Blink Camera Two-Way Audio Not Working

Blink Cameras is Amazon’s brand of internet-enabled home security cameras that are made to work with the Alexa voice-activated digital assistant. What if two-way audio isn’t working?

• Make sure you are holding the push-to-talk button down
• Make sure your app is set up correctly
• Unplug cameras and restart cameras
• Check the speed of the internet connection
• Check for obstacles or obstructions that could affect cameras
• Re-add cameras to the Blink app
• Reinstall the Blink app

There are several reasons that your two-way audio on your Blink Cameras might be malfunctioning. This article will cover some basic troubleshooting methods to fix it.

Blink Camera Two-Way Audio Not Working

Most problems associated with your Blink Camera not working are relatively easy fixes. This article will go from the most likely fix to the last resort fix. 

Blink camera’s two-way audio not working could be due to not holding down the push-to-talk button while trying to use the feature. It’s also possible the app doesn’t have microphone access. 

More than likely, the problem with two-way audio is either not holding down the push-to-talk, app-enabled microphone access, or obstruction blocking your signal to the main unit.

Troubleshooting Blink Camera’s Two-Way Audio Not Working

Make Sure You Are Using Push-to-Talk Button Correctly

The two-way audio feature on the Blink Camera uses a push-to-talk method of broadcasting audio. You have to hold the TALK button down as you broadcast audio.

It works like a walkie-talkie or a family radio. Hold the TALK button down and speak. The audio should be broadcast to the camera you are focused on. 

If not, check and make sure your app is set up correctly. 

Make Sure Your App Is Set Up Correctly

The Blink App needs permission to access the microphone on your mobile device. If the app doesn’t have microphone access, it has nothing to broadcast. Here’s how to set it up:

Give iOS Device Microphone Access

1. Go to the iOS device’s Settings Menu
2. Select Blink from the list of apps
3. Make sure the Microphone option is toggled to the On position

Your Blink app should now be able to access the microphone on your iOS device.

Give Android Device Microphone Access

1. Access your Android device’s Settings Menu
2. Select Blink from the list of apps
3. Select App Permissions
4. Select the Microphone option
5. Select the Allow radial button to give the Blink app access to the microphone

Your Blink app should now be able to access the microphone on your Android device.

Unplug Cameras and Restart Cameras

Another issue could be that something is hung up in the software on the camera side. You are performing a hard reset on the cameras by unplugging the power from the cameras.

Perform a Reset on the Cameras

1. Unplug the power cable from the camera
2. Wait 10 seconds
3. Plug the Cameras back in
4. Test two-way audio to see if it is functional

If you performing a reset on your cameras didn’t work, you may have interference or a bad internet connection. We can test for that as well.

Check the Speed of Your Internet Connection

Blink Cameras claims to need at least a 2 Mbps connection to function optimally. If you have broadband internet, you likely have access to at least a 5-10 Mbps connection.

Test Internet Connection Speed

1. Go to the Speedtest by Ookla website.
2. The site should pick the servers for you, but you can click Change Server if you want to try a different test server.
3. Click the large GO button to start the test
4. Your Download Mbps speed needs at least 2 Mbps for the cameras to operate optimally.

It’s also possible that if the test shows you have a high Ping ms number, you may have latency issues with your internet. Normal Ping numbers should be under 100 ms.

Check for Obstacles or Obstructions that Could Affect Blink Cameras

Another issue could be obstacles or obstructions causing signal interference between the cameras and the router or Sync Module. You want to attempt to check the path between the two units.

Obstacles are typically large construction materials or electronics. Here is a list of items that could cause interference if placed between the camera and the router or Sync Module.

• Thick building materials like concrete, brick, steel, stone, or metals
• Large appliances such as ovens, washing machines, or refrigerators
• Large metal surfaces
• Large electronics such as a TV

It’s also possible that the camera and the router or Sync Module are out of range of each other. If there are too many floors or rooms, the optimum functionality begins to drop. 

Try bringing the two units closer together to test the two-way audio.

Re-add Cameras to the Blink App

If none of these fixes have worked so far, you can delete the cameras from your Blink app and try re-adding them to see if reinitializing them fixes the problem. 

You should perform the camera reset from above after removing the cameras. Then once the cameras are powered back on, re-add the cameras to the Blink app and test the two-way audio.

Reinstall the Blink App

If all else fails, you can try reinstalling the Blink App. There may just be a software bug or a corrupted file that needs to be replaced to get the feature working again.

Just uninstall the app, reinstall it, perform the camera reset above, and test the two-way audio feature again.

Conclusion

If your Blink Cameras Two-Way audio is not functioning properly, there are a few different troubleshooting steps you can take to attempt to solve your audio problems.

Most of the fixes are quick and easy to execute. If none of the troubleshooting fixes worked here, you might have to contact Amazon Support for a replacement camera or assistance.