I think Siri can control a HomeKit device outside of the house as long as the device is connected to your home network. At least that's what I've read.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Stops Selling iPhone-Connected Smart Locks from August and Kevo
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I think Siri can control a HomeKit device outside of the house as long as the device is connected to your home network. At least that's what I've read.
Yes, you can use the same Siri commands outside the home assuming you have a 3rd Gen or later Apple TV.
So with the Ecobee 3, assuming you have an Apple TV 3/4, you can ask Siri things like:
"What is the temperature in my house?"
"List Bedroom temperature" (Assuming you have an Ecobee3 in your Bedroom with the Bedroom label
"List <sensor name" temperature".
All these work inside your home, but with the Apple TV 3/4, they SHOULD also work outside your home.
For the lock, you can ask siri:
"Is my Front Door Locked?"
"Lock my Front Door"
"Unlock my Front Door"
And she'll comply, again, assuming she's in a good mood and can reach your home, which isn't often the case.
I would say out of all the locks I've researched, the Schlage is probably the most impressive / secure / dummy proof. That may not be saying much as smart locks are still relatively new and I'm sure in 3-5 years from now, we'll all be laughing at how immature these products are.
However, the Schlage can be unlocked via 4 methods, Using the App on your iPhone, using Siri, Using the keypad on the deadbolt itself or using the actual key that comes with it (regular key, you can make duplicates at the hardware store).
If the battery dies (they're supposed to last one year), the first three methods won't work, but the key will always work, like a traditional deadbolt.
I also like that it doesn't have proximity unlock, because I don't trust these devices to be able to figure out if the iPhone that's in proximity is INSIDE the House or OUTSIDE. What if it's inside the house near the door and the house is locked? Anyone can unlock the door by just trying the handle? I don't know.. Anyway, Schlage isn't like this which was a bonus for me. And seeing as the Schlage isn't a true IoT device, the chances of getting it hacked are practically none since it doesn't communicate with the outside world like something like the Ecobee3, Nest products, etc.
Finally, everything inside the house is working beautifully for me, so I know it's really the connection to the outside via the Apple TV / iCloud / Network and a lot of other unknowns and uncontrollable aspects.
Forgot to mention, the Ecobee 3 connects to a central server outside your home, which is why you can access it via the App anywhere
Ecobee 3 -> Central Server <- iPhone App
With the Lock, that doesn't exist. So it's like this:
Inside the home:
Schlage Sense -> iPhone / Siri via Bluetooth
Outside the home:
Schlage Sense -> Apple TV via BT -> iCloud <- iPhone App / Siri
As an option, that'd be cool, but alternatives are a must. In -40 degree Canadian Winters, my iPhone is buried in my coat pocket and I have mitts on.
This move reminds me of how Amazon removed Apple TVs and Google Chromecast devices from their website to help reduce "customer confusion", except that Apple has a legitimate reason to do it.
Nope. Carrying a bunch of packages and having to put them down to reach into my pocket for a key was one motivation for getting the Schlage. Pulling out my iPhone is not much better than pulling out my key.
The true meaning of the hugely over-used word, "Smart", in today's parlance : ... "Dumb"
If you allow the security of your most sacred, private things and loved ones to be entrusted to a MECHANICAL device which can be bypassed with SOFTWARE, which is constantly being compromised and hacked, merely for your "convenience", and VERY often "convenience" translates to "laziness", then there's NOTHING "smart" about doing that; YOU'RE A BLITHERING IDIOT, AND A HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE ONE AT THAT
A lock is not meant to be "cool" or "smart", it's a THING which is just there, invisible, and protecting you. If you're showing off to people about how "smart" your home is, this just shows how FOOLISH you are.
Wake up, STUPID world.
If you allow the security of your most sacred, private things and loved ones to be entrusted to a MECHANICAL device which can be bypassed with SOFTWARE, which is constantly being compromised and hacked, merely for your "convenience", and VERY often "convenience" translates to "laziness", then there's NOTHING "smart" about doing that; YOU'RE A BLITHERING IDIOT, AND A HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE ONE AT THAT
A lock is not meant to be "cool" or "smart", it's a THING which is just there, invisible, and protecting you. If you're showing off to people about how "smart" your home is, this just shows how FOOLISH you are.
Wake up, STUPID world.
Good point, I misread the article, I thought they pulled the App from the app store also. After rereading, apparently not. Thanks for pointing this out.
True, the wireless unlocking functionality is very convenient, but that's only when it works. As many users here have commented, the reliability of these types of locks isn't consistently high. Maybe for you it is, which is great.
Adding NFC powered and Touch-ID authenticated unlocking functionality to locks like this could be a compelling feature (assuming Apple allowed it). Fingerprint authentication adds a layer of security that is not present with wireless locks. Correct me if I'm wrong, but locks like the Schlage simply unlock when you walk within range? This means if someone gets a hold of your phone, they automatically gain access to your home. This may be unlikely and I assume this feature can be disabled in such a scenario, but is that a risk people are willing to take with their families/homes? For me, it's not.
I contend that pulling out an iPhone would be much more convenient than pulling out a key, in the same way that I find Apple Pay to be much more convenient than pulling out a credit card. Using a mechanical key requires pulling out your keychain, selecting the right key, precisely aligning it with the lock, and inserting/rotating it. An Apple Pay style lock would only require pulling out your phone with your thumb on the fingerprint sensor and holding it up to the lock. That's four steps cut down to two. Additionally this could be done in the dark, as little precision is required, unlike mechanical keys. Personally, I would find this highly convenient.
Of course the convenience factor would go up with an Apple Watch - nothing needs to be pulled out of your pocket, the device is authenticated to you, and I imagine it would be more reliable/robust than bluetooth/wifi locks. In my mind that is the most optimum user experience, all things considered. Just my humble opinion
True, the wireless unlocking functionality is very convenient, but that's only when it works. As many users here have commented, the reliability of these types of locks isn't consistently high. Maybe for you it is, which is great.
Adding NFC powered and Touch-ID authenticated unlocking functionality to locks like this could be a compelling feature (assuming Apple allowed it). Fingerprint authentication adds a layer of security that is not present with wireless locks. Correct me if I'm wrong, but locks like the Schlage simply unlock when you walk within range? This means if someone gets a hold of your phone, they automatically gain access to your home. This may be unlikely and I assume this feature can be disabled in such a scenario, but is that a risk people are willing to take with their families/homes? For me, it's not.
I contend that pulling out an iPhone would be much more convenient than pulling out a key, in the same way that I find Apple Pay to be much more convenient than pulling out a credit card. Using a mechanical key requires pulling out your keychain, selecting the right key, precisely aligning it with the lock, and inserting/rotating it. An Apple Pay style lock would only require pulling out your phone with your thumb on the fingerprint sensor and holding it up to the lock. That's four steps cut down to two. Additionally this could be done in the dark, as little precision is required, unlike mechanical keys. Personally, I would find this highly convenient.
Of course the convenience factor would go up with an Apple Watch - nothing needs to be pulled out of your pocket, the device is authenticated to you, and I imagine it would be more reliable/robust than bluetooth/wifi locks. In my mind that is the most optimum user experience, all things considered. Just my humble opinion
While some locks do unlock just by being in the vicinity or by simply touching the lock, the Schlage does neither. With the Schlage Sense, you can open the app on the iPhone and click the screen, use siri to request a lock/unlock, using the name of the lock that you have assigned, or directly enter a code using the touch screen on the lock.
I do like the idea of NFC and Touch-ID, but I have no idea if Apple would allow this for an entity outside the phone other than Apple Pay.
And yes, pulling out the iPhone would be a bit easier than pulling out the key.
What I like about the Schlage is the ability to use Siri. I can request of Siri, using my apple watch or iPhone to unlock the door as I arrive home. The problem is the remote activation with Siri via the AppleTV 4 (I think home kit is also supposed to work with atv3, but I'm not sure) has not been very reliable. You can't use the iPhone Schlage app remotely, only within direct Bluetooth range. Which means you can't assign codes to people remotely.
But at least if the remote home kit was reliable, via Apple TV, it would be OK. And the other day, all communication with the lock failed, even inside my home.
I must admit, Schlage customer support is very good. They replaced the first lock. So far, the communication seems to be better, but I'll have to wait for more remote testing to determine if there really is an improvement.
There is also the Schlage Connect locks. Very similar in appearance to the Schlage Sense, the Connect uses open source z wave to communicate with a hub that you would purchase separately that then connects directly to the Internet. This is apparently very reliable. But you give up voice commands as you have with Siri and the Sense lock.
I just think that the remote home kit bluetooth combination isn't yet ready for prime time. Just too unreliable for now and it depends upon the Apple iCloud functioning perfectly. And that may not be realistic yet.
Of course they do. I control my home air/heating central unit, via the Internet, using a Honeywell app on my iPhone. It just doesn't use any Apple protocols. The thermostat communicates wirelessly with a hub that connects to the Internet to a central server. Works flawlessly.
Wow. That is quite a tirade. And really off the mark. Almost all locks can be quite easily picked, especially by a serious and experienced thief. Locksmiths come out all the time to open a door when you lose your key. Many police departments offer the same service.
Thieves can simply break a window to get inside your place, or just break the door with a strong push if the molding holding the extended bolt is weak.
You might want to read this:
http://lifehacker.com/5961197/how-difficult-is-it-to-pick-a-deadbolt-lock
I assume that given how concerned you are that you have a Medeco lock. If not, then your tirade is particularly ridiculous.
Interesting, thanks for the info. Sounds like Schlage makes some great products. Siri integration especially sounds awesome.
Just returned my 2nd Schlage Sense. Remote access via siri and apple tv 4 is useless. If I'm lucky, it will work about 10% of the time. And you can't enter/change codes remotely. Schlage tells me they are getting loads of complaints about the remote access failure, and Schlage was been in contact with Apple. Maybe this is why apple removed the Schlage Sense from their web site.
If you only want local control (in your home) then this lock is great. Otherwise, I can't recommend it. I'll install the Schlage Connect which uses z-wave and allows complete remote access. No siri, but siri doesn't work remotely with the Sense anyway.
If you only want local control (in your home) then this lock is great. Otherwise, I can't recommend it. I'll install the Schlage Connect which uses z-wave and allows complete remote access. No siri, but siri doesn't work remotely with the Sense anyway.
That proximity unlock thing would be fairly useless for me anyway. My house is shaped kinda like an "H" with the front door in the middle part, garage on the left and living room on the right (both stick out about 15'-18' "in front" of the front door and have windows facing the front door area). So there are times I'm technically behind the front door, yet in front of it at the same time
But anything with bluetooth is going to be fighting a steep uphill battle against a lot of interference. There is just so much going on in the 2.4Ghz band that bluetooth has no business being used for any kind of serious (i.e. reliable, robust, useable) home automation. It's laughable to me for anyone to even suggest it being used for that and a cruel joke by device makers.
Wifi uses too much battery power. It's got to be wired for me. Replacing batteries "in my door lock" or "I'm locked out because my batteries in my door lock died" just sounds way too ludicrous. The point of such a device is so I can skip bringing that key. If I always have to bring the key just-in-case, might as well use it. To argue otherwise is also an argument against the primary purpose of Apple Pay.
Last edited:
I just installed the Schlage Connect. It uses z wave technology which is low power. You have to purchase a z wave hub and there are lots of them. Full remote access to the lock and a great history of reliability. Can't control it with Siri, but then Siri didn't work remotely with the Schlage Sense, so nothing lost there. The battery reserve is shown on the iPhone app, at least on the one I'm using, so it's unlikely you wouldn't have enough warning before they drain and it looks like they should last a long time.
Wiring a door for power sounds formidable and not something I would want to do from a practical or aesthetic point of view.
Wiring anything is quite easy and straight forward. Besides, you only have to do it once.
From now until eternity, you'll be changing batteries in an increasing number of things at the current looks of it.
I thought heavily about z-wave devices in the past when I was thinking about replacing my canbus-based home-made smart home device controllers. I just couldn't find end devices to replace everything I already have. Some of the ones I did find a usable substitute, I built the canbus equivalent as a one-off for less than the price of the mass produced z wave one.
Last edited:
I really have no desire to bring electrical wires to my door. And then we would need a transformer to use it with the door lock. No thanks. Just as it would be a real job to bring electrical power to all of my smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. My camera requires a battery that I have to recharge. (I do use rechargeable batteries almost exclusively). My automatic soap dispensers use batteries.
Yes, batteries are a fact of life. I've learned to live with it. I set a yearly calendar event to remind me to change batteries in various devices such as the smoke detectors. I'll spend a 1/2 hour doing this, and I'm done for a year. Really, really isn't a big deal.
With the Schlage Connect, I can set up automations. At night, it will automatically lock the door in case I forgot and set a tamper alert. I had given some keys to my place to some people that I don't communicate with anymore and don't want to collect those keys. Now, I give a code to those people who need access (i.e. neighbor for emergency, pet sitter), and if they no longer need access in the future, I simply delete the code.
Everytime I open the app, I see a readout on the battery reserve. Really no significant risk of having the batteries run out without plenty of advance warning.
As far as still carrying a key around, again, not a big deal. I carry a fob for my car, a key to the garage, keys for work, etc. I'm now confident enough in this lock, that if I forgot to take my keys with me and locked the door behind me, I can easily get in without calling a locksmith or hoping a neighbor who had a copy of the key was home. And this has happened a few times in the past.
Yes, we have more choices to make regarding both simplifying, and at the same time complicating, our lives. I choose some and reject others. Many times the advantages far outweigh the negatives. That is the case for me using an electronic lock.