Blink camera · Status lights
What the light on a Blink camera means
Sources checked · how we check
Blink uses red for setup and connection problems, and blue for recording. The catch is that the same red light means different things on a Mini and on an Outdoor camera, so find the section for your camera before reading across.
What this covers
Blink documents its lights per camera family, and the tables below follow that split. The Mini, Mini 2 and Mini 2K+ share one set of lights; the Outdoor and Indoor (3rd Gen), XT2 and XT share another; the Outdoor 4 and the Video Doorbell are documented on their own.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
Mini, Mini 2 and Mini 2K+
Solid red
The camera cannot connect to your network, or the wifi password entered may be wrong.
What to do: Unplug the camera and plug it back in. If the red light stays, press the reset button on the underside with a thin object (Blink warns a pin or thumb tack can damage it) and wait for the green and blue setup lights. If it has not changed within 120 seconds, Blink says to contact support.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
Blinking red
The camera is starting up.
What to do: Wait for it to finish.
Solid green with blinking blue
The camera is in pairing mode and ready to be set up.
What to do: Add the camera in the Blink app.
Blinking green
The camera has gone offline and is trying to reconnect to the network it was on.
What to do: Wait for it to reconnect. If it keeps going offline, check the wifi signal where the camera is.
Solid blue
The camera is recording motion, or someone is watching a live view.
What to do: Nothing. To hide it, set Device Settings > General Settings > Status LED to Always Off in the Blink app.
Solid green all the time
The Status LED is set to Always On, which keeps it green and adds blue while recording.
What to do: Nothing. Change it under Device Settings > General Settings > Status LED if you would rather it stayed off.
Source: Blink: how to disable the recording LED on your camera
Blinking red and blue
During a hard reset, this is the signal to let go of the reset button.
What to do: Release the reset button and follow the setup flow.
No light
Usually that setup is complete and the camera is connected. It can also mean the camera is not plugged in, or there is a power problem.
What to do: If the camera shows as online in the Blink app, nothing is wrong. If it does not, check its power.
Outdoor and Indoor (3rd Gen), XT2 and XT
Quick red flash every 3 seconds
The camera is disconnected from the internet.
What to do: If the camera is new, add it in the Blink app. If it was already set up, work through Blink's wifi connection troubleshooting, or delete the camera and add it to a system again.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
5 long red flashes when the batteries go in
The camera is starting on fresh batteries. It then repeats a short flash every 3 seconds until it has an internet connection.
What to do: Nothing. If you do not see the 5 long flashes, Blink says to put in a fresh pair of lithium non-rechargeable AA batteries.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
Red flashing 5 or 6 times after the blue light goes out
The batteries are failing.
What to do: Put in 2 fresh 1.5 volt AA lithium non-rechargeable batteries.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
Brief red flash
Blink says a brief red flash can appear during motion detection.
What to do: Nothing, on its own.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
Solid blue
The camera is recording motion, or someone is watching a live view.
What to do: Nothing. On the 3rd Gen cameras it can be turned off under Device Settings > General Settings > Status LED; on the XT and XT2, with the REC. LED switch inside the battery compartment.
Source: Blink: how to disable the recording LED on your camera
Outdoor 4 and Video Doorbell
Flashing red (Outdoor 4)
The camera is in setup mode, or changing systems or wifi.
What to do: Carry on with setup in the Blink app. If the red light is not flashing as expected, take the batteries out for five seconds and put them back.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
Flashing red around the doorbell button (Video Doorbell)
The doorbell is looking for a connection. During setup or a change of system or wifi, it shows the doorbell is ready to connect.
What to do: Carry on with setup. If it is not flashing as expected, take the batteries out for five seconds and put them back.
Source: Blink: red light on a camera
If none of these match your light
Blink documents lights per device, and keeps a separate LED article for the Video Doorbell. If none of the rows above matches, check which Blink device you are looking at, then look up its own LED article on Blink's support site rather than reading another camera's table onto it.
Source: Blink: how to disable the recording LED on your camera
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Blink camera showing a red light?
It depends on the camera. On a Mini, Mini 2 or Mini 2K+, solid red means it cannot connect to your network or the wifi password is wrong. On an Outdoor or Indoor (3rd Gen), XT2 or XT, a quick red flash every 3 seconds means it is disconnected from the internet. On an Outdoor 4, flashing red means setup mode.
What does the blue light on a Blink camera mean?
The camera is recording motion or someone is watching a live view. Most Blink cameras let you turn it off in the app under Device Settings > General Settings > Status LED.
My Blink Mini is flashing green. What is happening?
Blinking green means the Mini has gone offline and is trying to reconnect to the network it was on. Solid green with blinking blue is different: that is pairing mode, ready to add in the app.
How do I know my Blink camera batteries are dying?
On the Outdoor and Indoor (3rd Gen), XT2 and XT, Blink says the light flashes red 5 or 6 times after the blue recording light goes out. Replace them with 2 fresh AA lithium non-rechargeable batteries.