The voice assistant on your Echo device listens and interprets many voice commands. It is also enabled to announce alerts of motion sported by any of your Blink cameras.
However, not every time will Amazon Alexa or Echo announce Blink alerts, even when the camera is monitoring motion or activity. When such arises, then there is an issue with either of the devices that needs troubleshooting.
In other situations, it might be a mistake made when setting up Alexa. This post is to help you fix issues when the Blink alerts fail to announce on Alexa/Echo.
Why Blink Alerts won’t announce on Alexa: How to fix
There will arise cases when your Alexa receives other notifications and makes proper announcements but fails to give alerts triggered by the Blink cameras. There are several underlying causes for such problems.
Luckily, the homeowner can easily solve the issue of Alexa not announcing Blink alerts. If it fails, there will be a need to call for assistance from professional technicians.
Here are a few tips to help you out.
1. Check if your camera is set
Before you start lamenting, is your system properly armed?
If not, you must set the camera system to receive motion notifications and send them to the Alexa/Echo.
If enabled, the icons for motion detection and snooze will appear.
2. Is the motion detection mode active?
All Blink cameras have a motion detection icon.
A blue or Led lit running man indicates that motion detection is on
On the contrary, a gray running man indicates that the motion is off.
If it is off, you can go to the settings icon and turn on the motion detection feature.
3. Check on the snooze notification
A blue z icon means snooze is on, and a grey z icon means snooze is off.
A solid blue icon means that motion alerts have been temporarily paused but saved in the cloud.
4. Sign out of the Blink app and then sign in again.
This step will help reset some anomalies within the system.
After you sign in, go to the first step and set the motion detection feature.
5. Check the blink app notification options
The Blink app sends notifications to your device, either your mobile phone or Alexa/Echo. You can either have the power to select the type of notifications to get and how these notifications should be delivered.
You may not receive Blink motion notifications because you have not set Blink cameras to announce motion on the Alexa/Echo device.
Check your camera and Alexa/Echo device to confirm the right settings. If not, set the device up for this function.
6. Check if the device is updated
The firmware enabling your Alexa/Echo to operate must be updated frequently. The Blink camera should also be designed to connect and trigger announcements to the Alexa device.
For the camera, purchase one with high-end and modern features that support such smart home interconnection and communication.
The Alexa/Echo needs to be updated frequently to the most recent version to function effectively. Thankfully, Amazon Alexa/Echo has an auto-update feature in the settings.
When turned on, this feature enables your device to auto-update immediately after a new version is uploaded online. If it fails, there are simple ways to force-update the device, and it will function super well. For effective auto-updates, ensure your device is always connected to a steady internet connection. Most recent updates support voice announcements from different linked devices.
7. Rename your mobile device
Renaming the linked camera on Alexa will sometimes help with the announcements problem. Alexa will take your device to be new because of the new name, and it might function even better.
The missing motion announcements will now start to announce as long as you set the devices correctly after renaming the Blink camera.
Conclusion
A smart home system is a plus in enhancing security in modern homes. However, when your smart home devices like Blink camera and Alexa/Echo fail to coordinate, it becomes hard to monitor your home. Luckily, most issues arising from smart home devices can be resolved easily. If your Blink camera is not sending motion notifications to the Alexa device, consider the above tips and fix it.
