Blink Sync Module 2: Do You Need It, Setup and Local Storage

The Blink Sync Module 2 is the small hub that connects Blink battery cameras to your Wi-Fi and saves their motion clips to a USB drive. Battery cameras and the battery doorbell need a Sync Module to work, but every new kit already comes with one (the Sync Module Core). You only need to buy a Sync Module 2 if you want to record clips without a subscription, because the Core doesn’t support local storage.

This guide explains what the Sync Module 2 does, which Blink devices need it, how the setup works, how local storage works and what to do when the module goes offline.

The Short Answer

• What it is: a hub that plugs into an outlet and handles up to ten Blink cameras and doorbells on one system.
• Do you need it: battery cameras like the Outdoor 2K+ need a Sync Module, but the Core in the box is enough unless you want local storage. Plug-in cameras like the Mini 2K+ don’t need one at all.
• Local storage: plug a USB drive (1 GB to 256 GB) into the Sync Module 2 and it saves your motion clips for free. You watch them in the Blink app.
• Setup: it’s done in the Blink app: tap +, choose Sync Module, scan the code on the back and connect it to your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
• Offline: a solid blue light with a blinking green one means the module lost Wi-Fi. Restarting the router and the module fixes it in most cases.

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What the Blink Sync Module Does

Blink’s battery cameras spend most of their time asleep to save battery. The Sync Module stays plugged in, wakes the cameras over a low-power radio when needed and connects them to your Wi-Fi, so the video can reach the app.

The Sync Module 2 adds one thing to that job: a USB port. Plug in a USB drive and it becomes a small video recorder for every eligible camera on the system. It plugs into an outlet with a Micro USB cable, connects to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and handles up to ten Blink devices.

There are three Sync Modules you can buy or get today:

Sync Module	How you get it	Local storage	Extended Range	Price
Sync Module Core	Included with new kits	No	No	Not sold separately
Sync Module 2	Sold separately	USB drive, up to 256 GB	No	~$50
Sync Module XR+	Sold separately	microSD card, up to 256 GB	Yes (Outdoor 4 only)	~$100

If you’re still choosing cameras, our guide to the best Blink cameras explains every current model.

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Do You Need a Blink Sync Module?

It depends on the camera. According to Blink’s requirements page, these devices need a Sync Module:

• Blink Outdoor 2K+ and Outdoor 4 (and the Outdoor Floodlight Mount)
• Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ and Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)
• Older Blink Indoor, Outdoor, XT and XT2 cameras

These devices work without one:

• Blink Mini, Mini 2 and Mini 2K+
• Blink Wired Floodlight Camera and Wired Doorbell 2K+
• Blink Video Doorbell (1st Gen)

You can still add the devices from the second list to a Sync Module system, and that’s how they record locally: the USB drive is in the Sync Module, so a Mini 2K+ on its own can’t use it. The first Blink Video Doorbell is a special case. With no Sync Module and no doorbell wiring, it runs in Event Response mode, which means you can only open Live View within 60 seconds of an alert, and you can’t use schedules or privacy zones.

So when do you need to buy a Sync Module 2? In three situations:

• You want to save clips without paying for a Blink plan. The Core in your kit can’t do it.
• You have plug-in cameras and want them to record locally too.
• Your old Sync Module broke or got lost.

If you’re happy with a subscription, the Core is enough. Our guide to Blink subscriptions explains what each plan costs and what works without one.

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Blink Sync Module 2 Setup

Before you start, install the Blink app and create an account (or sign in). Have your Wi-Fi password ready, and make sure your network has a 2.4 GHz band, because Blink doesn’t use 5 GHz.

Then follow Blink’s steps:

1. Plug in the Sync Module 2.
2. In the Blink app, tap + in the upper-right corner of the Home Screen and choose Sync Module.
3. Scan the QR code on the back of the module, or tap Enter Serial Manually.
4. Choose a system, or create a new one with a name (for example, “Home”), and tap Continue.
5. Wait for a blinking blue light and a solid green light on the module, then tap Discover Device.
6. Tap Join (or Connect) to connect to the module’s temporary network (BLINK plus the last four digits of the serial number).
7. Choose your home Wi-Fi, enter the password and tap Join. If your network isn’t in the list, tap Refresh List.
8. Tap Done when the confirmation appears. The module may install a firmware update first.

Where you put it matters. Blink recommends a spot 3 to 10 feet from your router, not on top of it, behind a TV, inside a closed cabinet or in a basement. Cameras should be within about 100 feet of the module. After that, add each camera with the same + button and choose the Sync Module’s system.

