Since Blink was purchased by Amazon, they have become an affordable, smart home security option for consumers. They’re great cameras and they’re dependable without breaking the bank. 

Blink is one of the more popular choices and Amazon knew they were making a good investment when they purchased the company. 

Now, Blink Cameras work seamlessly with Ring products (Amazon’s other smart home security arm) and can be effectively combined for a whole-home security network.

One thing Ring and Blink consumers are often curious about, is whether or not Blink cameras can detect motion through a window. 

Oftentimes, consumers purchase Blink Inside Cams and would prefer not to purchase an outside one, if the inside cam can detect motion through the window.

Will A Blink Camera Detect Motion Through A Window?

There is only one type of Blink camera that can detect motion through a window and that is the Blink Mini. The Blink Mini uses a powerful and energy-intensive form of motion detection called pixel difference analysis. All other types of Blink cameras will not detect motion through a window because they use infrared to achieve this, which a window will completely block. 

If you can do without the need for motion detection, you can use a Blink camera to display live footage through a window, whenever you choose to look through it. Other than the possibility of glare on the window, you should be able to watch live video through your window anytime you want. 

It’s a good way to watch the kids play in the backyard or to record something that’s going on outside. It’s also great if you are at work and want to watch your kids walk home from the school bus or turn it on to watch a delivery scheduled for that day. 

Each and every time, however, you would have to turn it on from the Blink app on your smartphone to watch anything through it. But if you’re not using a Blink Mini, the camera won’t detect your kids walking home from school or the delivery person dropping off a box on your front porch.

Which Blink Camera Is Best To Detect Motion Through A Window?

The Mini Blink camera uses Pixel Difference Analysis to trigger movement sensors. It’s the only camera that will work through a window. However, this is a Mini camera and its range is effectively halved unless the lens of the camera is almost flush with the glass. 

However, according to Blink, “This can only work when the area to be viewed has bright illumination.” Blink also elaborates a little more about pressing the lens up against the window, something that’s often not very practical. 

If you are using the Blink Mini as a security device, it would be better to place it somewhere else. Viewing through a window simply wouldn’t be the most reliable method, especially at night, unless you have a very bright light outside, directly in front of the Blink Mini’s position inside the house. 

Blink suggests that outside viewing is best when using their Blink Outdoor Camera, as it’s the most reliable camera they manufacture for viewing and detecting movement outside.

Related Article: Do Blink Outdoor Cameras Work Inside? (Explained!)

How To Get Your Blink Camera To Better Detect Motion Through A Window?

To get your Blink camera to better detect motion through a window, you would have to own a Blink Mini. It’s the only camera in the Blink lineup that uses Pixel Difference Analysis to trigger motion. That means that someone walking within view of the camera would bring new pixels into the image, triggering the Blink Mini’s motion detection. 

Using a Blink Mini for this purpose is largely impractical, especially if you need to angle it. If you want to use it for this purpose anyway, the camera lens needs to be as close to the window as possible with its indicator lights and Infrared turned off. You will also need to have the camera’s sensitivity turned down to about 6 or it will be triggered probably several times per hour.

The best scenario possible is to literally press the camera lens against the window, effectively creating nothing more than an additional, exterior lens across the camera’s existing lens. 

According to Blink, the exterior (the area on the other side of the window) would also have to be very brightly lit. Another problem with using the Blink Mini for outside use is that it’s designed for interior use, where the wind doesn’t shift objects inside the house. 

If you are using the Blink Mini to view outdoors and you are successfully able to set it up very close to the window pane, it may create a ton of false triggers on a windy or rainy day. It’s certainly not the most practical option and being behind a window pane is effectively going to minimize the range of the camera.

Blink highly suggests purchasing the Blink Outdoor Camera for proper motion detection outside. Their PIR technology is far better at discerning nature’s movements from people’s movements.

Conclusion

If you own a Blink Indoor Camera or a Blink Outdoor Camera, you won’t be able to use it to detect motion through windows. The infrared (PIR) technology in these cameras is incapable of penetrating the glass. 

The Blink Mini will work, however, its capabilities will be severely hampered and it wouldn’t be the most practical option for viewing motion-triggered, outside activity.