Why is My Blink Doorbell Slow To Load? (Let’s Fix Now!)

If you’re wondering why is your Blink doorbell slow to load, you need to consider factors such as network connectivity, latency, and live feed video clip quality.

The ‘slow loading’ on a Blink camera in other terms means that the live feed is taking longer to show on your or a family member’s smartphone.

So, this quick guide will help you define what’s slowing down your doorbell and provide you with up-to-date solutions by industry professionals.

How To Fix When Your Blink Doorbell Slow to Load – 6 Ways!

Tip: Try ejecting the doorbell’s batteries for 5–10 seconds after removing it from the wall mount and opening the compartment on the rear panel.

1. Check the Blink Doorbell’s Wi-Fi Status

First, it’s recommended to check whether the doorbell’s Wi-Fi speed is enough for the camera’s live feed to load promptly.

Your Blink doorbell has two types of connection speeds:

• Camera to Wi-Fi speed: Defines the connection quality with the router.
• Camera to Sync Module: Defines the connection quality with the module.

The live feed’s performance and loading speeds are defined by the “Camera to Wi-Fi speed” of your doorbell, so that would be the first thing to check.

• To solve a bad Sync Module connection, try moving the unit closer to the doorbell.
• To solve a bad Wi-Fi connection, try moving the router closer to the Blink doorbell.

Note: If your connection is at one bar, it will almost certainly cause the doorbell’s connection to throttle while loading the live view or other online features. 

2. Improve the Download/Upload Mbps

Another reason why is your Blink doorbell too slow could be due to fluctuating or insufficient downloading/uploading speed.

The upload speed of your network defines how fast the Blink doorbell transfers the live feed’s information to the sync module and the speed at which it loads up on your phone.

2.1 How to Test the Network’s Wi-Fi Speeds?

To know the exact download and upload efficiency of your network, you must use a tool such as the one at speedtest.net.

All you do is enter the website through a device that’s connected to your Wi-Fi and press “GO!” to view the network’s speed values in Mbps (Megabits).

2.2 Tips to Improve the Network Wi-Fi Speed

If your connection speed is below 4 Mbps, but you’ve contracted for more, try some of the following tips:

• Disconnect any devices that you no longer or rarely use.
• Prevent connected devices from downloading/uploading.
• Move the HomeBase closer to the network’s Wi-Fi router.
• Check if nearby wireless devices are causing interference.

Quick Note: The recommended network upload speed for the Blink doorbell is 5–10 Mbps! 

3. Reconfigure the Camera’s Settings

There are several camera settings you can adjust that will improve the live feed’s latency and allow the camera to send larger resources to the Sync Module at a quicker rate.

Tip #1 Reduce the Camera’s Recording Quality

To address the slow loading issue on your Blink doorbell, you must reduce the quality at which your camera records.

So, regardless of how long the clip is, higher quality takes more time to render, and thus, a longer cloud upload.

Here’s how to reduce Blink’s clip quality:

1. Open your Blink app and tap on the faulty camera’s image.
2. Access the camera settings, then open the “Video” section.
3. Scroll down to “Video Quality” and set the feature to “Saver”.
4. Save the changes, exit and test the live view’s performance.

Tip #2 Adjust Blink’s Clip Length Value

Well, the longer your Blink camera’s recorded clips are, the more time it will take until they are uploaded to the cloud.

Hence, there’s a feature within the app that allows the user to regulate the exact motion detection clip’s length from start (motion detected) to end. 

Here’s how to use the Blink app to adjust the clip length:

1. Open the Blink app and access the camera’s settings.
2. Scroll down to the “Clip Length” tile in the configuration.
3. Pick a length for the clips between 5 and 20 seconds.

Tip #3 Change the Activity Zones

Setting the activity zones of your Blink camera helps recognize motion and allows your camera to grant live feed access faster.

If you’re not already using the “Activity Zones” feature, then it’s recommended to enable it to optimize the camera’s live broadcast performance.

Here’s how to adjust Blink’s activity zones:

1. Launch the Blink app and go to the camera’s options.
2. Scroll down to “Activity Zones” and enable the feature.
3. Narrow the motion detection area of the camera to test.

Note: Use 3–4 motion detection squares in “Activity Zones” while testing the camera. 

4. Ensure the Blink App is Up-to-Date

Perhaps, all your camera needs is the most recent version of the Blink mobile app to start working properly again. 

• If you’re on an Android, open the Google Play Store, go to “Profile” → “Installed Apps/Manage” → “Blink” and press the “Update” button.
• If you’re on an iPhone, go to “App Store”, extend your profile’s options, and scroll down to “See pending updates and release notes” to update the Blink app.

Additionally, the live feed problem could be also caused by a viewing device problem, so give your smartphone a restart after the app is updated.

Quick Note: Ensure your smartphone sustains a stable connection to the internet. 

5. Activate Local Storage (Sync Module 2)

If you own the second version of Blink’s Sync Module, then you can activate the local storage function and allow your doorbell to store clips faster.

This by itself boosts the performance of the live feed by rerouting the camera’s uploads directly to the Sync Module.

• To set up the Sync Module’s local storage, go to Blink app → Camera thumbnail → “Sync Module” status bar and tap on “Local Storage”.

As long as the Sync Module is connected and everything is set up, you will be provided with on-screen instructions to follow for a seamless setup. 

Note: Using the local storage means that your doorbell will be dependent on the connection quality with the Sync Module, rather than the Wi-Fi.

6. Reset the Doorbell to Default Settings

Well, if your Blink doorbell is slow to load still, it could be due to an underlying issue with the software.

That’s why the next step is to perform a factory reset to revert all settings to default.

Here’s how to factory reset the Blink doorbell easily:

1. Detach the Blink doorbell from the wall mount.
2. Ensure both batteries are inside the camera.
3. Hold the “RESET” button for 10–15 seconds.
4. Release the button after the red light flashes.
5. Wait 55–60 seconds until the camera resets.

Note: You must resynchronize the camera with the Sync Module after the factory reset is done!