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New Schlage Smart Lock Supports Apple's iOS 18 Hands-Free Unlocking With UWB

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Schlage today unveiled a new Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt that's able to connect to smart home platforms like HomeKit using Matter-over-Thread. The device has no key hole as it is exclusively designed to be unlocked with a smartphone.

schlage-uwb-door-lock.jpg

The Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt supports hands-free unlocking over NFC and it integrates Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology. The lock is able to unlock right when a user reaches their door by measuring distance, speed, and trajectory with UWB.

Schlage's lock will be one of the first to support hands-free unlocking using the Ultra Wideband chip in the iPhone. Apple added an "Express Mode" hands-free unlocking feature to iOS 18, but it requires smart locks to have a UWB chip and there are no locks on the market with the functionality as of right now.

The lock also supports tap to unlock over NFC and it includes a keypad for access with an entry code.

To go along with the Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, Schlage is working on a new Schlage Home app that has a more user-friendly interface and allows for remote lock management.

Schlage has not provided pricing for the Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, but it will be available for purchase later in 2025.

Article Link: New Schlage Smart Lock Supports Apple's iOS 18 Hands-Free Unlocking With UWB
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/01/06/schlage-smart-lock-uwb/
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So this is basically "next-gen" Apple homekey where you don't even need to tap your phone/watch to unlock, just walkup to the door?
 
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Very cool but it having no key backup is a dealbreaker. I currently live in a condo with only one entrance, I doubt this would be an issue for people with multiple exits though. Currently using the previous version with NFC unlock.
 
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MacRumors said:
The device has no key hole as it is exclusively designed to be unlocked with a smartphone.
Click to expand...
I hope whoever gets this is really diligent about changing their batteries frequently, or they're going to get locked out by their fancy new smart lock. 🫢
 
I really wish one of these smart lock companies would support the North American mortise lock standard. Several support the EU mortise setup but as far as I can tell no one supports the NA mortise setup with a commercially available smart lock.
 
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coffeemilktea said:
I hope whoever gets this is really diligent about changing their batteries frequently, or they're going to get locked out by their fancy new smart lock. 🫢
Click to expand...
My current keyless smart lock has two pins below the keypad to connect a standard 9V battery to power it in case of the onboard batteries draining. Obtaining a 9V battery is much easier than opening a "dumb" lock after losing the key.
 
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the product is called
"The Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt"

a traditional (old style) mechanical deadbolt always needs someone from the inside to slide the mechanical deadbolt into place. old style deadbolts did not need keys to engage, but simply turned the lever to engage. ( i am aware that there are key types that are engaged form the outside, as well).
a old style mechanical deadbolt would not have a key on the outside. would be set by someone inside.
it was in addition to a keyed lock.

for a smart deadbolt that i would buy, it would need to mimic the way an old style mechanical deadbolt worked. meaning that it needed to be first always engaged from the inside, preferably by engaging it physically, not with the app.
with the smart aspect being that it only allowed a person from the outside to get in through only the iPhone or Watch biometric type of interaction, and never with a physical key pad type to enter a passcode.
 
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arc of the universe said:
the product is called
"The Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt"

a mechanical deadbolt always needs someone from the inside to slide the mechanical deadbolt into place.
a mechanical deadbolt never allows a person to enter from the outside with a key. always needs to be opened by someone inside.

for a smart deadbolt that i would buy, it would need to mimic the way a mechanical deadbolt worked. meaning that it needed to be first always engaged from the inside, preferably by engaging it physically, not with the app.
with the smart aspect being that it only allowed a person from the outside to get in through only the iPhone or Watch biometric type of interaction, and never with a physical key pad type to enter a passcode.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't there be a time when you would want to leave your place and lock the deadbolt from the outside?
 
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zach-coleman said:
It notifies you when it’s on low battery and it lasts about a year, but yeah it spooks me to have no key backup.
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I would be surprised to see it last a year if it is moving the bolt.

I've used the locks that engage and let you twist a handle to move the bolt, and those last a long time. The ones where the lock has to move the bolt do not last as long - though it is 3 months or so for 4 AA batteries.

