What Blink's subscription plan covers
Blink offers a paid subscription plan called Blink+ that adds cloud storage and video history to your Blink camera system. Without the subscription, your cameras record video but store it only on your device temporarily — usually for a few hours. Blink+ stores your recorded videos in the cloud so you can watch them later, even if your camera goes offline or is stolen.
The subscription also includes person detection, which flags when a human appears in your video rather than just any motion. This reduces false alerts from pets, wind-blown leaves, or passing cars. You get a searchable video history organized by date and time, and the ability to share video clips with other people through a link.
Blink+ covers all your Blink cameras under one subscription — you do not pay per camera. The plan works with Blink Indoor, Blink Outdoor, Blink Mini, Blink Video Doorbell, and Blink Floodlight cameras.
Key Takeaways
- Blink+ costs $3 per month for one camera system or $10 per month for unlimited systems at the same address.
- The subscription stores your video in Amazon's cloud servers and keeps your recordings for 30 days before they delete automatically.
- Without Blink+, your cameras still record and send alerts, but video is stored only temporarily on your phone or tablet.
- Person detection in Blink+ distinguishes humans from animals and objects, reducing the number of motion alerts you receive.
- You can cancel Blink+ at any time, and your cameras will continue to work but without cloud storage or person detection.
Blink+ pricing and billing
Blink+ costs $3 per month if you have one camera system, or $10 per month for unlimited systems at the same address. A camera system means all cameras connected to a single Blink hub or Blink Sync Module. If you have two separate hubs in different rooms or buildings, that counts as two systems and you would pay the $10 monthly rate.
Blink bills monthly on a recurring basis. You can pause or cancel your subscription at any time through the Blink app without penalty. If you cancel, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period, then stops.
Blink occasionally offers promotional pricing for new subscribers — sometimes a discounted first month or a free trial period. These offers vary and are shown when you first open the subscription option in the app.
What happens without a subscription
Your Blink cameras continue to work without Blink+. They record video, send motion alerts to your phone, and let you watch live video through the app. The difference is storage and detection features.
Without the subscription, video is stored only in your camera's local memory or on your phone temporarily — typically for a few hours. Once that buffer fills, older video is deleted. You cannot build a searchable library of past recordings. Motion alerts trigger on any movement, including animals, leaves, and shadows, which can create alert fatigue if your camera faces a busy area.
Person detection is not available without Blink+, so you cannot filter alerts to show only humans. You also cannot share video clips with other people through a link.
Cloud storage and video retention
Blink+ stores your videos on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon's cloud server network. Your videos are encrypted in transit and at rest, meaning they are scrambled both when traveling to the cloud and while stored there.
Videos are kept for 30 days from the date they were recorded. After 30 days, Blink automatically deletes them. You cannot extend this period or read videos for permanent storage through the app, though you can take screenshots of individual frames.
If you cancel Blink+, your stored videos remain accessible for 30 days after cancellation, then are deleted. This gives you a window to read or screenshot important footage before it is removed.
Person detection and alert filtering
Person detection uses artificial intelligence to identify whether motion in your video is a human. When enabled, your camera still records all motion, but the app labels alerts as "Person detected" or "Motion detected" so you can prioritize which notifications to check.
This feature reduces noise from pets, delivery trucks, or weather. If you have a dog that moves around your yard, you will still get motion alerts, but you can see at a glance which ones include a person and which do not. You can also set up rules in the app to notify you only for person detections, ignoring general motion.
Person detection requires Blink+ and works across all Blink camera models. The accuracy depends on lighting and camera angle — very dark video or extreme angles may produce false negatives, where a person is present but not detected.
Sharing video and managing access
With Blink+, you can create shareable links to individual video clips and send them to other people via email, text, or messaging apps. The person receiving the link can watch the video without needing a Blink account or password. You control how long the link remains active — you can set an expiration date or revoke it at any time.
This is useful for sharing footage with family members, neighbors, or local police if needed. Without Blink+, you cannot generate shareable links, though you can still show video directly from your phone by opening the app in front of someone.
Shared links do not give the other person access to your Blink account, your other cameras, or any settings. They can only view the specific video clip you shared.
Comparing Blink+ to other camera subscriptions
Other camera brands offer similar cloud storage plans. Ring, owned by Amazon like Blink, charges $3 per month for one camera or $10 per month for unlimited cameras — the same pricing as Blink+. Wyze charges $1.99 per month per camera or $9.99 per month for unlimited cameras. Google Nest cameras include cloud storage free for 3 hours of video per day, with paid plans starting at $6 per month for 10 days of history.
The main differences are retention length (how long videos are kept), detection features included, and whether the plan covers one camera or all cameras. Blink+ keeps 30 days of video and includes person detection. Ring Protect Basic keeps 30 days and includes person detection. Wyze Cam Plus keeps 14 days and includes person and vehicle detection. Google Nest's paid plan keeps 10 days and includes person, vehicle, and animal detection.
If you already own Blink cameras, Blink+ is usually the most straightforward option because it integrates directly with your existing system. If you are choosing between brands, compare the retention period, detection types, and whether the subscription covers multiple cameras at your price point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Blink cameras without paying for Blink+?
Yes. Your cameras record video and send motion alerts without the subscription. You lose cloud storage, video history, person detection, and the ability to share clips. Video is stored temporarily on your device only.
What if I cancel Blink+ — do my cameras stop working?
No. Your cameras continue to record and send alerts. You lose cloud storage and person detection, but the cameras themselves keep functioning. Your stored videos remain accessible for 30 days after cancellation, then are deleted.
How long does Blink keep my videos?
Blink+ stores videos for 30 days from the recording date. After 30 days, they are automatically deleted. You cannot extend this period through the app, though you can screenshot individual frames before they expire.
Do I need a separate subscription for each camera?
No. One Blink+ subscription covers all cameras on the same system. If you have multiple systems (different hubs or Sync Modules), you pay the $10 per month unlimited rate instead of $3 per month.
Is my video private on Blink's cloud servers?
Blink encrypts your videos both in transit and while stored on Amazon Web Services. Only you can view your videos unless you create a shareable link. Blink and Amazon do not share your video with third parties without a court order.