What to Do When Your Blink Camera is Flashing Red

PDF download Download Article
An easy guide to fixing a Blink camera's red light
PDF download Download Article

Seeing a flashing red light on any of your electronic devices can be a little alarming. If there's a red blinking light on your Blink camera or video doorbell, it usually means there's a problem with its internet connection. Fortunately, any problem that causes a red light to flash on a Blink camera is easy to fix. Read on to learn why your Blink camera is flashing red and how to fix it.

Blink Camera: Flashing Red Light Meaning

A flashing red usually means the camera is offline. On Blink wireless indoor and outdoor cameras (3rd gen, XT, & XT2), a red light may flash a few times when the camera detects motion or has low battery. On a Blink Mini 1 or 2, the camera will only flash red during setup mode or it first starts up.

Section 1 of 3:

Why Your Blink Camera is Flashing Red

PDF download Download Article
  1. Whether you have a Blink indoor or outdoor camera, you'll see a flashing red light when the camera is attempting to connect to Wi-Fi or loses its Wi-Fi connection. However, the cause of the red flashing light varies slightly by model: [1]
    • Blink Outdoor 4: Displays a continuous flashing red light when it's in setup mode or attempting to connect to a Wi-Fi network.
    • Blink Video Doorbell: You will see a red flashing light around the doorbell button when the doorbell is ready to connect to Wi-Fi but is not currently connected.
    • Blink Mini & Mini 2: These cameras should only flash red during initial setup, or when the camera first starts up. If the camera loses its Wi-Fi connection and cannot reconnect, the red light will be solid. [2]
    • Blink Outdoor and Indoor (3rd gen, XT2, and XT): These Blink cameras have a few different flashing red light patterns:
      • A red light will flash every 3 seconds when the camera is disconnected from the internet.
      • You may also see a red flashing light when the camera detects motion.
      • When the camera is low on battery, it will flash red 5 to 6 times after the blue recording light turns off.
    2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

Troubleshooting & Fixes

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you're using a battery-powered Blink camera like a Blink Outdoor model, remove the batteries, then reinsert them. If your Blink camera plugs into electricity, unplug it for a few seconds, then plug it back in. [3]
  2. Connect your phone, tablet, or computer to the same Wi-Fi network as your Blink camera, and try to browse the web. If your home Wi-Fi isn't working, take steps to troubleshoot the connection . Once it's fixed, your Blink camera should reconnect, and the red light will stop flashing.
    • Try unplugging your home Wi-Fi router, leaving it unplugged for about 60 seconds, then plugging it back in again. Give the router several minutes to boot back up before checking the lights on your Blink camera.
  3. Your Blink camera can only connect to routers that support 2.4 GHz (802.11 b/g/n). If you try to connect it to a 5GHz network, it will not connect, and the red light will flash. [4]
  4. If you have a wireless Blink camera, reset the Sync Module by disconnecting it from power for 10 seconds, then plugging it back in. When the Sync Module reconnects to the internet, you will see solid blue and green lights on the face. [5]
  5. If the red lights are still flashing, the signal between the camera and your Wi-Fi network (or the camera and the Sync Module, if you use one) may be weak. To view your signal strength: [6]
    • Tap the More ••• button on your camera's icon.
    • Go to Device Settings > General Settings > Camera to Wi-Fi .
    • Under "Network," you will see the connection to Wi-Fi, and/or the connection to the Sync Module.
    • If you have 2 bars or less, try rebooting your Wi-Fi router.
    • If you still have fewer than 2 bars, your Wi-Fi network may be overloaded (streaming movies, gaming, etc.), or the device is not close enough to your Wi-Fi router.
  6. If the flashing red light on your wireless Blink camera is still flashing, you can disconnect the sync module from Wi-Fi, then reconnect it. If you have a Blink video doorbell or wired camera, skip this step.
    • Open the Blink app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
    • Select Sync Module.
    • Tap Change Wi-Fi Network .
    • Press the reset button on the Sync Module.
      • If the reset button on your Sync Module is recessed, insert a SIM tool or the end of an unbent paperclip into the tiny hole, and press the button until one LED turns red.
    • When the lights on the Sync Module begin to flash green and blue, tap Discover Device in the Blink app.
    • Tap Join and select your Wi-Fi network.
    • Enter your Wi-Fi password and tap Join again.
  7. If you're still seeing the flashing red light, use these steps to reconnect your Blink camera or doorbell to the internet: [7]
    • Open the Blink app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
    • Tap the More ••• button on your camera's icon.
    • Tap General Settings .
    • On a Blink Mini or Mini 2 camera, press and release the reset button.
      • When you see a flashing blue light and a solid green light on the camera, tap Discover Device in the Blink app.
      • Select your Wi-Fi network, tap Join , and enter your password to connect
    • If you have a Blink video doorbell that's connected to chime wiring, disconnect its power, reconnect, then select Continue . If it's not connected to the wiring, just tap Continue . Then:
      • Use the mounting key to unmount the doorbell.
      • Tap Continue in the app.
      • When you see the "Change Wi-Fi" prompt in the app, press and release the reset button on the back of the doorbell.
      • When the red light flashes, tap Discover Device , then tap Join .
      • Enter your Wi-Fi password and tap Continue .
  8. If your home Wi-Fi network is working properly, is compatible with your camera, and the red light on your camera continues to flash, reach out to Blink's technical support team. [8] You can submit a ticket on the web , or contact Blink support by phone: [9]
    • US & Canada
      • Toll-free: 1-833-392-5465
      • Direct: 781-332-5465
    • Mexico
      • Toll-free: +52-800-323-0949
      • Direct: 52-559-331-1339
    • EU & UK
      • Direct: +44-1158-384189
    • Australia
      • Toll-free: +61 1800 595 447
      • Direct: +61 2 7257 4374
    • New Zealand
      • Toll-free: +64 800 780 635
        • Direct: +64 9 870 5987
    9. Advertisement
Section 3 of 3:

FAQ

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Does a red light on a Blink camera mean it's recording you? The red light usually means the camera is not connected to the internet. However, some Blink cameras will flash red a few times when they detect motion, which could mean it's recording or being actively monitored. If the blinking doesn't stop, there's a problem with it.
  2. 2
    How can I tell if my Blink camera battery is low? If you have a wireless Blink outdoor (3rd gen), XT, or XT2 camera, the camera will flash red 5 times if the battery needs to be changed. You can also open the Blink app, tap More •••, tap Device Settings , then tap General Settings . If the battery needs to be replaced, you will see "Needs Replacement" here. [10]
  3. 3
    Can I turn off the lights on my Blink camera? If you don't want the recording LED to light up when recording, you can disable the status LED in More ••• > Device Settings > General Settings > Status LED. [11]
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      9 Easy Ways to Get Your Logitech Keyboard Working Again
      Why Your Car’s Turn Signal Is Blinking Rapidly (& How to Fix It)
      Fixing the Blue Light of Death on Your PS4: Troubleshooting Guide
      Why Your Check Engine Light Comes On and Off
      How to
      Manually Reset Your FireStick Remote: Complete Guide
      How to
      Fix a Dyson Cordless Vacuum That Won't Charge: Tips & Solutions
      Why Your Phone Says No Service: 11 Issues and Solutions
      How to
      Fix When Netflix Doesn't Work on Your Samsung TV
      How to
      Fix Your Spectrum App When It's Acting Up
      Easy Ways to Reset a Linksys Router Password
      DNS Server Isn't Responding? Easy Troubleshooting & Fixes
      “Cool On” Blinking on a Honeywell Thermostat: Cause and Solutions
      Why Is Your First Alert Smoke Alarm Beeping/Chirping?
      PS4 Controller Disconnecting? 12 Reasons & Easy Fixes
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/issues-with-your-camera/red-light-on-a-camera
      2. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/using-mini/2279381
      3. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/issues-with-your-camera/red-light-on-a-camera
      4. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/wi-fi-or-network-issues/understanding-wifi-network-requirements
      5. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/wi-fi-or-network-issues/wifi-guide
      6. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/wi-fi-or-network-issues/wifi-guide
      7. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/wi-fi-or-network-issues/how-to-update-the-wi-fi-settings
      8. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/wi-fi-or-network-issues/wifi-guide
      9. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/contact-support/blink-technical-phone-support
      1. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/camera-settings/new-device-layout-settings
      2. ↑ https://support.blinkforhome.com/en_GB/camera-settings/can-i-disable-the-blue-recording-led-on-the-camera

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 117 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement