Amazon has recently informed its customers that it will officially discontinue its Cloud Cam and all the apps around it.
The complete shutdown will happen on December 2.
To cushion the blow, Amazon is compensating its users with vouchers and a subscription to the Blink Mini.
Amazon Discontinues Cloud Cam
Amazon stated that they would continue to offer their customers innovative smart home security solutions through Amazon's Ring and Blink, apart from the Cloud Cam.
Amazon said in an email that it will give its more recent security cameras, Blink Mini cameras, to users still actively using their Cloud Cam. However, it is unclear whether or not this is a formal requirement for getting the free replacement.
As reported by The Verge, the company will also provide affected customers with a one-year Blink Subscription Plus Plan worth $100, a service that would typically cost either $10 per month or $100 per year.
Owners of the Cloud Cam and Key Edition will receive instructions via email on how to redeem their free Blink Mini and Echo before the December 2 deadline.
However, after the free terms expire, users need to pay for the subscription on their own. Another disadvantage that can be compared with Cloud Cam and Blink Mini is the need for a subscription.
A subscription is necessary for many of Blink's features, such as instant access to videos and motion-activated recording. This can be for Plus, which costs $5 per month, or for Basic, which costs $3 per month for a single camera.
After the said date, the camera and the apps that accompany Cloud Cam will be removed. The customer's entire video recording history will also be removed, but the customer has until December to download any footage they wish to keep in order to do so.
Furthermore, users who use Cloud Cam Key Edition as a Zigbee hub to connect to compatible locks or manage pin codes in the Amazon Key app will also be discontinued. The company also added the compensation of a free 4th generation Echo device that will function as a Zigbee hub and make it possible to use Alexa to perform remote control actions on connected locks.
Amazon's Focus on Blink Mini
After discontinuing sales of its Cloud Cam in 2020, Amazon quickly followed up with the launch of the Alexa-enabled Blink Mini that same year. According to the company, the Blink Mini provides "an easy-to-use experience for using an indoor security camera" with features including 1080p HD video, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, night vision, motion detection, and two-way audio.
According to Digital Trends, Amazon stated that "With your help over the last five years, Cloud Cam has served as a reliable indoor security camera and a hub for Amazon Key-compatible smart locks that work with Alexa."
Amazon also added, "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."
Before the end of the year, Amazon intends to send instructions on how to claim a free Blink Mini and Echo device to all registered owners of Cloud Cams.
