Amazon is stops its Cloud Cam service and offers for free Blink Mini

Amazon is discontinuing support for its Cloud Cam security camera and replacing it with a free Blink Mini. The move was first reported by MacRumors late last week, and The Verge got a copy of an email issued to clients informing them of the change.

Cloud Cam users will be allowed to use their cameras and download footage until December 2nd, after which all recordings will be destroyed and the gear will stop working. Customers who purchase the Cloud Cam Key Edition will lose the ability to link to smart locks, but they will receive a free fourth-generation Echo to replace it.

Amazon said in its email, which was also posted on Reddit, “As the number of Alexa smart home devices continues to grow, we are focusing efforts on Ring, Blink, and other technologies that make your home smarter and simplify your everyday routines. Therefore, we have decided to no longer continue support for Amazon Cloud Cam and its companion apps.”

“we will continue to offer innovative smart home security solutions for our customers through Amazon’s Ring and Blink brands,” Amazon said in a statement to MacRumors. It also stated that consumers who are “still actively utilising their Cloud Cam “still actively using their Cloud Cam,” will receive Blink Mini cameras for free, but it’s unclear if this is a formal requirement for receiving the free replacement.

Before the December 2nd deadline, Cloud Cam customers will get an email with instructions for redeeming their free Blink Mini and (for Key Edition owners) Echo. The Blink Mini will include a one-year Blink Membership Plus subscription, which costs $10 per month or $100 per year.

Many Blink features, such as instant access to movies and motion-activated recording, need a subscription — either to Plus or the $3 per month single-camera Basic plan. Cloud Cam required a paid membership for advanced capabilities, while it did give some free alternatives on the Blink Mini that required payment.

The Cloud Cam series debuted in 2017 and was phased down in late 2019 when Amazon purchased Blink and Ring, two security camera companies. Amazon is now following a well-established trend of firms bricking smart home products because they don’t want to support its ecosystem any more. Customers will not be entirely without recourse as a result of the change, but they will still be stuck with obsolete gear that they may have purchased just a few years ago.

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