Blink Notification But No Video: How To Fix

This is how Blink works - Blink cam detects activity> Sends Notifiaction> User accesses Blink app to view the recorded clip. But what if you cannot see the video corresponding to a motion alert?

I personally use Blink cameras around my house. They are easy to use, have plenty of features, and most importantly, provide all of these at an affordable price. 

That is why I wanted to find an answer when my Blink camera failed to show any video even after receiving a notification. 

Here's what I found.

If you can't see any video after receiving Blink alert notifications, first, check your network connection. Make sure that your Blink app and camera are up-to-date. Ensure that your Blink camera subscription has not expired. Ensure to refresh the notification settings for your Blink camera. Factory Resetting the Cam could also work.

Let's now take a brief look at the many instances why Blink video won't appear following a motion notification:

ScenarioCauses and Fixes
Cannot open Motion clip from the app after clicking on notificationSoftware glitch; power cycle the cam and the sync module. Remove and reinstall the Blink app
Error message while opening the clipNetwork issue; check for network issues and power cycle the router
No clip in the app but received motion alertCheck the subscription status. Renew it if expired
Other ScenariosDisable Snooze on Blink cams; Factory Reset the Cam
Why clips wont appear following a Blink notification

Read on to see what I found to help resolve the Blink notification but no video issue.

Why Blink Shows Alert Notifications but Not the Clips?

Blink cameras come with an amazing feature that lets users view clips from the Blink cam when the camera’s motion sensors are triggered.

The users are alerted via a notification and users can see the clip via the Blink camera app.

Sometimes the clips from the Blink cameras may fail to pop up even after a motion-detected notification is received on user devices. This may be due to several reasons:

1. Unstable Network Connection: An unstable or weak network connection will hinder the Blink cameras from working properly. 

2. Expired Blink Subscription: If your Blink subscription has expired or if the storage limit allocated to your account has been reached, then Blink may prevent you from accessing your videos. 

3. Corrupted Local storage: If the local storage drive becomes corrupted or full (storage space less than 375MB), it can prevent video clips from being viewed or recorded.

4. Outdated Blink App: Running your Blink camera app or camera on outdated firmware will result in compatibility issues which ultimately results in the failure to view clips. 

5. Camera or sync module misconfiguration: Sometimes the problem may lie with your camera or sync module configuration. Ensure that motion detection is enabled and configured for the camera that is facing the issue.

6. Insufficient Battery Power: If your Blink camera is not adequately powered, it may face issues while recording and saving videos. 

If your Blink camera has any one of these issues, it may cause problems while recording and saving videos. Ensuring proper countermeasures will help prevent such issues from arising in the future. 

Check the Network Connection

Blink Cam next to Sync Module and Router

An unstable or weak network connection can hinder the proper working of the Blink camera.

Weak signal strength and unstable network speeds can be attributed as the chief culprits for most network issues like Blink Authentication failure and Blink Sync Module offline.

Make sure you have an upload speed of at least 2 Mbps to ensure smooth operation. 

You can check your internet speed within the Blink camera app itself, to check the network speed within the app:

1. Navigate to the Blink app on your mobile device

2. In the app, navigate to Device settings

3. Click on General settings 

Blink Connection status

Here you will be able to see a Camera to wifi option which will show you the network speed of the connection

The speed will be indicated by bars. At least two bars of signal strength are required for things to run smoothly on your Blink Cam.

You can also use third-party websites like Ookla to test your network speed.

Ensure that your cameras are in direct line of sight to your router. Thick walls might cause network hindrance and cause a drop in network speed. 

If your camera is installed in places such as the attic or the basement, it is easier for it to lose connection. Try moving the camera closer to the router or consider buying a signal booster.

Having multiple devices connected to wifi will also cause a drop in internet speed. It's best to disconnect some of the devices as sometimes there is a limit to the device connected to your wifi at a time.

If you suspect the issue is caused due to an unstable network, you can consider using the RouteThis app.

RouteThis is an application recommended by Blink to assess and troubleshoot network-related problems.

Power Cycle the Router/Modem

Router unplugged

If network issues were detected on the RouteThis app, you could power cycle the router to get rid of most issues with the router.

Proven to be an effective fix for network-based issues like Blink doorbell bling red, this step may come in handy for the issue at hand as well.

Here's how to power cycle the Router:

1. Unplug the Router/modem from the power source and leave it idle for a few seconds.

2. Press and hold the various buttons on the Routwer for a couple of seconds. Repeat this step a couple of times.

3. Plug back in the power supply and turn ON the device.

Run the speed test once again on the network and if everything seems stable, connect back the Cam and check for the issue now.

