Use this guide for setting up your Sync Module 2.
Getting started
New to Blink? If so, welcome! To set up your new camera, you must first download the Blink app and set up a Blink Account.
Install the Blink app and create an account
This article will help you get started with the Blink app and setting up your new Blink account.
The latest version of the Blink app is always available in your app store. Blink supports most smartphones, tablets, and many Alexa-enabled products.
Tap your preferred app store option below to download the latest version of the Blink app.
How to Update your iOS and Android devices
In order to run the latest version of the Blink app, it's important your mobile device meets the minimum system requirements.
How to auto update your mobile devices
The easiest way to keep the app version of your mobile device current is to turn on the Automatic Update option in your device settings:
- Learn more about how to turn on or turn off automatic updates on the Apple's Support page.
- Learn more about how to update all Android apps automatically on Google Play Help.
How to manually update your mobile devices
- iOS devices can also be updated manually, which may be necessary if the auto update hasn't occurred yet. Learn more about manually updating your iOS device.
- Learn more checking and updating your Android app version.
Note
We recommend that you always backup your data prior to updating your mobile device.
- Learn more about backing up iOS devices
- Learn more about backing up Android devices.
Create a Blink account
To get started with the Blink app, follow the instructions below:
With Blink, you have one user account with one email and one phone number. On log in and certain other actions, a verification number is sent to the mobile number or email address of the account.
Note: If you want to share your account with other users, learn more about setting up a second phone or device.
- Launch the Blink App and tap Create Account at the bottom of the screen.
- Select your country from the drop-down menu and tap Next.
- Your region is pre-selected based on your IP address. Confirm your region and tap OK.
- Enter a valid email address, and tap Next.
- Create a password and tap Create Account. The password requirements are listed at the bottom of the screen. Tap the eyeball icon if you want to view what you are typing.
- Complete the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process. Learn more about multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication steps
Verify your email address
Enter the PIN from the email we sent you and tap Verify.
- PIN codes are valid for 40 minutes.
- If you haven't received the code after 90 seconds, tap Resend PIN Code.
Verify your phone number
Tap the phone number entry line to bring up a keypad.
Enter the phone number you wish to use for device verification and tap Next.
Optional: Select your country code by tapping the flag icon next to the phone number entry line.
If you prefer to not use SMS, the PIN code can be read to you by an automated voice call.
To choose this option, under Receive code by: select Voice call and tap Next.
Note
The SMS text option is for use with mobile phones and will not work with landline phone numbers. Blink uses this number to associate your device with the Blink app to ensure the person making changes is you. Your information is private and will not be used for any additional purposes or shared with third parties.
Learn more why we need your phone number. Contact Customer Service if you don't have a phone number.
A SMS text message containing the PIN code is sent to the phone number, and you are shown another PIN entry screen.
Enter the PIN from the SMS text message we sent you and tap Verify.
- PIN codes are valid for 40 minutes.
- If you haven't received the code after 90 seconds, tap Resend PIN Code.
Link your Blink and Amazon accounts
When the phone verification step is complete, you are prompted to link your new Blink account to your Amazon account by tapping Link Accounts. If you don't want to link your account, select Skip to be sent to the Home screen without linking your accounts.
Note: This is an optional step, but we highly recommend linking your accounts at this time. Learn more about the benefits of linking your accounts.
Sign into your existing Amazon account. You will need to know your Amazon login email address and password. Once the link is established between accounts, tap Done.
Adding the Sync Module 2 to your account
After installing the Blink app and creating an account, you must create a system for your cameras. Sync Modules manage one system each and can have up to ten devices attached to them.
If you're interested in having more than one system, learn more about adding multiple systems to your Blink account.
Add your Sync Module 2 to create a new system
Add a Sync Module and create a system
- From the Home screen, tap the + icon to add a device.
- On the Add Device screen, tap Sync Module.
- Scan the QR code on the back of the Sync Module or enter your Sync Module's serial number manually.
Note: The Blink app may ask permission to access the camera on your mobile device in order to scan the QR code. If it asks, select Allow.
- Once the serial number is recognized, you are asked to create a new system. Tap the text entry box and provide a unique name for your system. If you have other existing systems, this name must be different from other system names you may have in your Blink account. Tap Continue after your new system name is entered.
- The Add Sync Module screen will instruct you to plug in your Sync Module and then wait for the light pattern of blinking blue and steady green.
Tap Discover Device when you see this pattern on your Sync Module.
Note: If you don't see the blinking blue light pattern, then you may need to reset the Sync Module. Learn more about how to reset the Sync Module.
