Getting Too Many Motion Alerts from Your Blink Camera?
Blink's Activity Zones are an essential feature for cutting down on unwanted notifications. By creating 'inactive' zones, you can tell your camera to ignore motion in specific parts of its view, such as a busy street or a neighbour's garden. However, if you've carefully set up your zones but are still getting alerts from these inactive areas, it can be very frustrating.
This troubleshooting guide will explain why your Blink activity zones might not be working correctly and show you how to fix the problem for good.
Understanding Blink's Zone System
Blink uses a grid system for its activity zones. When you go to the settings, you'll see a grid overlaid on your camera's live view.
- Active Zones (Blue): These are the areas where motion will be detected.
- Inactive Zones (Grey): These are the areas the camera will ignore. You tap a square to toggle it between active and inactive.
The goal is to make any area where you don't want motion alerts (e.g., public footpaths, roads, swaying trees) grey.
Step 1: Correctly Set and Save Your Zones
A common issue is that the zones aren't saved or synced properly.
- Open the Blink App: Tap the settings icon for the camera you want to configure.
- Navigate to Motion Settings: Go to 'Motion Settings' and then tap on 'Activity Zones'.
- Set Your Inactive Zones: Tap on the squares you wish to deactivate. They should turn from blue to grey. Be thorough – block out any area that could cause a false alert.
- Tap 'Done' or 'Save': It is crucial to save your configuration.
- Force a Sync: Go back to the app's home screen. Pull down from the top of the screen until you see a sync indicator. This forces the app to send the new settings to your Sync Module and camera.
Step 2: Adjust Motion Sensitivity
Activity zones and sensitivity are linked. If your motion sensitivity is set too high, the camera might still pick up significant motion events (like car headlights sweeping across a wall) even if the source is in an inactive zone.
- In the Motion Settings, find the 'Sensitivity' slider.
- If you are getting false alerts, reduce the sensitivity from, for example, 7 down to 6 or 5.
- This makes the camera less reactive and helps it adhere more strictly to your set zones.
Step 3: Power Cycle Your System
If the settings seem correct but are being ignored, a classic IT solution often works: turn it off and on again.
- Power Cycle the Camera: Open the back of your Blink camera and remove the batteries. Wait for a full 60 seconds to allow the internal components to fully discharge. Then, re-insert the batteries. This forces the camera to reboot and reconnect to the Sync Module, pulling down the latest zone settings.
- Power Cycle the Sync Module: Unplug your Sync Module from the power outlet. Wait 60 seconds, then plug it back in. Wait for it to show a solid blue and green light before testing the camera again.
Step 4: Check for 'Early Notification' Setting
On some Blink camera models, there is a setting for 'Early Notification'. If this is enabled, you might get an alert the instant motion starts, potentially before the camera has had time to process whether the motion is in an active or inactive zone.
- Check your camera's settings to see if this option is available.
- If it is enabled and you're having zone issues, try disabling it. This gives the camera a fraction of a second longer to apply your zone rules before sending an alert.
By ensuring your zones are saved correctly, balancing the sensitivity, and occasionally power cycling your equipment, you can make your Blink activity zones work effectively and finally stop the flood of unwanted notifications.