Why Is My Instax Mini 9 Blinking Red? – Complete Fix Guide

Wondering why is my Instax mini 9 blinking red? Keep reading to learn everything!

Instax mini 9 cameras are battery-operated and that’s why they are rechargeable. It is very user-friendly because of the fewer controls and a lot more effectiveness.

Sometimes the Instax mini 9 cam can cause trouble by blinking red light and in this guide, we’ll unwrap this issue!

Typically, the blinking red light on the Instax mini 9 camera means that the device charges the flash properly and is ready to take pictures. There are other causes for the red blinking light, such as Dead Batteries and Blurry Camera Lenses or No Film Cartridges!

Let’s move on to discuss briefly why this red light blinks on the Instax mini cam!

Why Is My Instax Mini 9 Blinking Red?

The camera’s red light is intended to indicate that it is getting ready to take photographs on film, thus it is normal for it to blink when the camera is on.

The red light that always appears when you turn on your Instax mini 9 camera may be indicating a problem so let’s learn more!

When you turn on the camera, a solid red light will appear, charging the flash.

When the flash is fully charged, the red light starts to blink, indicating that it’s ready for a picture!

In case the red light keeps blinking all of the time, this is an indication that something is going wrong with the camera. 

The problem could be related to quite a lot of different possibilities so let’s proceed with the solution guide and solve the problem in a matter of minutes!

How To Fix The Instax Mini 9 Camera Red Light?

If your Instax mini 9 camera is blinking in red light, then there is a chance that it is an indication of any fault, or maybe not.

Therefore, you must follow our guide to learn more about this red light and in case there is a problem, find a solution as soon as possible.

Let’s jump right in!

Solution #1 Wait For Flash Charging

The Instax mini 9 camera includes light indicators next to the viewfinder; they display a red light to let users know when the flash is charging.

It’s possible that you haven’t noticed the red light earlier, and you should know that it’s a normal feature of the Instax mini 9 camera.

When you turn on the camera, the solid red light begins to flash to indicate that the camera is preparing the flash.

Once the flash is charged this solid light turns into a blinking light and it will automatically turn off within 15 seconds.

Note: Approximately the time period of Instax mini flash charging is within 10 seconds!

In case the blinking period of the red light exceeds 20 seconds or more, keep reading…

Solution #2 Clean Camera Lenses

A blurry camera lens also sometimes causes this red light to blink.

That happens because after charging the flash, the next thing the camera does is check whether every component is ready for the picture. 

If the camera detects a Dirty/Blurry Lens, the red blinking will continue indefinitely!

Also, there are some crannies and nooks on this mini cam that get accumulated built-up layers of dirt that also affects its performance.

All you have to do is to clean the camera lens without making any scratches and make sure there are no fingerprints left on the surface.

Use a dry soft cloth and carefully clean the camera lens and also remove the dirt from camera crannies and nooks.

Only then, restart the Instax mini 9 cam and test capturing a picture.

Note: In case the red light continues blinking, proceed with the next solution!

Solution #3 Check Film In Camera

We assume that you’re aware that Instax mini 9 cameras don’t have any card slot for storing pictures because they immediately print the picture using film.

There is a chance that the film in your camera has ended and that’s why Fujifilm Instax mini 9 red lights flashing. 

The solution is to replace the film as soon as possible or maybe the current film is stuck or not loaded properly in the cam.

You need to inspect your cam film to find the actual problem.

Tip: Try to recall how many photos you have taken in the current film to know if it has ended.

Film for an Instax small camera typically stores up to 100 images. If you’re confident that the film hasn’t ended, then perhaps it’s not loading correctly.

In case the film is stuck, carefully remove it from its compartment by opening the door and gently installing the component back inside.

Note: Make sure the Instax mini 9 camera film is replaced before it runs out!

Solution#4 Replace Camera Batteries

Since Instax mini cameras can be recharged, many people assume that they can literally use the stock batteries forever.

However, after a long time of usage, and recharging, the batteries slowly wear out, leading to a permanent blinking red light on your Instax mini 9 camera.

Here is how to replace Instax mini camera batteries:

1. Turn OFF your Instax mini 9 camera.
2. Turn the camera side and tap on the battery compartment door button.
3. Push the button and then slide it down to open the panel.
4. Take out the already inserted batteries from the compartment.
5. Replace the batteries with 2 x fresh AA batteries.
6. Follow up on the correct battery allocation.
7. Close the battery compartment door and turn on your camera.

Your battery charging case will work with any AA batteries so you can again use your Instax mini 9 for a long time.

It’s only important to replace them now, while we still don’t know why exactly the red light keeps blinking indefinitely.

When you’re ready, test capturing.

In case the problem is still there, keep reading!

Solution #5 Factory Reset Instax Mini 9 

Smart devices occasionally suffer glitches, which is normal. Even if you’ve followed the entire guide above the camera might still be experiencing software-related bugs.

The only solution is to perform a Factory Reset, which in most cases, helps with any sort of error or glitch.

All you need to do is to reset your camera to remove this glitch from your device!

Here is how you can reset your Instax mini cam:

1. Switch off your camera by pressing the Power Button.
2. Next, press the battery compartment door button, and slide it down.
3. Press, and hold the camera shutter button for about 10 seconds.
4. After that, close the battery compartment door properly.
5. Switch on your camera by pressing the Power Button again.
6. Now check to see after resetting whether the red light stops blinking.
7. Repeat the reset steps again if the red light is still blinking. 

The reset is almost instant and the red light should disappear as soon as you’re ready with the steps above.

However, in case you’re still experiencing issues, you’ll need some help!

Still Need Support?

If you have tried every method in our guide but your Instax mini camera’s red light is still blinking, there may be a fault within your unit.

So, if you need further help, it is best to contact the Instax Support team of the camera manufacturers.

They will surely help!

Tip: Check your camera's warranty as well; however, if it has ended, you may send your camera in for replacement or repair. 

Quick Recap:

The reason why is my Instax mini 9 blinking red is that there is a problem with the batteries, camera lens, or camera film. We need to clean the camera lens using a soft cloth, and replace the batteries and film cartridge before performing the Factory Reset.

Check out our blog for more Instax mini camera 9 troubleshooting guides!