Ring and Blink are two of the big names in home security, and both were bought by Amazon in recent years. Ring video doorbells are among the best for homeowners, and the price of Blink cameras are hard to beat.
Since both Ring and Blink are owned and sold by Amazon, a lot of people wonder if the two security systems work together. Are Blink cameras compatible with Ring?
Do Blink cameras work with Ring? Blink cameras are not compatible and will not work or integrate with Ring. Blink cameras will only work within the Blink system and with the Blink app. They will not work with any other home security system. However, Blink and Ring can be used side-by-side in the same home, but with different apps or through a home automation hub.
Can I add a Ring video doorbell to my Blink system? Blink does not allow any other brands to be integrated into their system. Only Blink cameras and the Blink Sync Module can be used in a Blink System. Ring video doorbells can be integrated with other devices, like the popular voice assistant Alexa and Google Home Assistant.
Just because Ring doesn’t integrate with Blink, and Blink isn’t compatible with Ring, doesn’t mean that you can’t get the two security systems to work together. All it takes is a little extra work.
Depending on what your end goal is, there are three popular options we will explore for getting your Blink cameras to work together with your Ring devices.
The three options are:
- Amazon Alexa Routines
- IFTTT
- Home Assistant
Ring and Blink are both compatible with all three of those options. Once your accounts and devices are linked, you can then begin creating routines, applets, and automations. (Each tool has a different name, but I think automation is the best fit.)
Ring and Blink Integration with Amazon Alexa
As previously mentioned, Ring and Blink are two companies both owned by Amazon. As you would expect, they both support Amazon Alexa and have a skill you can enable on Alexa.
In fact, the only voice assistant that Blink supports is Alexa. Blink does not support Google Home assistant or Apple HomeKit.
Before we get started with how to get Alexa set up for both devices, and into routines. I wanted to point out one thing.
- For integration of Blink and Ring, we will be using Alexa’s routines. Routines have a trigger (something that starts a routine), and an action (something that happens when a trigger occurs).
Ring cameras and Blink cameras both support being triggered by motion detection, but the cameras do not have any “actions”. That means that the cameras can not be enabled as the result of an action using an Alexa routine.
That mean’s there isn’t much you can do with Ring and Blink together using Alexa, but there are two reasons I’m not just skipping Alexa routines.
The first is that Ring has smart lights, which can be turned on or off in the action step. So, if a Blink camera detects motion, it can turn on the Ring lights.
Second, IFTTT provides more options (Arm/Disarm Blink), but it helps to have Alexa set up.
Okay, let’s go over the steps to get Blink and Ring set up with Alexa. If you are familiar with installing Alexa skills, this should be easy for you. You probably don’t need to read the next section, so here are the links for the Blink and Ring skills you will need:
Blink SmartHome Alexa Skill: Click Here
Ring Alexa Skill: Click Here
If you are not familiar with Alexa skills, I’m going to do a brief walk thought, but also, both Blink and Ring have detailed pictures with screenshots on how to get everything installed. Their support can also help you if needed.
Blink Instructions for Alexa Setup: Click Here
Ring Instructions for Alexa Setup: Click Here
How to Set Up Blink Cameras with Amazon Alexa
- Ensure that your Blink cameras are set up in the Blink app, and linked to a Blink system
- Go to the Blink SmartHome Alexa Skill on your Computer, Phone, or Tablet
If you are on a computer, you can use the Blink Alexa Skills link provided above (or click here).
If you are on a phone or a tablet, you can use the link provided or open the Alexa app, go to Skills & Games, and search for Blink - Tap the blue “ENABLE TO USE” button
- Sing into your Blink Account
- Tap the blue “CLOSE” button
- Tap the blue “DISCOVER DEVICES” button
- Wait Until a Blue Checkmark icon is displayed
- Tap the blue “CHOOSE DEVICES” button, or “SET UP DEVICE”
- Add your Blink cameras to a group if desired
- Tap the blue “DONE” button
Your Blink camera is now ready to be used with Alexa. A list of Alexa commands can be found on the skills page.
Here is a video demonstrating the process:
How to Set Up Blink Cameras with Amazon Alexa
- Ensure that your Blink cameras are set up in the Blink app, and linked to a Blink system
- Go to the Blink SmartHome Alexa Skill on your Computer, Phone, or Tablet
If you are on a computer, you can use the Ring Alexa Skills link provided above (or click here).
