Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: A basic, barebones video doorbell

The Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) may not have some of the advanced features of the best video doorbells, but it offers the basics, plus some nice extras — such as head-to-toe video and person detection — for a good, low price.

The Blink Video doorbell operates on standard AA batteries, which the company says will last for up to two years — much longer than other battery-powered video doorbells. It's a helpful security aid, whether you want to quickly check who is at the door, or need a visual record of who is coming and going while you're out and about. At an ultra-affordable $70, the Blink video doorbell is designed for tight budgets. It offers all the necessary basic features a video doorbell should have, though it’s finicky about drop-in live feeds.

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: Price and availability

The second-gen Blink Video Doorbell went on sale in 2025, and regularly costs $69. You can get it in either black or white, and it comes with three AA batteries, as well as the Blink Sync Module, which you’ll need to connect the doorbell to your Wi-Fi network.

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: Design

The Blink video doorbell is a no-fuss, straightforward smart device, both in aesthetics and functionality. It appears more modern than the now-dated first-generation Nest Hello I've permanently installed out front. Blink sent over the white video doorbell, which contrasts nicely against a banana yellow stucco house exterior, though it's also available in black.

A key part of the Blink video doorbell is the Sync Module Core, which serves as an essential bridge between the doorbell and the Wi-Fi network. This differs from Blink's Sync Module 2 and Sync Module XR, both of which offer additional benefits for cameras in the ecosystem, such as USB and microSD storage for camera feeds. To store any video with the Blink Video Doorbell, you'll need an active subscription, which starts at $3.99/month or $39.99/year.

Alternatively, you can upgrade to the Sync Module XR for $70, which offers local storage via a microSD expansion slot.

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: Installation

Blink's promise that you can set it up in minutes is largely accurate. I installed the app on my mobile device and created an account. Then I placed three lithium AA batteries inside, and the setup process began.

There was no charging required beforehand, which is typically the standard experience with other battery-powered doorbells, such as the Nest Doorbell (Battery), which retails for $180, more than twice the price of the Blink video doorbell. The Blink video doorbell is one of the only models on the market that run on alkaline batteries — though lithium-ion batteries will last you far longer.

Hardwiring a door chime to the Blink video doorbell is entirely optional, though if you decide to do so there’s an added benefit of extended battery life, up to two years if you opt for this route. Otherwise, it's about a year on a fresh pair of AAs.

A virtual door chime feature is available with the Blink Mini and select Alexa devices, but I did not have either installed for testing the video doorbell. I relied on silent push notifications on a Google Pixel 9 Pro, which is how I prefer to receive solicitation of any kind. There are some granular controls available in the Blink mobile app and you can create schedules for arming and disarming the doorbell camera.

The plastic plate that docks the video doorbell is relatively easy to install with just a power drill and two screws. There’s also a wedged mount included in the package for corner doorbell installations. Once the plate is mounted, the video doorbell snaps on and off with a release slot located at the bottom of the device. You can use the included "opening key" or the tip of a flathead screwdriver to pop-off the doorbell for battery replacement.

The Sync Module Core is the final component for installing the Blink video doorbell. It can be mounted or placed on a piece of furniture that is closest in distance to the door. I hide mine behind a vase in the living room.

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: Video quality

Once the doorbell is set up, you’ll see pings pushing through. When someone presses the button or walks past the door, the Blink app sends a notification. You have the option to use two-way talk to chat or broadcast from the doorbell. You can not adjust the sensitivity of motion notifications though you can turn them off entirely.

The video resolution of the Blink video doorbell’s clips is 1440p. It's not as high resolution as the battery-powered Nest Doorbell, for example, which uses HDR to help produce clearer photos in harsh lighting. However, the field of view is wider at 150 degrees compared to the Nest's 145 degrees. You can see more of the area, though it gets a bit muddy toward the back. You can adjust things like custom motion zones, clip length, night vision, and doorbell ringer volume from the app. The Blink video doorbell works only within Amazon's smart home ecosystem and won't pair with your Apple HomeKit or Google Home setup.

Most video doorbells suffer from some latency between when the action happens and when a clip is recorded. I noticed no difference in performance between the affordable Blink video doorbell and my experiences with Google's Nest doorbell lineup, at least not with the button presses. If you want to stream live footage to check on your door, you can peek in at-will using the Blink apps’ Live View feature. What you won’t see is a thumbnail previewing the action, which results in a slight delay between what’s going on and when you log on to the stream. Nest cameras, especially since the Google Home app changeover, offer an immediate live preview.

At the very least, the video doorbell is quite sensitive to movement. Even the slightest movement of a tree in the wind prompts it to take a "sample shot." But unless you are actively paying for a Blink subscription or have a sold-separately external module installed, there is no clip to reference should something happen. Person Detection is not a free feature, either, and it cannot individually identify faces. Additionally, there’s no package detection, which is a feature available on just about every other video doorbell.

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: Subscription

There are two subscription tiers for the Blink video doorbell. The Basic plan offers cloud video storage and Person Detection for one device for $4/month or $40/year. The $120/year Blink Plus plan unlocks the same perks, but for an unlimited number of Blink devices, ideal if you're outfitting other areas of your dwelling within the ecosystem. Each purchase of the Blink video doorbell includes a 30-day trial of the Blink Subscription Plus plan, though you can also purchase it in bulk by paying for a year upfront.

If you don't subscribe to a Blink subscription plan, the video doorbell is severely limited. It’s basically a glorified motion detector with a camera that you can pop into and two-way talk. It’ll still work as a doorbell chime, but any recording of the person pressing the button remains unsaved if there’s no active subscription (or sold separately module) tied to the device.

Blink Video Doorbell (2nd gen) review: Verdict

The Blink video doorbell is a relatively no-frills security solution that offers a reliable drop-in feed for the front door, especially considering its affordable price. However, unless you're paying for an active subscription, the lack of video storage may have you spending more than you bargained for on an accessory like the Sync Module 2 upgrade, which enables local video storage.

Overall, it's still cheaper than Nest and Amazon's other brand, Ring, both of which require an active subscription for storing and downloading video clips. Another closely priced alternative is TP-Link's Tapo D230S1 Smart Battery Video Doorbell, which retails for $100 and features local video storage built into the unit. Among the best video doorbells, the Blink is a solid option, but there are better alternatives, even at this price.