Connect Only to the 2.4 GHz Band

Always connect the Cam and the host device to the 2.4 GHz WiFi band.

Even though 5GHz wifi offers greater speed, 2.4GHz wifi produces greater signal strength, better range, and penetration through the walls. 

Moreover, Blink systems, like most other Smart Monitoring systems, support only the 2.4 GHz WiFi band.

To check and change the network on a Blink Cam, follow these steps:

1. Open the Blink app.

Blink Sync Module Settings

2. tap on the Sync module tile and select Change Network.

Blink Change Network

3. Now, as instructed on the app, press and hold the Reset button on the Sync Module until the LED flashes Blue and solid Green.

Sync Module Reset button

4. Now select Discover Device on the app.

5. tap on join and choose the 2.4 GHz WIFi band from the list of Wi-Fi networks.

6. Enter the WiFi login credentials to complete the setup.

Wait for a couple of minutes for the Blink camera to connect to the network. Check if you are able to access the recorded videos now.

You can also follow these steps to refresh the network on Blink. Doing so may come in handy for fixing issues like Blink Network request failed.

Check and Update Blink App and Camera

Newer firmware updates bring in new bug fixes, security enhancements, and help clear any potential issues.

It is necessary that you keep both the Blink app and camera firmware up-to-date to ensure optimal performance and ward off issues like Blink cam sound not working.

Blink camera firmware will update automatically when connected to the internet provided the Blink app is up-to-date.

To check for the latest camera firmware:

  1. Navigate to the Blink app.
  2. Go to Device settings for the camera whose firmware you want to update. 
  3. Scroll down to see the device firmware version. 

To update your Blink app, follow these steps:

Blink App update
  1. Navigate to the Play Store/App Store.
  2. Search for the Blink app.
  3. Click on Update if available.
  4. Your Blink app will now get updated.

Check the Status of your Blink Subscription

Blink Subscription plans

Blink offers various subscription plans that provide various benefits like cloud storage, access to recorded footage, and help further enhance the capability of Blink cameras. 

If your Blink subscription has expired, you will lose access to the cloud storage leading to problems in accessing footage via notifications, even though you can use Blink Cams without a subscription.

Blink cameras like Blink Indoor(1st Gen), Blink XT, and Blink XT2 have free cloud storage of up to 7200 seconds of footage. Once the storage limit is reached, the oldest footage is deleted. 

Other Blink cameras including Blink Mini, Blink Outdoor and Indoor (Gen 3), Blink Doorbell, and Blink Wired Floodlight do not have this free cloud storage feature.

Therefore the feature to access and save recordings in the cloud is lost as soon as the subscription expires.

Most Blink Cams require a Sync Module to connect to and communicate with the Blink app. Although, select models, like the Blink Mini and the Doorbell, can work without a Sync Module.

To check the status of Blink subscription on the Amazon website:

1. Open the Amazon official website in your browser. 

2. Sign in to your Amazon account.

3. Click on Your Account option under the Account & Lists option in the top right corner.

4. Navigate to the Memberships and Subscriptions section.

Amazon memberships

5. Here click on Other subscriptions.

Here you will be able to see the status of your Blink subscription.

Upon checking the status of the Blink subscription if the plan is expired, we suggest you renew your Blink plan so as to continue using the cloud storage feature. 

Check and see if you are able to access the videos again.

Refresh the Notification Settings for Blink Camera

Refreshing the notification settings for your Blink camera can help deal with potential problems related to receiving too many or too less notifications. 

Refreshing these settings will also help clear up any notification-related bugs that degrade camera performance. 

To refresh the notification settings for your Blink camera:

1. Navigate to the Blink app.

2. On the home page, tap on the Camera settings of the errant Cam.

4. Click on the Notifications option.

Blink Notification settings

5. Turn off the notification (if it was previously on), wait for a couple of minutes, and turn it back on

The notification settings for the camera have now been refreshed. Check if you are able to access the videos via notification again. 

Tip: You can also change the motion detection sensitivity of the camera in the settings. Changing this will help you deal with the problem of too many or too less notifications arising when a motion is detected.

Check and Disable Snooze on Blink Cam

Blink Snooze Feature

Blink cameras offer a convenient feature called Snooze that lets you disable the camera’s motion detection and notification alert feature for an amount of time. 

That being said, it is important to understand the need of arming your cameras and disabling snooze while you are not at home. 

While it may be convenient to disarm and enable snooze on your blink cameras while you are at home, forgetting to turn them back on can result in various security-related problems.

While on snooze, your blink camera’s motion detection is disabled and it will not record or send alerts to your mobile device leaving your home or workplace vulnerable.

