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Blink Mini Pet Cam Review (2025): Small price, solid peace of mind

John Carter Doe

September 3, 2025

8.4

Good

What's the bottom line?

If you're after a simple, reliable pet cam that won't cost a fortune...

The Blink Mini pretty much nails the basics. You get clear 1080p video, motion alerts you can count on, and two-way audio, all in a tiny, inexpensive package. Honestly, setup is a breeze, the app is simple to figure out, and it plays especially well if you're already in the Alexa world. For just checking in on your cat or using your voice to calm a nervous pup, it's a really easy recommendation. So, what are the trade-offs? Well, it's wired-only and it only talks to Alexa. And here's the thing about storing video clips: you'll either need a Blink subscription or their separate Sync Module 2 with a USB drive. It also skips the fancy AI and treat-tossing, but if you just need trustworthy eyes and ears indoors, this is the affordable pick that doesn't feel cheap.

What's the bottom line?

Where it shines, and where it doesn't

On the plus side, the daytime video is really crisp, the connection is stable, and the two-way talk is clear enough that pets actually respond. That's a big win. You can even add a Pan-Tilt mount (sold separately) to see the whole room, which is super handy if your dog roams. And since it’s powered by a cable, you never have to think about batteries. The downsides are pretty honest for the price. It doesn't have 5 GHz Wi-Fi support, and it won't play with Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Night vision is just standard black-and-white, and it isn't going to tell you if it sees a person versus a pet. The subscription is optional, but believe it or not, it's a big deal—without it, you can't save clips to the cloud. You can get around that with the Blink Sync Module 2 for local storage, but that's extra hardware and it's just not as smooth as using the cloud.

My advice? I'd say go for it if you want a solid, budget-friendly camera just to check in on your pets, and it's a no-brainer if your home already runs on Alexa. I'd probably skip it, though, if you need a camera with built-in pan-and-tilt, color night vision, fancy AI alerts, or support for Google/HomeKit. And if you really want something that can toss treats, this just isn't the one for you.