Smart Locks

Automate the lock on your front door

Automate your garage and front door to heighten your home security system. Receive alerts on your phone if the doors are unlocked. No more physical keys! Give your friends and family virtual keys.

How do smart locks work?

Smart locks bring an extra layer of security and convenience to your home. The smart locks that are available in the market come with two key components - motor and actuator. Smart locks depend on authorized devices, such as your smartphone, to send codes to release the lock. In other words, you’ll have to download an app on your smartphone that connects to the front door lock via your home WiFi network. In addition, the app will keep track of every time the door is locked or unlocked. In terms of security, it gives you a peace of mind. For convenience, the apps let you create temporary virtual keys to distribute to friends and family. If you have a voice assistant, you can give it voice commands to open the door. Smart locks are easy to install on your own with step-by-step guidance available in the box or on the app.

Types of smart home locks

Smart locks can be categorized under two main types based on their purpose in your home.

Smart Door Locks

A smart door lock is suitable for the front door of your home. A traditional lock opens when the proper key applies the right amount of pressure on the pins inside the lock. The smart door lock uses motors and actuators. So when you use you click on command on your phone, it sends an electric impulse to the smart lock which locks/unlocks the door.

Smart Garage/Gate Openers

Smart lock features to look out for

Now that you have an idea of where you want to install a smart lock, the next step is to think about the smart features that are important to you.

Control from a smartphone

How often do you run out of the house and forget to lock your door? Or forget to click on the remote to close the garage door? Controlling these locks from your smartphone means you can have it lock your doors every time you forget. Or you can simply open the app and check whether all the doors were locked before you left. The app will let you know if it's unlocked and you can lock the doors. Add your family in as multiple users so they have virtual keys to your home.

Auto unlock with Bluetooth

Set up the smart door lock to unlock when you and your smartphone are nearby. This means the door will unlock automatically as you walk up the driveway. With this feature, you don't need to rummage through your bag to find the keys, nor do you have to open the app on your smartphone.

Schedule virtual keys for friends and family

Investing in a keypad for your smart door lock is beneficial if you have a big family or rent your home online. You can set up multiple virtual keys for your friends, family, service providers, or renters. The codes can be issued for permanent or temporary use. So if you are renting your home for the weekend, set up the code on a timer so that by Monday the code is no longer valid. You don't have to worry about unauthorized access if you forget to delete the code. Set up a code routine for the dogwalker so he/she can access your home during certain times, on certain days.

Activity log of users

Needless to say, like any other smart product, smart locks keep an activity log of the date and time for each user and when they lock/unlock the garage or front door. This is helpful for when you want to check if your kids got home on time, or if the dogwalker already made their visit.

Accessories to maximize the benefits of your smart lock

Smart security locks also come with various extra smart features that contribute towards making your home safer and more efficient. These smart functionalities can be different when it comes to smart locks for your front door, smart garage, and gate openers.

Smart lock for the front door

For smart garage openers

• Control more than one gate/door - If you want to control both the garage door and the front gate, then invest in a garage door hub which allows you to connect more than one door.
• IP camera - The IP camera can come in the ultimate kit for some smart garage door products. It has an integrated motion sensor and night vision. Day or night, receive notifications if the sensor picks up on unexpected movement in your garage and then you can open up your smartphone app to see the live footage.

How do I install a smart lock?

Smart door locks can either be installed over your existing front door lock or replace it entirely. If you select a model that installs over the existing lock, you can still use your old key along with all the new and smart features.

The smart garage opener is essentially a hub that you place indoors, preferably near the garage door motor in order to connect the wires. Before connecting to the motor, configure the hub with the WiFi and the app on your smartphone. The hub connects to the tilt sensor that is attached to the top of the garage door. This setup takes around 20 minutes.

Are smart home locks safe?

Smart locks that are integrated with your automated home system generally use high-grade AES encrypted Z-wave technology. Smart locks that use WiFi technology have the same SSL encryption as banks. So in terms of hacking these systems, you are safe as long as you use complicated passcodes which are not similar to your bank PINs or social media passwords.