in order to save up on cloud storage, as well as to reduce power consumption for the energy conscious.

Considering the fact that the Blink Mini is a smart security camera, it is following in the footsteps of other competing mini-sized smart security cameras in this situation.

But the fact remains that there are other smart security cameras that have RTSP properly implemented while maintaining a smaller form factor.

With the Blink Mini model requiring power constantly, it doesn't make much sense to even restrict the 24x7 viewing capabilities.

So it is fair to say that the Blink Mini was intentionally designed to not properly implement RTSP applications, for the sake of increasing usage of cloud storage.

How Long Does Blink Mini Record Footage?

Blink Mini can view live footage for up to 5 minutes in one sitting, that too in 30 seconds intervals.

Blink Mini does have a premium feature called Extended Live view that lets you view 90 minutes of live footage at 5-minute intervals in one go.

But you will need to get the Blink Basic or the Blink Plus subscription plans in order to access Extended View.

The fact that this is blocked by a paywall makes the Blink Mini a rather disappointing product for a customer who wants to use the device as a CCTV replacement.

But the fact remains that Blink Mini was never marketed as a CCTV replacement, and therefore does not need to be RTSP compatible by design.

Blink Mini Not Recording? How to Fix

If your Blink Mini is not viewing or capturing footage in general, then it is probably due to the Blink camera not detecting motion.

This is unfortunately an issue that is quite prevalent across smart security cameras in general, and Blink cameras are no exception.

But on the bright side, there are certain tried and tested troubleshooting steps that can help you with solving this very issue.

Configure Blink Activity and Privacy Zones

Activity and Privacy Zones are features implemented via the Blink App for Blink Mini in order to configure rules to the detected motion details from the camera.

Activity Zones are zones that can be manually configurable and let the camera know what areas of the line of sight of the camera should be used to detect motion.

Privacy Zones are the exact opposite in a sense, in that they are zones where motion is ignored.

A mix-up of both zone configurations can confuse the camera, and therefore can lead to situations where the camera completely stops recording.

So check your Blink App settings and make sure that they are configured as per your exact wants, and that the settings don't overlap rules with each other.

Power Cycle the Blink Mini

Power cycling any electronic device can help refresh the whole unit and ensure that it works as optimally as possible, and Blink Mini is no exception.

A power cycle resets all charges from the internal components of the system, including any misbehaving charges that might have been causing issues with the camera.

Removing these misbehaving imbalanced charges can make sure that the Blink Mini gets charged up evenly the next time it gets power.

To perform a power cycle on your Blink Mini, follow the steps given below:

• Unplug the Blink Mini from its power source.
• Let the Blink Mini sit idle for about a minute in its powered-off state.
• Plug the Blink Mini back into its power source.
• Let the Blink Mini sit idle for about a minute in its powered-on state.

Perform the power cycle multiple times in order to get the best results.

Factory Reset the Blink Mini

A factory reset will help in resolving almost all issues that might have crept into your Blink Mini since its initial boot.

This includes all the settings and data of the Blink Mini too, so you might have to pair the device to your Blink account again.

But that is a small price to pay for something that is restricting you from using your Blink camera as intended.

To perform a factory reset on your Blink Mini, follow the steps given below:

• Make sure that your Blink Mini is powered on.
• Unmount the Blink Mini and navigate to the reset button situated at the bottom side of the camera, inside a pinhole cutout.
• Using a paper clip or any blunt-end screwdriver that can fit in the hole, long press the reset button by inserting the blunt end.
• Keep pressing the reset button till the camera displays a solid red light signifying the reset process and once complete, the red and blue lights will start flashing.
• Release the reset button.

The Blink Mini will indicate a blue light that will slowly blink, signifying the camera is ready to pair again.

Final Thoughts

If you have further queries regarding whether RTSP will be implemented on Blink Mini sometime in the future, then it is best to contact Blink Support.

I hope my article on whether your Blink Mini supports RTSP has been a worthwhile read and has aided you with the same.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Blink Camera v3 support RTSP?

Blink Camera v3 doesn't natively support RTSP out of the box, but Blink has official RTSP-supported firmware available for Blink Cam v3 as beta firmware on their website.

Does Blink Mini run on batteries?

Blink Mini needs to be connected to power at all times, and does not have an inbuilt backup battery.

You May Also Enjoy Reading

• Blink Live View Not Supported Alexa: How To Fix [2022]
• Blink Notifications Not Working: How To Fix [2022]
• Blink Schedule Not Working: How to Fix [2022]
• Blink Camera Not Working After Battery Change: How To Fix [2022]
• Blink Local Storage Not Working: How To Fix [2022]