What does a flashing red light mean on your Blink camera?

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Affordable home security isn’t as hard to find as it used to be, especially with brands like Blink on the market. The Amazon-owned tech company specializes in indoor and outdoor security cameras that won’t break the bank while still offering essential features like motion detection, two-way audio, and strong battery life. Most Blink products also have an LED status light for instant monitoring of device status, and if yours is flashing red, it could mean different things, although the details vary depending on the Blink device model.

If you own the Blink Outdoor 4, you’re supposed to see a strobe red light when you initially set up the camera or switch it to a Wi-Fi network. If the flashing red light persists, Blink recommends removing the batteries for about five seconds and then reinserting them. Blink Video Doorbell owners will see a flashing red light around the doorbell button when the device is ready to connect to Wi-Fi. This also appears to be the case with wired indoor cameras, like the Blink Mini 2+, Mini 2, and Mini.

Owners of Blink Outdoor and Indoor (3rd generation), XT2, and

Blink Outdoor and Indoor (3rd generation), XT2 and XT cameras can also emit a fast red LED when motion is detected. The only other time you will see a flashing red light on your Blink technology is if the battery level is extremely low. This should happen just after the device’s blue recording light stops, and you should see five or six red pulses in succession. You can also configure the Blink app to ping your phone or tablet with a low battery notification when your Blink equipment is running low on power.

Something to keep in mind: Actual Blink camera owners on r/blinkcameras have reported inconsistent low battery warnings. Some users received alerts when battery life was decreasing, while others didn’t know their cameras were dead until they disconnected or stopped responding. To that end, it’s probably best to get into the habit of checking your Blink’s battery level regularly, just in case the software is having a bad day.

As always, your best bet with home security cameras is to keep the firmware and apps up to date. Not only does this ensure that your equipment is operating at peak performance, but it is also one of the only ways to close security gaps that could put your privacy and personal information at risk.