- In order to connect to your network, the Blink app uses your mobile device to first connect to the Sync Module's temporary Wi-Fi network. It's named “BLINK-_ _ _ _" where the last 4 digits are from your Sync Module's serial number. Tap Join.
- After joining is successful, you are asked to join your local Wi-Fi network. Enter the Wi-Fi password and tap Join.
- The Add Sync Module screen displays 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks within range. If you do not see your local Wi-Fi network, tap Refresh List at the bottom of the screen. The Sync Module stores network information for devices that are added to its system. Learn more about how to troubleshoot Wi-Fi connections.
- The Add Sync Module screen displays 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks within range. If you do not see your local Wi-Fi network, tap Refresh List at the bottom of the screen. The Sync Module stores network information for devices that are added to its system. Learn more about how to troubleshoot Wi-Fi connections.
- When your Sync Module has been added to your new system, you will receive a completion screen. Tap Done to finish the process. You're now ready to add your new camera.
The new system name displays at the top of your Home screen and you will also see the Sync Module. A cloud icon
with a green connection line shows the Sync Module is successfully communicating with the Blink servers.
Helpful tips
The following articles can guide you to enhance your Blink experience.
How to view Backup Clips
When you connect a USB drive to a Sync Module 2 and have an active Blink Subscription Plan or Trial, Clip Backup* is automatically enabled, saving a daily backup of your Cloud Storage clips to the USB drive once every 24 hours.
*Available for Mini, Mini 2, Outdoor 4, Wired Floodlight, Video Doorbell, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen).
Legacy Blink devices like XT, XT2, and Indoor (1st Gen) do not support Local Storage or Clip Backup. These cameras receive 7,200 seconds of Cloud Storage per Sync Module, with the oldest clips deleted when the limit is reached. Learn more about available storage options.
Verifying Clip Backup Status
Follow the steps below to verify the status of Clip Backups, including whether the most recent backup was successful or failed and which devices were included:
- From the Home Screen, scroll to the bottom of the camera thumbnail list and tap the Sync Module status bar.
- Tap Local Storage.
- Tap Local Backup of Cloud Storage.
Note: Clip Backups cannot be viewed directly from the Blink app. To view Clip Backups, you will need to access them from a computer. For more information, refer to the section below.
Viewing Clip Backups from a Computer
To safely eject your USB drive:
- From the Home Screen, scroll to the bottom of the camera thumbnail list and tap the Sync Module status bar.
- Tap Local Storage.
- Tap Safely Eject.
To access and view Clip Backups from a computer:
- After safely ejecting the USB drive, insert it into your computer.
- Locate the blink_backup folder on the USB drive. Inside this folder, you will find subfolders organized by year and month. For example, 20-09 indicates clips saved in September 2020.
- Double-click any clip in the subfolder to play it. Clips can be viewed using any media player that supports the MP4 format, such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, or VLC media player.
File names are structured in the following format, as shown in this example: 01-20-21-38_Outdoor_1234567.mp4.
This format includes:
- 01 - Day of the month
- 20 - Hour
- 21 - Minutes
- 38 - Seconds
- Outdoor - Camera name
- 1234567 - Unique camera ID
Timestamps are in Universal Time (UTC).
Accessing Clips on your USB Drive from a PC
Use this article to learn how to access the motion clips saved to your USB flash drive.
Types of clips
The Sync Module 2 uses the USB drive in one of two ways:
Local Storage - If you are not subscribing to a Blink Subscription Plan, motion clips are saved to the drive. These clips are known as Local Storage clips.
- These clips can be viewed and deleted from the Blink app as well as through a PC.
Clip Backup - If you are subscribing to a Blink Subscription Plan, motion clips are backed up to the drive every 24 hours from the moment it is plugged in. These clips are known as backup clips.
- These clips cannot be viewed or deleted from the Blink app. Plug the USB drive into a PC to view or delete them.
Warning - If your drive is full
When your USB flash drive has less than 375MB of storage space, Local Storage clips and backup clips are no longer saved.
To free up space, delete clips, reformat your USB drive, or insert a new USB drive into the Sync Module.
Always follow the Safe Eject process in the Blink app before physically removing your USB drive from your Sync Module 2.
Plug the USB flash drive into a PC
Insert your USB drive into a computer and access the flash drive as you normally would. Clips are viewed using any media player that supports the common MP4 format, such as VLC, Windows Media Player, or QuickTime Player.
Folder names on the flash drive
Your clips can be saved in two folders on your USB flash drive named blink and blink_backup.
Local Storage
Local Storage clips are found on the USB drive in the blink folder. The subfolders within this folder correspond to the date when the clips were saved.
