Blink CLI

A command-line interface for controlling Blink cameras using the official Blink API.

Features

• OAuth2 authentication with PKCE flow
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) support via SMS
• Secure password input (hidden as you type)
• Login and credential management
• List networks and cameras
• Arm/disarm networks
• Take camera snapshots and video clips
• List recent video clips
• Download video clips to local files
• Live video streaming (liveview sessions)
• Secure credential storage

Installation

Prerequisites

• Go 1.21 or higher

Build from source

# Clone or navigate to the project directory
cd blink-cli

# Download dependencies
go mod download

# Build the binary
go build -o blink-cli .

# Optional: Install globally
go install

Usage

Authentication

First, authenticate with your Blink account:

./blink-cli login -e your-email@example.com

You will be prompted to enter your password securely (the password won't be visible as you type).

If your account has two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled, you will also be prompted to enter the verification code sent to your phone via SMS.

Credentials are securely stored in .blink_auth.json in the same directory as the binary, with file permissions 0600.

Check authentication status

./blink-cli status

List networks

./blink-cli networks

List cameras

List all cameras:

./blink-cli cameras

List cameras for a specific network:

./blink-cli cameras -n 123456

Arm/Disarm networks

Arm a network:

./blink-cli arm 123456

Disarm a network:

./blink-cli disarm 123456

Take and view snapshots

Request a new snapshot from a camera:

./blink-cli snapshot 159845

View the latest snapshot (downloads and opens in your default image viewer):

./blink-cli view-snapshot 159845

Download the latest snapshot to a file:

./blink-cli download-snapshot 159845 my-snapshot.jpg

Record and download video clips

Request a video clip from a camera:

./blink-cli clip 159845

List recent video clips:

./blink-cli list-media

# Limit to 5 most recent
./blink-cli list-media -l 5

Download a video clip:

./blink-cli download 6978624548 my-clip.mp4

Play the most recent clip (downloads and opens in your default video player):

./blink-cli play

Start a liveview session

Start a live video stream from a camera and open in VLC:

./blink-cli liveview 159845 --open

Or just get the stream URL:

./blink-cli liveview 159845

The command automatically converts Blink's immis:// protocol to standard RTSP format and can open it directly in VLC. The stream will remain active for 90 minutes (5400 seconds).

How it works

This CLI implements the Blink OAuth2 authentication flow with PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange):

1. Authorization Request: Initiates OAuth flow with code challenge
2. Sign In: Submits credentials with CSRF protection
3. Authorization Code: Retrieves authorization code from redirect
4. Token Exchange: Exchanges code for access and refresh tokens using code verifier

The authentication follows the exact flow captured from the official Blink iOS app, ensuring compatibility with Blink's security requirements.

API Endpoints

• OAuth Base: https://api.oauth.blink.com
• API Base: https://rest-prod.immedia-semi.com

Security Features

• PKCE flow for secure OAuth authentication
• CSRF token validation
• Secure credential storage with restricted file permissions
• Hardware ID generation for device identification
• Cookie-based session management

Project Structure

.
├── main.go      # CLI commands and application entry point
├── auth.go      # OAuth authentication implementation
├── client.go    # Blink API client for camera operations
├── config.go    # Configuration and credential storage
├── pkce.go      # PKCE challenge generation
├── password.go  # Secure password input handling
├── go.mod       # Go module dependencies
└── README.md    # This file

Commands Reference

Command	Description	Example
login	Authenticate with Blink account	blink-cli login -e email
status	Check authentication status	blink-cli status
networks	List all networks	blink-cli networks
cameras	List cameras (optionally by network)	blink-cli cameras -n 123
arm	Arm a network	blink-cli arm 123456
disarm	Disarm a network	blink-cli disarm 123456
snapshot	Request camera snapshot	blink-cli snapshot 159845
view-snapshot	View latest snapshot from camera	blink-cli view-snapshot 159845
download-snapshot	Download snapshot to file	blink-cli download-snapshot 159845 snap.jpg
clip	Request video clip from camera	blink-cli clip 159845
list-media	List recent video clips	blink-cli list-media -l 10
download	Download a video clip	blink-cli download 6978624548 clip.mp4
play	Download and play most recent clip	blink-cli play
liveview	Start liveview session	blink-cli liveview 159845
version	Print version information	blink-cli version

Development

The implementation is based on HAR file analysis of the official Blink app's API calls, ensuring:

• Correct OAuth flow sequence
• Proper header values and user agent strings
• Compatible device information
• Correct API endpoint usage

Troubleshooting

Authentication fails

• Verify your email and password are correct
• If you have 2FA enabled, make sure to enter the verification code when prompted
• Ensure you have an active internet connection
• Check that you can receive SMS messages if 2FA is enabled

Command returns "not authenticated"

Run the login command again:

./blink-cli login -e your-email@example.com -p your-password

Token expired

The access token expires after 4 hours (14400 seconds). Re-run the login command to get a fresh token.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Disclaimer

This is an unofficial CLI tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Blink or Amazon. Use at your own risk.