Blink cameras are popular wireless home security cameras that are easy to set up and use. One of their key features is the ability to record video clips when motion is detected and save those clips to the cloud for later viewing.
However, sometimes Blink cameras fail to save recordings even when motion is detected.
Here are some common reasons why your Blink camera may not save recordings and how to fix the issue.
There are a few ways Blink cameras can save motion-triggered video clips:
- To the cloud with a Blink subscription plan
- Locally to a USB drive connected to the Sync Module
- Both the cloud and USB drive simultaneously
If your Blink camera fails to save recordings when it detects motion, there are several aspects to troubleshoot:
Check Your Blink Subscription Plan
One of the most common reasons for missing recordings is an inactive, limited, or expired Blink subscription plan.
Here’s what to check:
- Verify your subscription status. Log into your Blink account to confirm you have an active paid subscription, not just the free trial. Paid plans allow more recordings. The free plan only allows you to store limited recordings in the cloud.
- Check storage limits: Even paid Blink plans have storage limits. The basic plan offers 500 motion event recordings, while the extended plan offers 2,000 recordings. If your account is full, new recordings won’t save. Consider upgrading to a higher-tier plan if you often hit the limit.
- Renew expired subscriptions – Blink subscriptions eventually expire after 1 year or 2 years, depending on your plan. Double-check your status to ensure your account is still active and renewed. Lapsed subscriptions will cease saving recordings until renewed.
- Enable “Save and Sync” – This option simultaneously saves clips locally and to the cloud for redundancy. Check it’s enabled if you want backups in both places. If disabled, it only saves to one or the other.
- Extend your free trial – If still on a free trial, you can extend it by referring friends. The referral program can squeeze more use out of the trial until you’re ready to commit to a paid plan.
Confirming your Blink subscription status is active with available storage is key to ensuring reliable cloud recordings.
If you only intend to record to a local USB drive, the subscription may not be mandatory, but it can still be useful for features like accessing recordings remotely.
Check Camera Power and WiFi Connection
Your Blink camera needs consistent power and WiFi connectivity to operate and save recordings. Here’s how to check:
- Use fresh batteries – Blink cameras can run on 2 AA lithium batteries. Use fresh, high-quality batteries for best performance. Replace batteries at least every 6 months or sooner if you get low battery notifications.
- Ensure batteries are inserted properly – Improperly inserted batteries will prevent the camera from powering on. Follow the guidelines in the Blink app to ensure the + and – ends are aligned properly.
- Plug into a power outlet – For continuous power, plug your Blink camera into an outlet via the optional power adapter. Hardwiring eliminates worrying about batteries.
- Check WiFi signal strength – Weak WiFi can disrupt saving recordings. Position your Sync Module closer to the camera or install a WiFi range extender. Aim for at least 2-3 bars of signal strength.
- Reboot camera and Sync Module – Power cycling the hardware can fix temporary glitches. Unplug power sources, wait 30 seconds, then reconnect. Allow a few minutes for the devices to reboot and reconnect.
With consistent power from either batteries or outlets and a strong WiFi signal, your Blink camera can stay connected and properly save recordings.
Verify Motion Detection Settings
Next, inspect your Blink camera’s motion detection settings:
- Enable motion detection – By default, motion detection is on. But confirm it’s enabled and not disabled in your camera’s settings. Cameras can’t record events if detection is turned off.
- Adjust motion zones – Restrict motion detection to certain zones to avoid false alerts from non-important areas. Limit the zones to high-priority spots like entryways.
- Set activity frequency – Choose how often motion needs to occur to trigger recording. The frequent motion requires more movement, while infrequent detects sparse activity. Set based on your environment.
- Adjust sensitivity level – Higher sensitivity detects smaller motions from farther away. But may increase false alerts. Lower sensitivity reduces minor motion detection. Experiment to find the right balance for your location.
Optimizing your motion detection settings will help your Blink camera know exactly when to start recording motion events. Take time to tailor the settings to your specific needs.
Adjust Night Vision Settings
Blink cameras include infrared LEDs to enable night vision in low-light conditions. Adjust these settings too:
- Enable night vision – By default, night vision activates automatically in dim lighting. Confirm this setting is on in your camera settings.
- Set LED brightness – Brighter IR LEDs improve visibility in pitch black but may overexpose the image. Lower brightness reduces glare.
- Enable Night Vision Blur Reduction – This optional setting helps reduce motion blur from the infrared projection at night. It may impact battery life.
- Adjust motion frequency at night – More motion is needed to trigger events to avoid false alerts from IR reflections. Increase nighttime frequency.
With properly configured night vision capabilities, your Blink camera can reliably record incidents any time of day or night.
Check the USB Storage Device
If saving recordings locally to a USB drive, check these tips for your storage device:
- Use recommended drive format – Blink requires the USB drive to be FAT32 formatted. NTFS and exFAT won’t work—Reformat incompatible drives.
- Try a different USB drive – Faulty or slow USB drives can cause saving errors. Test with a high-speed USB 3.0 drive from a reputable brand.
- Limit storage size – Larger USB drives take longer to index on startup, which may disrupt recording. A 16-32GB drive is recommended.
- Allow time to index – When plugging in a new USB drive, give 10-15 minutes for the Sync Module to index it before recordings work.
With a properly formatted, tested USB drive, your Blink system can reliably store local motion-triggered recordings as a backup to the cloud.
Adjust Video Clip Settings
Some video clip configuration options could impact recordings:
- Shorten clip length: 60-second clips take time to upload and may fail. Try 30 or 15-second clips, which can be easier to save.
- Reduce video quality: higher 1080p resolution clips consume more bandwidth. Lower to 720p to make them faster to upload to the cloud.
- Disable audio tracks can significantly reduce clip file size for more effortless saving. Audio is only sometimes necessary.
- Extend clip buffer – Increase the clip buffer time to capture more footage before and after an event. But this increases the file size.
Tuning your clip configuration balanced with your network resources can lead to more successful recording saves.
Preventative Maintenance
In addition to troubleshooting issues, some general maintenance can help avoid problems proactively:
- Keep cameras clean – Gently clean camera lenses with a microfiber cloth to remove debris that could obstruct the view.
- Check wires and connectors – Ensure cables are not damaged or loose. Tighten any loose plugs or connections.
- Update firmware regularly – Download the latest updates whenever notified to stay current.
- Give cameras shelter – Try to position cameras where they are not directly exposed to rain or snow, which could damage components.
- Test regularly – Manually trigger recordings using the app, and spot-check saved clips to confirm the system works as expected.
With simple preventative maintenance, you can keep your Blink cameras in good working order for reliable recordings.
Conclusion
Saving recordings of motion events is a key feature of Blink wireless security cameras. But issues like missing recordings can arise due to power, connectivity, settings, or hardware problems. The good news is that you can identify and resolve most recording issues by systematically troubleshooting your subscription plan, camera functions, motion detection, storage device, and clip configuration. Performing regular maintenance and seeking assistance from Blink’s helpful support can also get your system reliably capturing clips again. With a properly functioning Blink camera system, you’ll no longer miss essential recordings and can review security footage as needed. By applying the troubleshooting guidance in this article, you can save those critical video clips and protect your home.
