## Solving Blink Integration Problems with Home Assistant
Integrating your Blink security cameras with Home Assistant opens up a world of powerful automation possibilities. However, due to changes in Blink's authentication methods and Home Assistant's official support, setting it up can sometimes be challenging. This guide will help you troubleshoot and resolve the most common issues you might encounter.
### The State of the Blink Integration
It is crucial to understand that the official Blink integration was removed from Home Assistant's core list of integrations. To connect your Blink system now, you must use a custom integration, which is available through the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS). If you don't have HACS installed, you will need to do that first before you can proceed with adding Blink.
## Common Issues and Their Solutions
Let's break down the most frequent problems and how to get past them.
1. Authentication and 2FA Errors
This is the most common point of failure. You add the integration, enter your Blink username and password, and are met with an authentication error.
- The 2FA PIN Requirement: Blink's API now frequently requires Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). When you attempt to log in via Home Assistant, Blink's system sends a PIN to the email address associated with your Blink account.
- Solution: After you enter your credentials in Home Assistant, keep an eye on your email inbox. You will receive an email with a PIN. You must enter this PIN into the Home Assistant configuration window when prompted to complete the login.
- "Invalid Credentials" Error: If you are certain your password is correct, this can sometimes be caused by repeated failed login attempts.
- Solution: Go to your official Blink app and log out, then log back in to confirm your credentials are correct. Then, try the integration setup again, being careful to enter the 2FA PIN promptly.
2. Cameras Showing as "Unavailable"
Your integration was working perfectly, but now all your Blink entities are marked as "unavailable."
- Re-authentication Needed: The authentication token that Home Assistant uses to talk to Blink's servers has likely expired. This is a security measure.
- Solution 1: Restart Home Assistant. This is the simplest fix and often works. A restart forces the integration to re-establish its connection.
- Solution 2: Reconfigure the Integration. If a restart doesn't help, go to Settings > Devices & Services. Find your Blink integration and click the "Configure" button. This will usually re-trigger the 2FA/PIN process, allowing you to re-authorise the connection without having to remove and re-add the entire setup.
3. No Live Video Stream
You've successfully added your cameras, but you can't see a live video feed in your dashboard.
- This is Expected Behaviour: This is not a bug. To preserve the long battery life of Blink's wireless cameras, the custom integration does not support continuous live streaming directly in the Home Assistant interface.
- Workarounds: You can still get visual information. You can use services within Home Assistant to call the camera to:
blink.trigger_camerato make it record a new clip.blink.snap_pictureto update the thumbnail image. The new image or a link to the clip will then be available as an entity attribute.
4. Slow Updates or Delayed Status
The state of the Blink Sync Module (e.g., "Armed" or "Disarmed") is slow to update in Home Assistant.
- Polling Interval: The Blink integration polls Blink's servers for updates periodically. It doesn't get instant "pushed" updates. There will always be a slight delay.
- Solution: You can often adjust the scan interval. In the Blink integration options, you may be able to set a shorter polling time. However, be aware that setting this too low (e.g., under 30 seconds) can lead to your account being temporarily locked out by Blink for making too many requests. It's a balance between responsiveness and stability.