If you are on a phone or a tablet, you can use the link provided or open the Alexa app, go to Skills & Games, and search for Ring - Tap the blue “ENABLE TO USE” button
- Sing into your Ring Account
- Tap the blue “CLOSE” button
- Tap the blue “DISCOVER DEVICES” button
- Wait Until a Blue Checkmark icon is displayed
- Tap the blue “CHOOSE DEVICES” button, or “SET UP DEVICE”
- Add your Ring devices to a group if desired
- Tap the blue “DONE” button
Your Ring camera is now ready to be used with Alexa. A list of Alexa commands can be found on the skills page.
Here is a video demonstrating the process:
Setting up an Alexa Routine for Blink or Ring
Now that your RIng and Blink Cameras are both integrated with Alexa, you can set up a routine. Routines are Amazon’s name for automations. You can select an action to occur when a certain event (or trigger) happens.
In the case of Blink and Ring cameras, the trigger would be motion detected or not detected. If you have a Ring doorbell, you can also set up triggers for when the doorbell is pressed.
As I mentioned earlier, there are not any actions you can do with the Blink or Ring cameras after a trigger occurs. You can trigger Ring lights to go on. Here is a video that has two examples. One demonstrates a routine that is triggered by motion and has Alexa say something. The second is also triggered by motion but has lights that turn on as well.
Ring and Blink Integration with IFTTT
IFTTT is a third-party tool that helps you link devices and apps across different brands. This article focuses on Alexa, Blink, and Ring, but IFTT supports just about any brand you’ve heard of.
The slogan on their homepage state “Connect your apps and devices in new and remarkable ways.
Make the things you love more powerful.
“
Similar to Alexa Skills, IFTTT has applets that need to be installed. Here are links to the three we are interested in today:
Amazon Alexa Applet: Click Here
Blink Applet: Click Here
Ring Applet: Click Here
IFTTT can be used to take triggers from one system, and start an action (on another system. The links provided above state what actions and triggers are currently available. The technology is constantly changing, but currently what IFTTT adds that Alexa doesn’t is the ability to Arm & Disarm your Blink system as an action based off a trigger.
One potential use is to arm your Blink cameras if any of your Ring cameras detect motion or if your Ring doorbell is pressed.
Here’s an old video demonstrating using a unique Alexa voice command to arm a Blink XT camera. While the video is old, the same concept applies and can be used with Blink’s Indoor and Outdoor cameras.
Ring and Blink Integration with Home Assistant
Home Assistant is the most powerful option available for setting up integrations between different systems. In our case, Blink and Ring.
If you haven’t heard of Home Assistant, it’s basically designed to be a smart home hub. This option requires you to be the most tech-savvy. It will require a little coding to get things set up and customized to your liking.
Automations will also take some coding, but there are plenty of examples available to help you get started.
Here are the links to the Home Assistant integration:
Blink Integration: Click here
Ring Integration: Click here
Home Assistant will also integrate with all the popular voice assistants, and just about any smart product you can think of. Home Assistant has a searchable page located here.
Each integration has a number of “sensors” available for each device (listed below), which can be used to trigger automations.
Ring allows limited access to the code to control the camera without the app (I’m referring to the Ring API). It is even more limited if you do not have a Ring Protect plan. Without the Ring Protect plan, you will not be allowed to download or play any video clips.
Here is the list of sensors I promised:
Ring Sensors in Home Assistant
- Battery (Indicates Ring battery level)
- Last Activity (Indicates time activist last detected)
- Last Ding (Indicates time doorbell was last rung)
- Last Motion (Indicates time motion was last detected)
- Door Volume (
- WiFi Signal (Indicates WiFi signal strength at doorbell)
- Ding (Binary sensor indicating if door bell has been rung)
- Motion (Binary sensor indicating if motion has been detected)
Blink Sensors in Home Assistant
- Temperature (Indicates the temperature read by the temperature sensor in the camera)
- Wifi Signal (Indicates WiFi signal strength at doorbell)
- Battery (Binary sensor indicating if your battery is low)
- Motion (Binary sensor indicating if motion has been detected)
These are just the sensors, which can be used to trigger the automations. Home Assistant can Arm or Disarm your Blink system, download video clips, and be used to view clips.
Here is a video demonstrating Ring integration with Home Assistant
Just like the rest of the technology, Home Assistant is constantly being updated, so if the Blink or Ring APIs change, you can bet that Home Assistant will be updated.