To prevent this from happening, instead of using the snooze option you can set up customized schedules for your camera’s operation in the Blink app. 

You can also use the remote control feature of your Blink app to arm or disarm your Blink cameras from anywhere. 

To disable Snooze on the Blink Cam:

  1. Navigate to the Blink app.
  2. Tap open the Camera Settings option.
  3. Locate the Snooze option.
  4. Disable the Snooze by turning it off
  5. Once Snooze is disabled, Arm your cameras to ensure security.

Check if you are able to see videos from notifications if a motion is detected.

You can also disable/enable snooze from the live view tab of your cam. Tap on the sleep icon to enable/disable the feature.

Snooze Feature

Reformat Local Storage connected to the Sync Module

Blink cameras like Blink Mini, and Blink Outdoor have a feature that lets you store video clips in the local storage connected to the Sync module, thus enabling you to record without requiring WiFi.

The local storage device can be connected using the USB port of the Sync module. That being said, if the local USB storage becomes corrupted, it can render the clips stored in it unviewable. 

If this is the case, reformatting your local storage can help solve the issue. You can perform this using the Blink app. 

Reformatting your local storage will erase all saved video clips. Transfer the necessary clips to another storage like a computer or hard drive to prevent data loss.

To format/reformat the local storage:

1. Navigate to the Blink app.

2. Click on the Sync Module tile.

Blink Local storage

3. Click on the Local storage option.

4. Find and click on the Format

5. Click the Confirm format option in the prompt that appears.

You will receive a confirmation message in the Blink app once the format is complete.

Reformatting your USB storage once in a while can help maintain the performance and reliability of the storage. 

Delete and Re-add Blink App

Deleting and Re-adding your Blink app can be an effective method when facing issues with app functionality or any app-related performance issues. 

Deleting the Blink app will not affect your Blink cameras physically.

The cameras will still continue to monitor, record videos, and will still be connected to your Blink account.

But you will have to add these devices to your Blink app again (once reinstalled) to modify the camera settings.

To delete and re-install the Blink app on Android:

  1. Long press the Blink app icon and click on the Uninstall/Remove option.
  2. Navigate to the Play Store.
  3. Search for the Blink app.
  4. Install the app again.

Once the Blink app is reinstalled, log in to your Blink account again. Add your Blink cameras to the app. 

Check and see if you are able to watch the video clips from the cameras.

Factory Reset Sync Module and Cam

If none of the above steps work, you could try resetting your Blink camera.

For Blink cameras that connect to a sync module, you should reset the sync module instead of the camera.

Resetting your devices will delete all your saved data, settings, and passwords so make sure to back up or note down these settings. You will have to set up the device as new again.

Factory Resetting happens to also be the recommended fix foremost other Blink issues like Blink Cam output black and white and Blink Cam command failed to complete.

To reset the sync module:

Press and hold Reset button

1. On the sync module, press and hold the reset button until the status light turns red

RED LED indication on Sync Module

2. Release the reset button and wait for the status light to turn blue and then green

Sync Module LEDs

3. The sync module is now in set-up mode and all cameras connected to it will be offline

4. Now delete the module from the Blink app and set it up again

Blink Mini features a dedicated reset button, unlike most other Blink Cams. Here's how to reset a Blink Mini:

  1. Press and hold the reset button on the bottom side of the camera.
  2. Release the button when the indicator light flashes red and blue rapidly. 
  3. The indicator light will then Blink a blue light slowly and your camera will be ready to be set up again.

Did you know that you can't officially integrate Blink with Google Home. But with the help of services like IFTTT and Smartthings, you can make it work.

Final Thoughts

Checking and updating both the Blink app and camera firmware is necessary to overcome some of the software bugs and glitches.

We recommend you contact Blink customer care in case the issues still persist. They will be able to provide more technical insight into why these issues happen and help resolve them.

You can also request a replacement if your device is still within the warranty period.

Blink also has an excellent and active support forum where you can find answers to a number of your queries.

We are sure you will be able to find more answers there and also help others resolve them. 

Happy Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use Blink cameras without a subscription? 

Yes, you can use Blink cameras without a subscription, but you won't have access to cloud storage for video clips. Instead, you can use local storage or rely on live view without recording capabilities.

Can you temporarily disable motion detection in Blink cameras?

Yes, you can temporarily disable motion detection in Blink cameras using the Snooze feature. Refer to the Check and Disable Snooze on Blink Cam section of the article to see steps on how to enable or disable it.

Are Blink cameras suitable for outdoor use? 

Yes, many Blink cameras, such as the Blink XT and XT2, are designed for outdoor use and are weather-resistant. They can withstand various weather conditions.

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About Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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