Why is My Blink Camera Output Black And White?

Is your Blink Cam recording/streaming in monochrome? The cause might be this one nifty little feature called Night Vision.

But let's not reach a conclusion based on just this one factor, a lot of things can trigger your Blink Cam to record black and white.

If your Blink Cam is recording/streaming in Black and White, ensure that Night Vision is turned OFF first. Next, check for any physical damage on the Camera Module and replace the batteries if they have run out of juice. Cleaning the Camera sensor and factory resetting the Cam could also help.

Let's now delve right into the thick of things and find out what may be causing your Blink Cam to record in black and white:

Night Vision on Blink Cam: An Overview

All Blink cameras are equipped with two-way audio, customized motion detection alerts, customizable activity/privacy zones, and most importantly, high-definition day and night video.

The Blink cameras use an Infrared Red illuminator for nighttime video recording. This is achieved by blasting Infrared rays on the objects in the camera's field of view and capturing the reflected rays.

As a consequence of not using visible light as the source, the image or video captured by the Blink Camera ends up black and white.

This mode of operation can be advantageous under low-light conditions. The inbuilt infrared blaster can compensate for the lack of visible light in these low-light conditions.

Infrared security cameras extend the utility of Blink cameras in a varying range of conditions from complete darkness to extremely bright sunlight.

However, Infrared cameras come with their fair share of disadvantages too.

Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, we cannot inspect if the Infrared blaster is working in the first place. If not working properly, the images and videos captured at night will be sub-optimal.

So identifying what exactly is wrong when the image is blurry, grey, or muddy might be difficult.

Nonetheless, the benefits of having an Infrared component far outweigh the disadvantages.

How to Disable Night Vision on Blink Cams

The settings on the Blink app allow users to alter the use of the Infrared illuminator, and as a result, have control over Night Vision and the images or videos generated in low-light conditions.

Disabling night vision on the Blink camera will result in your images and videos gaining color, however, under low light conditions, it might be difficult to identify objects in the field of view of the camera as the camera is dependent solely on visible light available.

If you set the Night vision to AUTO, the Blink camera will decide when to turn on the Night vision mode depending on the availability of light in the camera's environment.

To disable Night vision on the Blink camera, follow the instructions given below:

1. Open the Blink app and select the Blink camera whose settings you want to change.

2. Navigate to Camera settings and find Night Vision under Video and Photo Settings.

3. Here, you should be able to select between ON, OFF, and AUTO.

4. Change the setting to OFF to disable Night Vision mode.

It is very likely that disabling Night vision on your Blink camera results in darker images and videos in low-light conditions.

Check for Hardware Damage on the Blink Cam

If your Blink camera has any type of hardware damage, it could be reflected in the pictures and videos captured by the device.

The content captured by your Blink camera could end up looking blurry or cloudy. Keep reading to explore what potential reasons could result in these effects.

Where have you placed your Blink device? If placed outside or in a position where it could be exposed to the outside environment, condensation or moisture build-up on the lens could be a potential cause.

Your camera lens being dirty can also be fixed by cleaning it with a soft cloth which should be done without causing scratches on the lens surface.

Additionally, check if there is moisture build-up inside the lens of the Blink camera. If you find that there is such buildup, there is little you can do by wiping the lens.

You will have to take the device to a professional to get it clean and close the gap which led to the moisture buildup in the first place.

Check and ensure that the camera's back cover is fastened to the main body and that no gaps are present.

If there is excessive glare or reflection in the images and videos captured by the Blink camera, there could be lights nearby facing the camera or reflection of the Infrared radiation from windows or other reflective surfaces.

To make sure that all potential reasons are covered, Blink cameras come out of the box with a plastic cover over the lens.

Make sure that you have removed this cover over the lens or else the image formed by the lens could be distorted.

If you have been experiencing these issues right out of the box, it could be likely that you have received a defective Blink camera.

If that is the case, make sure you reach out to Blink support and request a replacement. If your device is defective, Blink usually replaces the device free of charge.

However, if you experience these issues after a period of time or after the camera has gone through some trauma, you should visually inspect the device to check for damages.

When the Night vision setting is set to AUTO, the Blink camera gets to decide when the mode is to be enabled.

Under low light conditions, the IR filter is switched on. You can hear this switch between modes characterized by a click sound.

If instead of a single click, you can hear multiple clicks on the Blink Cam, it is indicative of defective camera operation.

Check and Replace Batteries on Blink Cam

If you are having issues with the output images and videos produced by your Blink Cam, your batteries could also be a likely cause.

Operating a Blink camera in low battery conditions can lead to blurry or muddy pictures.

This is especially true in the case of low light conditions as it is more taxing for the Blink camera to operate under these conditions.

If the batteries have run out on the Cam, carefully unmount the Cam from its holder, remove the back Cover, and replace the batteries with fresh new set.

The proper functioning of the IR filter that is activated in low light conditions is also subject to the battery level of your Blink device. It can get stuck if you are operating your device in low battery conditions.