Replacing the Sync Module Core

If you already have a Blink system with a Core, you don’t need to set up your cameras again. Add the Sync Module 2 with the same steps, and in step 4 choose the system your Core is on. The app tells you that all cameras in that system will move to the new Sync Module: tap Yes. Blink says this needs version 38.0 or later of the app. After that, you can unplug the Core.

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How Sync Module 2 Local Storage Works

You need a Type-A USB drive between 1 GB and 256 GB. Blink sells its own 64 GB drive, but another Type-A flash drive in that range works too. Insert it in the port on the Sync Module 2, and the app sends a notification when it’s connected. If the drive isn’t in the exFAT format, the app asks you to reformat it, which erases everything on it.

Local storage starts by itself when you don’t have a Blink plan. To check it, scroll to the bottom of the camera list on the Home Screen, tap the Sync Module status bar and then Local Storage. It should say “USB Drive Connected” and show how much free space you have.

Here’s what to expect:

• Watching clips: motion clips appear in the app’s clip list like cloud clips. The app shows the first 1,000 clips from the last 30 days.
• Older clips: to see everything, remove the drive and open it on a computer. The clips are MP4 files in a folder called “blink”, sorted by year and month.
• When the drive is full: with less than 375 MB free, the module stops saving new clips until you delete some. You can delete them on a computer, or in the app’s Local Storage view with Edit and Delete All.
• Removing the drive: tap Safely Eject USB Drive in the Local Storage screen first, then pull it out.

With a Blink plan or the free trial, the drive works differently: your clips go to the cloud, and the module saves a backup of them to the drive once a day (in a “blink_backup” folder you can only open on a computer). Blink’s local storage guide has the full details.

However, local storage doesn’t give you everything a plan does. It doesn’t record Live View sessions, and you won’t get person or vehicle detection. The old XT, XT2 and Indoor (1st Gen) cameras also can’t use it. If you want a camera that records on its own without any hub, see our guide to the best security cameras without a subscription.

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Blink Sync Module Offline: What the Lights Mean

When your cameras say the Sync Module is offline, start with the lights on the front:

• Solid blue and solid green: online and working.
• Solid blue and blinking green: the Blink Sync Module is offline and trying to reconnect to your Wi-Fi.
• Solid red: it can’t connect to your network, or the Wi-Fi password is wrong.
• Blinking blue and solid green: setup mode, ready to be added in the app.
• No lights: it isn’t getting power.

To bring it back online, follow Blink’s order:

1. Unplug your router for 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait about two minutes.
2. Unplug the Sync Module for 10 seconds and plug it back in.
3. If you changed your Wi-Fi password, open the Sync Module in the app and use Change Wi-Fi Network to enter the new one.
4. If you use mesh pods or Wi-Fi extenders, unplug them for a moment so the module connects to the main router.
5. As a last resort, hold the reset button on the back until the light turns solid red, then set the module up again.

If the module is online but a camera isn’t, the problem is usually the camera’s signal or batteries. Our Blink camera not working guide covers those fixes step by step.

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What to Buy

If you want local storage, you only need two things: a Sync Module 2 and a USB drive. The XR+ is the alternative for large properties.

Blink Sync Module 2 — Best for Local Storage

The add-on Sync Module 2 handles up to ten Blink devices and saves their motion clips to a USB drive (not included). It works with every current Blink camera and doorbell, so you can use it instead of the Core that came with your kit.

Best for: anyone who wants to save Blink clips without a monthly fee.

Price: ~$50

Blink USB Flash Drive — Best Drive for the Sync Module 2

Blink’s own 64 GB USB drive is made for the Sync Module 2, so you don’t have to check the size or format of a drive you already own. It doesn’t fit the microSD slot of the XR+.

Best for: a drive that works with the Sync Module 2 right away.

Price: ~$15

Blink Sync Module XR+ — Best for Long Range

The XR+ saves clips to a microSD card instead of a USB drive, and it adds Extended Range for Blink Outdoor 4 cameras, which lets them work much farther from your house (in the US and Canada). It costs twice as much as the Sync Module 2, so it only makes sense if you have an Outdoor 4 at a barn, a gate or the end of a long driveway.

Best for: Outdoor 4 cameras far from your Wi-Fi.

Price: ~$100

If you’re still choosing between brands, our Ring vs Blink comparison explains how the two systems differ.

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The Bottom Line

You need a Blink Sync Module for battery cameras, but the Core in the box already covers that. The Blink Sync Module 2 is worth $50 when you want to save clips without a subscription: add a USB drive, connect your cameras to its system, and your motion clips stay at home. Setup is done in the Blink app, and when the module goes offline, the lights tell you where to start.