The Blink Home Security Camera System is one of the most popular lines of home security cameras. It’s competitively priced and best of all, it’s completely wireless. Unlike most other home security cameras, the Blink camera uses batteries. No power cables. Batteries need to be changed so today we discuss how to replace the batteries in a Blink Home Security Camera. Considering these cameras are battery operated, they definitely provide a lot of high end features.
We have reviewed a lot of the Blink Cameras in the past including the Blink Outdoor.
Battery Basics
Blink provides two lithium AA batteries with each camera. Blink claims that two 2900 mAh AA batteries can last up to a year. That’s varies depending upon usage patterns. Fortunately, Blink provides a battery indicator in their app. Check in every few weeks on the battery life. I remember losing the cameras in a vacation home for an extended period because the batteries ran out. Minimally, we suggest replacing batteries yearly. From personal experience, I find my batteries do not last that long when in a humid environment. I don’t know why, but that’s been my experience.
Be sure to get the right batteries for your Blink camera. The company recommends non-rechargeable AA lithium batteries and you will need two of these. Buy mainstream brands such as the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries. I have used off-brands in an effort to save a few dollars and they did not last as long as these. Avoid AA Lithium Ion or Li-ion batteries as these carry a higher voltage which may cause issues with the camera.
Lithium batteries last longer versus everyday alkaline varieties. While I haven’t tried to use alkaline batteries in a Blink camera, a shorter battery life is likely. While the initial cost of an alkaline battery is lower, I suspect the longer term cost would exceed the more expensive lithium option.
Changing the Batteries in a Blink Camera
Now that we know what type of battery to use, let’s look at how to replace the batteries in a Blink Home Security Camera System. It’s quite easy.
The battery cover is located on the back of the Blink camera. There is a small latch located on the bottom of the camera. Move the latch to the side to allow the rear battery cover to be removed. This exposes the battery compartment where two AA batteries reside.
Insert two new lithium batteries. Upon inserting the batteries, you will notice five LED flashes from the front of the Blink camera. Now, replace the rear cover and you should hear a click when it’s locked in place. If you don’t get those five LED flashes on the front of the camera, there might be an issue with the new batteries. I remember running into this condition and found out the batteries were extremely old as they were sitting in a drawer for quite some time. But if you just purchased the batteries, the front LED should flash as expected.
Batteries are inexpensive so don’t wait until the camera is down to almost nothing until replacing. Keep some on hand for the next time the battery indicator starts getting low. Now that you know how easy it is to put batteries in a Blink camera, there’s no reason not to change them out.