Relocate Blink Cam

If you want your Blink camera to generate pictures and videos with color rather than black and white, it is important that you provide enough visible light for the camera to capture.

Even if you are operating your Blink camera in the AUTO setting for Night Vision; if there is sufficient visible light for the camera to capture events, the Infrared mode is not activated and as a result, the feed should have color.

However, if the field of view is too dark to be captured clearly by the Blink camera, the IR mode will be activated and as a result, the content will be black and white.

Night lamps are an ideal solution to the low light problem if you want to avoid capturing black-and-white feed. These lamps need to be placed in or around the camera's range and illuminate the field of view.

Accessibility is also a factor that you might want to consider when you plan on where to place the lamps or the Blink camera.

It might be prudent to keep both of them at a place that is easy to reach in case any adjustments are necessary.

Once you have found an ideal spot for your device and light source, you can run trial runs during both day and night to make sure the AUTO function or your desired setting is working optimally.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your Blink camera is in the ideal location for capturing useful footage.

Blink Cam Recordings Grey/Muddy: How to Fix

Is your live feed suddenly getting distorted? This happens when the video quality being streamed to your device changes from a high resolution to a lower resolution, which in turn happens as a consequence of not being able to load high-quality video fast enough over your network.

You can check how strong your network connection is through the Blink app for each connected camera.

An unstable network connection is the root cause of numerous issues on Blink Cams, including Blink Command failed to complete.

If you notice distorted or muddy feed overall throughout the operation of your Blink camera, then the reasons for this could be different.

Let's go over the many fixes that could aid in fixing such a scenario:

Check and Clean the Blink Cam sensors

All Blink cameras have light sensors that detect the amount of ambient light available in the surrounding of the camera.

Depending on its assessment, the camera decides to activate the Infrared mode or not when operating in AUTO mode.

However, there are reasons why your light sensor could be malfunctioning and as a result, you frequently get grey or black-and-white images and videos from your Blink camera.

If your camera light sensor is dirty or covered by dust, it could significantly impact the amount of detected ambient light.

This could be a potential reason why you frequently get grey images even where there is ample light.

You can fix this issue by cleaning the light sensor with a non-abrasive cloth. For most blink cameras, the light sensor is located next to the camera lens in the front.

Additionally, you can also check if there are any obstructions in front of the light sensor that is potentially blocking its functioning.

Position your camera in such a way that there are no obstructions with respect to the field of view and source of light.

Factory Reset Blink Cam

If you have attempted all suggestions and troubleshooting methods mentioned in this article and still cannot solve the issue, then it is worthwhile to attempt a factory reset of your Blink device.

Known to be the ultimate fix for issues such as Blink Cam network request failed, Blink Cam flashing RED, and many more, factory resetting the Cam may also come in handy for the issue at hand.

Make sure that your batteries are charged above 80% and that the device is turned on. Depending on the model of your Blink camera, the steps required for the factory reset might defer.

Factory resetting your Blink device will delete all footage associated with the device, and all customized settings will be reverted back to the original factory settings.

Here's how to Factory Reset a Blink Cam

1. Select Blink cameras feature a dedicated reset button. You can find it on the back of the Cam (next to the battery compartment) or right below the Camera Module.

2. Holding this button down for 20 seconds will factory reset your device.

3. The LEDs will start to flash once the reset is complete.

Alternatively, you could also factory reset the Sync Module since most of them require a Sync Module to work. Here's how to do so:

1. Press and hold the Reset button on the Sync Module until the LEDs blink RED.

2. The Reset is complete once the LEDs turn Blue and Green.

Final Thoughts

The objective of the Infrared function in Blink cameras is to make it easier to capture events or footage at night or in dimly lit areas.

However, it can be extremely frustrating for users when the camera seems to get stuck in IR mode recording all events in black and white.

Adjusting the Night Mode settings in the Blink app is the obvious fix, but it might not work for everyone.

Alternatively, Blink offers great customer support and assists a robust user community. So if you find that you have a problem that is not being fixed by troubleshooting, you can always reach out to Blink.

If your device is under warranty, it is highly likely that you will receive a replacement if they cannot fix the existing device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Blink Have Color Night Vision?

Blink cameras use IR night vision which comes with advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that IR does not require any ambient light to function meaning it can work even in complete darkness. The disadvantage is that the IR night vision only allows the camera to see in black and white. If you absolutely need color for your night vision, make sure you check if the device you want to buy supports technology other than Infrared.

Can You Turn Off Red Light on Blink Camera? 

The red light that you see on the Blink camera is the Infrared illuminator responsible for shining Infrared light on the field of view of the camera. If you absolutely need to turn it off, you can go to the Blink app, select the camera and then disable the IR mode. However, if you do this, the functionality of the Blink camera at night time will be severely impaired. So it is best to leave it alone.

Does Blink work in the dark?

Blink cameras have an Infrared blaster or illuminator that shines an 850nm infrared light throughout the field of view of the Blink camera. If night vision is enabled, your Blink camera will be able to view and record in a low light or non-lit environment.

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