Example
blink - This folder contains clips from eligible cameras.
21-05 - This folder indicates a two digit year 21 for 2021, and two-digit month 05 for May.
21-05-02 - This folder indicates a two digit year 21 for 2021, a two-digit month 05 for May, and a two-digit date 02 for the second day of the month.
12-54-30_BlinkMini_001.mp4 - The filename shows: [Hour (in 24-hour format)] - [Minutes] - [Seconds] _ [Camera Name] _ [Clip Number].mp4
Backup Clips
Backup clips are found on the USB drive in the blink_backup folder. The subfolders within this folder correspond to the date when the clips were saved.
Example
blink_backup - This folder contains backup clips from eligible cameras.
20-09 - This folder indicates a two digit year 20 for 2020, and two-digit month 09 for September.
01-20-21-38_Outdoor_1234567.mp4 - The filename shows: [Day of month] - [Hour (in 24-hour format)] - [Minutes] - [Seconds] _ [camera-name] _ [camera UID].mp4
How to set up a Sync Module in an existing system
If you are replacing an existing Sync Module system with a new Sync Module, you must delete the original Sync Module before adding the new one. You will not have to delete or re-add any cameras in the existing Sync Module system. Once you add the new Sync Module to your Blink account, the system is ready to use.
The following steps explain how to first delete your Sync Module.
Delete your Sync Module
- From the home screen, tap the Sync Module icon to display the Sync Module screen.
- On the Sync Module screen, tap the Delete Sync Module button. A popup will appear suggesting you contact Customer Service.
Dismiss the popup by tapping OK.
- To delete a Sync Module, you are required to enter or scan its serial number using the QR code. The number label can be found on the back of the Sync Module. Scan it with your mobile device's camera or enter it manually.
- You will see a final popup asking if you are sure. Tap DELETE.
5. As a final step, unplug the Sync Module to clear any old settings.
The Sync Module is then deleted from your account. An email is also sent to your account confirming the action has been completed.
Note: The system your Sync Module was attached to was not removed, along with any associated cameras or other devices.
Once your older Sync Module is removed, you then have the option to add your new one in that same system.
Add a Sync Module to an existing system
1. From the home screen, tap the Add Device + icon.
2. The Add Device screen displays your device options.
- Blink wireless camera system - A system contains a Sync Module and Blink Outdoor 4, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen), XT2, XT, or 1st Generation Indoor camera. Start here if you have these cameras.
- Blink wireless camera - This option adds a Blink Outdoor 4, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen), XT2, XT, or 1st Generation Indoor camera after you have added a Sync Module.
- Mini camera - The Mini camera does not require a Sync Module as it manages its own system, but a Mini camera will act like other Blink cameras when it is added to a system managed by Sync Module. Your selection opens the QR code scanning screen.|
3. The serial number is also printed as a QR code. To scan a QR code, the Blink app requires permission to access the camera on your mobile device.
Tap OK to permit the Blink app to scan the QR code, automatically entering the serial number. If you prefer, you can deny access to the camera by tapping Don't Allow and enter the serial number manually.
To learn where the QR code and serial number are, tap your product image at the bottom of the Scan QR Code screen.
4. Tap on an existing system that contained your deleted sync module, to add your new one.
5. The Add Sync Module screen will instruct you to plug in your Sync Module and then wait for the light pattern of blinking blue and steady green.
When you see this pattern on your Sync Module, tap Discover Device.
Note: If you don't see the above blinking blue light pattern, then you may need to reset the sync module. Click here for more information.
6. The Blink app needs to connect to the Sync Module's Wi-Fi network. It is named “BLINK-" followed by four digits from the Sync Module Serial Number.
Tap Join, then you are asked to join your local Wi-Fi network.
7. The Add Sync Module screen displays 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks within range. The Sync Module stores network information for devices that are added to its system. If you do not see your local Wi-Fi network, tap Refresh List at the bottom of the screen. You can troubleshoot Wi-Fi connections here.
8. When you tap your Wi-Fi network name, you are presented with a password entry field. Ensure that your password is correct before you enter it. Incorrect password is a common cause of difficulty getting started. Tap Join to continue.
9. When network setup is complete, you are notified on the screen. Tap Done to complete the install process and view the Blink app Welcome screen where you can see your existing cameras.
The system name appears at the top of the Home screen. You are notified that the Sync Module has been added, the 'cloud' icon shows a green connection line indicating that the Sync Module is communicating with the Blink servers.
If you are unable to add your new Sync Module, please contact Customer Support.
If you're having trouble setting up, please contact technical support.