How to Stop False Notifications on Your Blink Security Camera
Blink security cameras are a popular choice for their ease of use and long battery life. However, a constant barrage of notifications for non-existent threats can be frustrating, causing you to drain your batteries and potentially ignore a real security event.
If you're tired of alerts triggered by swaying branches, passing cars, or changing shadows, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the settings you need to adjust to receive only the notifications that matter.
## Understanding Why Blink Sends False Alerts
Blink cameras use a passive infrared (PIR) sensor to detect motion. This sensor is triggered by changes in heat. While this is great for detecting people and animals and conserving battery life, it can also be fooled by other heat-related changes in the environment.
Common triggers for false notifications include:
- Sun and Shadows: A warm sunbeam moving across a cool floor can trigger the PIR sensor.
- Car Headlights: The heat from headlights sweeping across your property at night is a frequent cause.
- Swaying Trees and Bushes: Sunlight filtering through moving leaves creates shifting patterns of heat.
- Insects and Animals: Spiders building webs in front of the lens or moths attracted to the IR light can trigger alerts.
- High Sensitivity Setting: The camera is simply set to be too sensitive to minor changes in the environment.
## Step-by-Step Guide to Reducing False Notifications
By methodically adjusting the settings in your Blink app, you can dramatically improve the accuracy of your alerts.
### 1. Adjust Motion Sensitivity
This should be your first step. A high sensitivity setting is often the primary culprit.
- Open the Blink app and tap the Settings icon (the sliders) for the camera you want to adjust.
- In the camera settings, find the 'Sensitivity' slider.
- By default, it may be set high (e.g., 7 or 8). Try lowering it to 5.
- Monitor the camera's performance. If you still get false alerts, lower it further. If you miss real events, you can nudge it back up.
### 2. Configure Activity Zones
Activity Zones are a powerful tool for telling your camera which areas to ignore.
- In the camera's settings, tap on 'Activity Zones'.
- You will see your camera's view divided into a grid. By default, all zones are active (blue).
- Tap on the squares that cover areas you want to make inactive. For example, grey out the squares that cover a public pavement, a busy road, or a neighbour's property.
- Be strategic: Also grey out any large bushes or trees that move significantly in the wind.
- Tap 'Done' to save your changes.
### 3. Set the Retrigger Time
The retrigger time is the cool-down period after a motion event ends before the camera will look for a new one. A short retrigger time can lead to multiple notifications for the same ongoing event.
- In the camera's settings, find 'Retrigger Time'.
- If it's set to the minimum (e.g., 10 seconds), you will get frequent alerts.
- Try increasing it to 20 or 30 seconds. This will give you one notification for an event, with a pause before the next one can be triggered, reducing notification spam.
### 4. Manage Infrared (IR) Intensity
For night-time alerts caused by insects or reflections, adjusting the IR illuminator can help.
- In the camera's settings, find the 'Night Vision' section.
- Tap on 'IR Intensity'.
- If it's set to 'High', try changing it to 'Medium' or 'Low'. This reduces the brightness of the infrared light, making it less attractive to insects and less likely to cause glare.
### 5. Optimise Camera Placement
Finally, consider the physical placement of your camera.
- Avoid pointing the camera directly at sources of rising or setting sun.
- Try to minimise the amount of busy, public space in the frame.
- Ensure the camera is mounted securely so it doesn't move in the wind, which can also trigger alerts.
By combining these software adjustments with smart camera placement, you can take control of your Blink notifications and ensure that when you get an alert, it's something worth your attention.