On Tuesday, May 31, Amazon officially confirmed that it would discontinue its smart home camera, the Cloud Cam, and all of the apps connected to it.
The five-year-old smart home camera was first introduced in 2017 and was one of the e-commerce giant's first devices linked to Alexa's home security list. It was launched just before Amazon bought the smart doorbell maker Ring and Blink.
In a recent email sent to Amazon customers, the company said that it will now focus on the improvement and expansion of Ring and Blink, which is why it will no longer need Cloud Cam.
Amazon to Discontinue Cloud Cam
The email sent to Amazon customers states that since the number of Alexa smart home devices is growing, they are "focusing their efforts on Blink, Ring, and other technologies associated with smart homes."
The email then continues to inform Amazon customers that in December, the e-commerce giant will no longer support Cloud Cam or its apps, according to TechCrunch.
Until then, Cloud Cam users will still be able to download and save all of their video recordings. But after the shutdown date, all video recordings in the device's history will be automatically deleted, and the service will no longer work.
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For all customers who are affected by this decision, they won't be left with a useless device. Amazon is offering to replace the Cloud Cam smart camera for free, according to Engadget.
The e-commerce company said that it would provide Cloud Cam users with a Blink Mini and a one-year subscription to its services.
What is a Blink Mini?
The Blink Mini indoor security camera is equipped with a 1080p HD video, night vision, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, motion detection, and two-way audio, compatible with Alexa devices.
The specs of this security camera are similar to Cloud Cam. What makes the two devices different is the subscription plan it needs to function.
Currently, Cloud Cam users can choose from three subscription plans: $6.99, $9.99, and $19.99 monthly service.
The plan depends on the number of cameras that users have and how long they want to store the recorded video clips. They can choose to keep the recordings for a week, two weeks, or even a month.
As for Blink, it comes with a free subscription plan, but it can't store recorded clips. Blink users can upgrade the subscription to either the Basic or Plus plan.
The Basic plan costs $3 a month and offers a 60-day unlimited video history. Meanwhile, the Plus plan costs $10 a month with 60-day unlimited video history, and it allows for more than one camera.
Amazon said that it would send another email weeks before Cloud Cam's shutdown to inform their customers how to claim their complementary Blink Mini device, according to The Verge.
In the meantime, Cloud Cam users can back up their video history in the app's menu. They need to click on each video clip and select the "Download" option to save the clip.
Aside from the apps, users can also delete the video recordings from Amazon's "Manage Your Content and Devices" online hub.
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Written by Sophie Webster
