Blink Indoor Camera Review

Setting Up the Blink Indoor Camera

We can’t say that the Blink Indoor is unique because there are lots of battery-powered security cameras now in the market. Still, the setup process struck us as slightly different from what we’re used to.

For starters, the camera’s design is a little weird. Its tile-shaped design makes it impossible to position it at an angle when it’s sitting on a shelf. That means the best approach is to mount in on a wall using the magnetic mounting hardware. That way, you can angle it downwards to get the optimal view.

The Blink Mini also requires a Sync Module – a hub-like device that plugs to an outlet and connects to Wi-Fi to bridge the camera’s internet connection. Now, we’ve seen a lot of battery-powered cameras use a hub, but most of them are outdoor cameras. They require a hub to save battery life and extend their wireless range outdoors. We haven’t seen much indoor cameras with a hub.

Lastly, the Blink Indoor is powered by two AA lithium batteries; yes, the kind you can get from the supermarket. That’s a bit weird because more battery-powered cameras have specially designed batteries, but apparently for the Blink Indoor, the lithium batteries are enough. And you know what else? It promises a two-year battery life.

The actual setup process took just 10 minutes. It involved just downloading the Blink Home app, scanning the code on the Sync Module to pair it, and then logging in to our Wi-Fi network. After that, we inserted the batteries into the camera, using the included tool to pry open the battery enclosure. We then scanned a QR code to connect the camera to the Sync Module. Voila! It’s all done.

Our Experience with the Blink Indoor Camera

The Blink Indoor Camera, like the rest of the Blink system, is clearly geared toward a new security camera audience that places a lot of value on a strong technical experience and less on external support—not surprising considering that the smart home security camera market is expected to grow at a 15.7 percent year over year until 2027.1

While the camera itself doesn’t break new ground in terms of style, it’s sleek, attractive, and unobtrusive—it’s certainly not an eyesore in our home, which we think is especially important in an indoor camera. And, like other Blink devices, its functionality is similarly sleek and effective. If you want to read more about how this camera fits into that ecosystem, be sure to read our review of Blink cameras.

The camera’s security value depended mostly on its ability to detect motion, deliver live footage to our smartphones, and record alert videos. We started off by setting up alerts that let us know whenever motion set off the camera’s sensors. Ideally, we would check the live footage whenever there’s an alert. That’s where things got a little wonky, though.

By default, the camera can only stream up to five minutes at a time, with a prompt asking us whether we want to continue streaming every 30 seconds. As frustrating as that was, we understand that streaming eats up power, and the camera needs to conserve its battery to reach the projected two-year battery life. Still, we think the prompt every 30 seconds was a bit much.

Video Quality

While the video was set to 720p HD out of the box, we configured it to 1080p HD and we found it clear and sharp—we could identify faces at 30 feet away, though the infrared night vision mode left something to be desired. The recording light, which is lit blue for normal recording and red for night mode, can be turned off, but we left it on. While the camera didn’t have an optical zoom, the four times digital zoom feature gave us all that we needed. The 110-degree field of view was a bit narrow, though, and we were disappointed that once we placed the camera, we couldn’t tilt or pan it remotely.

Motion Detection

The camera couldn’t tell whether the motion in our apartment was caused by people or pets, but we were impressed by the customization options and the fact that the 25-foot range was more than enough for our apartment. We didn’t want motion detected everywhere—for one, we didn’t need it beeping at us when we snuck to the fridge for a midnight snack—but we were able to set up zones for the detector to skip, which worked well and saved our pride. When the motion detector was activated in the areas we did want to be covered, the app immediately alerted us and sent a video. We could even adjust the sensitivity. Best of all, the motion-triggered recording is designed to have almost no lag, so we didn’t miss the action that set it off.

It was easy to save up to 60 seconds of live footage in the app and return to it from the app’s timeline. Since that timeline can get long quickly, we found it helpful that each clip had a thumbnail and an indicator that showed us whether or not we’d already viewed it. Downloading and sharing the clips was just as simple. The clips aren’t the longest on the market, but in most cases, they did the trick.

Storage Options

Unlike previous versions, the current Blink Indoor Camera supports local storage through its Sync Module using a 256 GB USB drive, which we purchased separately. The app automatically downloaded the motion clips and live-action clips we recorded daily. We’re glad to see this option, which is perfect for users like us who don’t want to get sucked into yet another subscription service. But for people who prefer having footage on the cloud, monthly fees remain low.

It’s great that Blink offers both cloud and local options, and that you can have both activated for one camera. With local storage, you can access recordings locally in case there’s no internet connection. Plus, there’s no time-limit. As long as you don’t delete the stored videos and your USB drive doesn’t get corrupted, you’ll have access to locally recorded videos.

Cloud videos, on the other hand, provide backup access. If, for instance, a burglar finds your Sync Module and destroys it along with your USB drive, you’ll still have access to recordings saved on the cloud. There is a small monthly fee to pay, though, but if you opt for the $10 per month plan, you’ll be able to connect unlimited cameras, so it’s a great deal if you have more than a few Blink cameras around your home.

Video Review

Want to see what the Blink Indoor Camera looks like up close and personal? Watch us test it out in our video review.

Blink Home Monitor App

Think of the Blink Home Monitor app as a hub for Blink devices. We adjusted all of our camera’s settings from our phones, where we also had access to HD live streams and motion-triggered recordings. If we decided to buy additional cameras, we could have linked them to the same account, even if they were placed on different properties, which would make it a strong option if we wanted to keep an eye on an older family member’s place or had a second home.

We were impressed by the amount of features and customizations available from just the app, even from far away. After we left for a weekend trip we realized we’d forgotten to turn up the sensitivity on the motion detector, so we did so from our phone (as soon as we found service at our campsite, that is). And since the two-way audio works through the app, when we’d installed it at our front door we could talk to friends and delivery people straight from our phones.

That being said, the app has its share of flaws. From missing notifications to black screens when attempting to livestream, there are times when the app is simply unreliable. No wonder it has a mediocre user rating on Google Play and the App Store.

So, Should You Buy It?

Overall, the Blink Indoor Camera is a solid choice for someone looking for an affordable, high-quality camera. The camera offers enough customization options to work in nearly any home, and its local storage capability means no subscriptions are necessary. While it offers most of the same features as other Ring security cameras (another Amazon company), the Blink Indoor offers local storage without a subscription, while Ring requires a monthly fee to save video. Alexa fans and users who don’t want to fuss with wires or batteries will want to give the new Blink Indoor a try.