Either way, no keyhole - no sale for me. I have had said locks choose to act up for some reason, and the key is a quick way around that when I want to save the troubleshooting for later.
 
v3rlon said:
I would be surprised to see it last a year if it is moving the bolt.

I've used the locks that engage and let you twist a handle to move the bolt, and those last a long time. The ones where the lock has to move the bolt do not last as long - though it is 3 months or so for 4 AA batteries.

Either way, no keyhole - no sale for me. I have had said locks choose to act up for some reason, and the key is a quick way around that when I want to save the troubleshooting for later.
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I have mine set to auto lock after 5 minutes and the majority of the time it closes with the motor, it is still on track to last a year with the amount of battery it has lost over the past 4 months. (84% currently.) If this one also has the 9V battery backup thing described earlier in this thread I might consider it.
 
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coffeemilktea said:
I hope whoever gets this is really diligent about changing their batteries frequently, or they're going to get locked out by their fancy new smart lock. 🫢
Click to expand...
I haven’t carried a house key since I installed a smart lock in 2017 and I haven’t carried a car key since 2021. It’s not that hard lol.
Plus they no key slot is a massive security upgrade. Consumer key locks are a joke.
 
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Hitch08 said:
Wouldn't there be a time when you would want to leave your place and lock the deadbolt from the outside?
Click to expand...
for me, if its a deadbolt function, then no.
the purpose of a deadbolt is to ensure additional safety for the persons inside. thinking that any person might somehow have or be able to access a key. but a deadbolt function keeps them out.

if i want a safety device such as you refer to, then i would chose a smart lock. not a (smart) deadbolt.
 
I own a Level Lock+ that was supposed to warn me when the battery was low. It did not. The lock had enough power to recognize my phone, but not enough power to move the deadbolt. Unfortunately, I had just returned from a trip, so my backup key was not in its usual location. Getting back into my house cost me $261, although I should have watched the Lock Picking Lawyer on YouTube, as the locksmith I hired did watch the LPL’s videos. All the locksmith needed was a wave rake and tensioning tool and 30 seconds to get in.

Not having vulnerability of a physical key option with the new Schlage lock is attractive as long as there is the option to provide temporary power when the battery dies without warning. Of course, I would like the Lock Picking Lawyer to review this new lock before I would make any purchase this time.
 
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arc of the universe said:
for me, if its a deadbolt function, then no.
the purpose of a deadbolt is to ensure additional safety for the persons inside. thinking that any person might somehow have or be able to access a key. but a deadbolt function keeps them out.

if i want a safety device such as you refer to, then i would chose a smart lock. not a (smart) deadbolt.
Click to expand...
I agree with Hitch08. For me, a deadbolt is my primary lock, whether or not I'm at home. A door knob lock, which is the main alternative I see, is less secure -- not that either is enough to stop a sufficiently dedicated intruder, but the deadbolt is certainly harder. I've lived places where it's the only lock. I've lived places where there are both. It's less common to find only a knob lock, especially in cities.

Most smart locks are smart deadbolts, and most work similarly to this one, though many also have exterior key slots and most have interior thumbturns (I'd be surprised if this one doesn't, but I can't find any pictures or text to confirm this...).

I am in the US. Perhaps norms are different elsewhere. But Schlage is based in the US and undoubtedly catering to this market first.
 
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arc of the universe said:
the product is called
"The Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt"

a mechanical deadbolt always needs someone from the inside to slide the mechanical deadbolt into place.
a mechanical deadbolt never allows a person to enter from the outside with a key. always needs to be opened by someone inside.

for a smart deadbolt that i would buy, it would need to mimic the way a mechanical deadbolt worked. meaning that it needed to be first always engaged from the inside, preferably by engaging it physically, not with the app.
with the smart aspect being that it only allowed a person from the outside to get in through only the iPhone or Watch biometric type of interaction, and never with a physical key pad type to enter a passcode.
Click to expand...
Yeah that’s not what deadbolts are, it’s a sliding lock engaged by a knob or key. Some can be internal only but the most common one is your traditional main door lock that has a knob and key.
 
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