Blink Storage Options

This article describes Blink's selections for storage of your video clips, also known as motion clips. Your storage options depend on the equipment, account type and subscription plan you have.

Storage options for newer cameras

Camera / Device model

Subscription based Cloud Storage

Clip backup on USB

Local Storage on USB

Indoor & Outdoor (3rd Gen) Yes Yes Yes
Video Doorbell Yes Yes Yes
Mini Yes Yes Yes
Wired Floodlight Yes Yes Yes


Storage options for legacy devices and legacy accounts (created on or before April 15, 2020)

Device and account

Cloud Storage

Subscription eligibility

Local Storage on USB

Alerts and Live View (no storage)
Indoor (1st Gen), XT, XT2
7200 seconds free cloud storage per Sync Module*
Plus Plan Not available

Yes

Legacy account 7200 seconds free cloud storage per Sync Module* Plus Plan Only on newer devices:
Mini, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen), Video Doorbell and Wired Floodlight Camera

Yes

*Up to 5 Sync Modules can be added to a legacy account.


Storage options

Subscription based Cloud Storage

Blink Subscription Plans safely store your motion clips and Live View sessions on Blink's cloud servers. Cloud-based clips are viewed in the Blink app. Subscriptions can be applied to all Blink cameras, but newer features are exclusive to newer devices.

Purchase a Blink Subscription at any time, and cancel when you wish. When you cancel, you have the option to end your plan on or before the renewal date. If you cancel, your subscription plan will end immediately and you will be refunded for any unused portion of it. Your clips stay viewable in the Blink app until they are manually deleted, or the clip reaches its auto-deletion time (60 days US or 30 days in the EU/UK). With a Blink Subscription plan, you also have unlimited cloud video recording.

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Caution

For your security, all clip deletions from the cloud are immediate and permanent. Deleted cloud files cannot be recovered.

Clip Backup with USB

Clip Backup is one of the benefits of a Blink Subscription Plan, which allows you to store cloud-based clips to a USB drive. Your cloud-based clips are only viewable in the Blink app.

Your backup clips are automatically saved to the flash drive every 24 hours. Clip Backups can be viewed on the USB drive after it is safely ejected from the Sync Module 2 and inserted into a PC.

For Clip Backup to occur, you need the following:

  • A Sync Module 2-managed system with a USB flash drive plugged into it.
  • An active Blink Subscription Plan or legacy account.

Learn more about how to use Clip Backup.

Local Storage - Sync Module 2 with USB

If you don't have a subscription but want to use Local Storage, you need the following:

  • You have a Sync Module 2 managed system with a USB flash drive plugged into it.
  • You don't have an active Blink Subscription Plan.

Local Storage clips are viewed in the Blink app by tapping Clips . Learn more about using Local Storage with the Sync Module 2.

Legacy device storage

  • Legacy devices include the Indoor (1st Gen), XT, and XT2.
  • Devices released before April 15, 2020 have 7200 seconds of free cloud storage per Sync Module.
    • Up to 5 Sync Modules can be added to a legacy account.

Legacy account storage

  • Accounts that were created on or before April 15, 2020 have 7200 seconds of free cloud storage per Sync Module.
    • Up to 5 Sync Modules can be added to a legacy account.
  • New Blink Mini cameras receive 7200 seconds of free cloud storage. If additional Minis are purchased, the 7200 seconds of free cloud storage are shared between the Mini cameras.

No storage option

Alerts and Live View

Without a Blink Subscription, or existing cloud storage, certain Blink cameras receive Motion Notifications in the Blink app. Simply tap the notification to enter the camera's Live View. No clips are saved, but you have two-way audio and video from the camera through the Blink app.

Live View sessions are never saved to USB, but you can save them to the cloud with a Blink Subscription.


FAQ

How does the subscription plan work?

Blink Subscription Plans allow you to store all motion detection and live view recordings in the cloud. Clips stay viewable until they're manually deleted or automatically when 60 days old (30 days in the EU/UK). Learn more about Blink Subscription Plans.

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Do I get a free trial of the subscription plan?

When you create a new account after April 15, 2020, and set up your Blink Wired Floodlight Camera (US), Video Doorbell, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen), and Mini camera, you automatically begin a free trial of the Blink Plus Plan subscription.

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What does the subscription plan include?

Your subscription plan lets you save motion clips and Live View sessions on our secure servers then access them from the Blink mobile app. Additional camera features and extended warranty (US and Canada) are also provided. Learn more here about our subscription plan offerings and additional benefits.

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What if I don’t want to subscribe to the subscription plan or use Local Storage?

Without a subscription plan or free trial, your Blink system can send motion alerts that connect you to that camera's Live View in the Blink App. Accounts that were created on or before April 15, 2020 can use their existing cloud storage as normal with newer cameras, but some features are only available with a subscription (or trial subscription).

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How does Local Storage work?

The Blink Sync Module 2 can accept a USB flash drive (sized 1GB to 256 GB, sold separately) to store clips from eligible cameras in one of two ways. Eligible cameras are Blink Wired Floodlight Camera (US), Indoor (3rd Gen), Outdoor, Mini, and Video Doorbell.

  • With Subscription - a once-daily backup of eligible clips in cloud storage. Clip backups do not appear in the Blink app.
  • No Subscription - Motion Clips are stored to USB from eligible cameras on the system, and shown in the Blink app.

You must safely eject your USB drive from the Sync Module 2 to view the clips on your computer.

Visit the Blink USB drive purchase page at Amazon.com.

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Are my older cameras compatible with Local Storage?

As stated in the table above, clips from legacy cameras, the XT2, XT, and Indoor (1st Gen), are not stored on your USB drive.

Local Storage (including clip backup) with the Sync Module 2 is compatible with the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera (US), Video Doorbell, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen), and Mini camera.

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