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Alexa Troubleshooting

Manually discover devices, disable the Blink SmartHome Alexa skill, and more

Use this article to manually discover devices, disable the Blink SmartHome Alexa skill, and troubleshoot common Alexa issues.

Note: The Blink SmartHome Alexa skill is only available where Blink products are sold.

Before you begin

Before you begin troubleshooting Blink and Alexa, make sure you can answer "yes" to the following questions:

  • Have you installed the latest version of the Blink and Alexa apps? 
  • Is your Alexa-enabled device up-to-date?
  • Have you enabled the Blink SmartHome Alexa skill?
  • Do you have an Alexa account in one of our supported markets?
  • Do you have Amazon Kids mode "on" for your Alexa-enabled devices? 

Alexa does not Discover your devices

If Alexa does not automatically discover your devices when you add the Blink SmartHome Skill, you can manually discover your Blink devices. Watch the video below to learn how or use the following steps to manually discover your Blink devices in the Alexa app.

Manually discovering your Blink devices in the Alexa app


  1. In the Alexa app, tap Devices  in the bottom right-hand corner.
  2. Tap in the upper right-hand corner.
  3. Tap Add Device.
  4. From the list of devices, tap Cameras . Then, tap Blink.
  5. Tap Discover Devices.

If Alexa still doesn't discover your devices, try resetting the Blink SmartHome skill by following the steps in the next section.

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If Alexa fails to manually discover your Blink devices, reset the Blink SmartHome skill by following these steps.

Disabling the Blink SmartHome Alexa Skill

If Alexa fails to manually discover your Blink devices, reset the Blink SmartHome skill by following these steps.

  1. In the Alexa app, tap More in the bottom right-hand corner.
  2. Tap Skills & Games .
  3. Tap Your Skills.
  4. Locate and tap Blink SmartHome.
  5. Tap SETTINGS > DISABLE SKILL.
  6. Once the Blink SmartHome skill is disabled, tap Devices  in the bottom right corner.
  7. Tap Cameras .
  8. Select each of the Blink cameras listed. Tap  in the top right corner.
  9. Tap  to remove the Blink device from Alexa.
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After the Blink SmartHome skill is disabled and all Blink devices are removed, you can re-enable the Blink SmartHome Alexa skill by following the steps below.

Re-enabling the Blink SmartHome Alexa Skill

  1. Open the Blink app and tap Settings .
  2. Tap Account and Privacy.
  3. Tap Link to Alexa.
  4. Tap Open Alexa App.
  5. On the BLINK SMARTHOME screen, tap ENABLE TO USE.
  6. On the Link Account screen, enter the email address and password associated with your Blink account. Then, tap Continue.
  7. Enter the verification code sent to the mobile phone number associated with your Blink account. Then, tap Verify Code. If you do not receive a verification code within 2 minutes, tap Resend Code.
  8. Tap CLOSE. Alexa then begins to discover your Blink devices. If Alexa fails to discover your Blink devices automatically, you can connect your devices manually.
  9. After Alexa discovers your Blink devices, you’ll be asked to create a 4-digit voice code. This code is used to disarm your Blink system. If you do not set up a voice code, you will not be able to use Alexa to disarm your Blink system. Learn more about setting up or changing your Alexa Voice Code. The voice code is also known as a personally identifiable number (PIN).
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Why is Alexa Announcing my device's old name?

If you change the name of your Blink camera or doorbell from the Blink or Alexa app, Alexa might announce the device's previous name. To troubleshoot, try the following:

  • Disable and re-enable the Blink SmartHome Skill as shown above in "Disable the Blink SmartHome Alexa Skill" section.
  • Then, rediscover your Blink devices as shown above in "Manually discovering your Blink devices in the Alexa app" section.

Alexa will continue announcing events even if you have turned on Snooze notifications for your camera or system. To turn off Alexa Motion Announcements, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Alexa app.
  2. Go to Settings > Device Settings.
  3. Select the device you want to stop the announcements for.
  4. Under ANNOUNCEMENTS, turn off Motion Announcements.

If you want Alexa to resume announcing motion notifications, you must turn on Motion Announcements in the Alexa app (Settings > Device Settings > Announcements > turn on Motion Announcements).

Alexa-enabled device won't show Live View

If your Alexa-enabled device won't show a live view from your Blink camera or doorbell, open your Blink app and access live view from your Blink camera. If you can access your Blink device's live view from the Blink app, the problem is not with your Blink device. Try the following tips:

If you can't access live view from the Blink app, contact Blink customer support. If you're experiencing issues with your Alexa-enabled device, see the Alexa Devices Help support page for more troubleshooting tips.

Alexa-enabled device is not showing my Video Doorbell's live view

If live views are not working with Alexa and your Blink Video Doorbell, note the following:

Live View from the Blink app. Access the doorbell's live view from the Blink app. If you are successful, the issue may be your Alexa-enabled device. 

If you can't access live view from the Blink app, contact Blink customer support. If you're experiencing issues with your Alexa-enabled device, see the Alexa Devices Help support page for more troubleshooting tips.

Event Response Mode. If your Blink Video Doorbell is in Event Response mode, live view is only available within 60 seconds of the doorbell being pressed or 60 seconds from when motion is detected. If you've missed the live view, you may have attempted the live view after the 60 second window has passed.

Learn more about Event Response mode.

Common Alexa Error Messages

Here are some common Alexa error messages and suggestions for troubleshooting them.

"Sorry, cameras don't work on this device."

Some Alexa voice commands only work on Alexa-enabled devices that have a screen, such as Echo Shows, Echo Spots, Fire Tablets, and Fire TV devices. If you try to use a command, such as “Alexa, show me [camera name]” on an Alexa-enabled device that does not have a screen, Alexa will respond, "Sorry, cameras don't work on this device." Additionally, camera live views are not available via voice commands from the Alexa mobile app. 

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"Couldn't find a device named [name you requested]."

This occurs when Alexa has not discovered the device you are trying to control.

  1. Open the Alexa app and tap Devices  in the bottom right corner.
  2. Tap Cameras .
  3. Check to ensure all of your Blink devices are listed. 

If all Blink devices are not discovered, try manually discovering your Blink devices. If you continue to experience issues, try resetting the Blink SmartHome Alexa skill.

"Please specify a system." 

This happens if you have multiple Blink systems set up on your Blink account, and you say "Alexa, arm" without saying which system you want to control. Be sure to include the exact system name you want to control. For example, if you have a system named home, say: “Alexa, arm home.”

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"Live view not supported on this device."

If you receive the error message "Live view not supported on this device,” this indicates that you are unable to view a live view within the Alexa mobile app. You can still enjoy live views from your other Alexa-enabled devices, including Echo Shows, Fire TVs, and Fire Tablets.

Delete



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