I usually unlock it via Siri or the Home app on my phone or watch before I leave my car.
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Review: Yale's $220 Assure Lock SL is a Sleek, Keyless HomeKit Deadbolt
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Sorry, I must have confused you by saying hub (which is what many of the manufacturers call it). What I'm talking about is the bridge to the the hub.
My Chamberlain garage door opener requires a hub. The Philips Hue requires a bridge. I don't want another piece of hardware for each one just to allow them to talk to my Apple TV 4K.
I actually like the fact that the modules do not necessarily work with other WiFi set ups. I’d rather only use HomeKit.
But these aren't necessary for Homekit, they're just examples of these companies trying to make their product universal and operational out of the box without Homekit.
ah, I got you now. I've found that to be more of the fault of the device manufactures, because my August lock doesn't require a bridge to connect to my apple tv or apple devices. It's just the lock and connects with bluetooth. It really depends on the device manufacture.
I must just have been unlucky with the ones I looked into. Luckily, with my garage they had a special where the you got $50 off the price of the combo if you got the bridge as well, which basically made it free.
And my ecobee4 does connect directly to HomeKit, so your point is well taken.
I really wish this whole area was more mature and not so incompatible. My ecobee connects to both HomeKit and Alexa, my garage connects to HomeKit and Xfinity Home, but not Alexa, and Xfinity home doesn't connect to Alexa or HomeKit.
Kind of reminds me of back in the day of trying to take a floppy from my Mac Plus and print a file on a PC.
Front door, back door: $220 x 2 = $440
Nope, that's significantly more than I'm willing to pay for this - but I like the idea in theory.
Nope, that's significantly more than I'm willing to pay for this - but I like the idea in theory.
I like the concept of eliminating dead batteries as a trouble source (I've had August locks have their batteries die without the notification getting to me, luckily I have multiple entries to my home) and I applaud methods to get us away from a centuries old technology of keys. I think they'll need to provide some method of mechanically dealing with things like hardware failure though via a locksmith that doesn't involve taking a sledge hammer to your door or breaking a window.
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OK they could just break your windows. Locks are a deterrent to mostly law abiding people, they don't prevent someone determined from entering your home.
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OK they could just break your windows. Locks are a deterrent to mostly law abiding people, they don't prevent someone determined from entering your home.
Z-wave + Zigbee or Homekit but not both? That is just dumb. All of my current home automation is Insteon and Z-wave controlled by a ISY994. Sorry Apple, you're not that important.
Questions: If the HomePod is placed not that far from the doors, couldn’t someone (robber, etc.) on the other side just ask Siri via the HomePod to unlock the door? Siri on HomePod can hear you very well. Or can the door only be unlocked if you have the iPhone/Apple watch with you, regardless if the HomePod is nearby? Does Siri on HomePod ask for a passcode for verification?
Maybe I shouldn’t name the front door, ‘front door,’ but something more fancy, perhaps.
“Hey Siri, open the gates to heaven.”
Maybe I shouldn’t name the front door, ‘front door,’ but something more fancy, perhaps.
“Hey Siri, open the gates to heaven.”
For this very reason all the major HA systems specifically exclude door locks from voice commands.
I’m actually in the market for one of these locks, can anyone recommend one from personal experience? We are remodeling our house and it would be really nice to give our contractors a entry code instead of making sure we are here when they start etc.
Thanks, that is good to know.
I assume Yale doesn’t have the same policy? Macrumors mentioned:
But they did not specify if they used Siri through the apple watch/iPhone, or if they tested it against the HomePod. If Macrumors was able to set up scenes to lock/unlock, then I assume HomePod would be able to lock/unlock the Yale Assure.
If you mean; by putting the watch near the lock to have it unlock, then no.
But, you can just say "Hey Siri, unlock the door" and you don't even need to touch your watch.
You can also have the lock set to automatically unlock when you get home.
Why would they not at least offer the option of using power via cable to a power adapter? This plus the 9V battery trick in case of power failure would be a lot better than the battery solution, imo.
These are still highly error prone, which isn't good for a door lock. My finger is not recognized by any of my Apple devices in winter, for example.
Can the front panel be dismantled from the outside, exposing the innards of the lock? If so, it's just a bit more work for someone to break in. The best we could do is use a steel-reinforced door with the keypad mounted independently on the outside, and no hole through the steel door itself. Then the only way is in with welding equipment.
These are still highly error prone, which isn't good for a door lock. My finger is not recognized by any of my Apple devices in winter, for example.
Can the front panel be dismantled from the outside, exposing the innards of the lock? If so, it's just a bit more work for someone to break in. The best we could do is use a steel-reinforced door with the keypad mounted independently on the outside, and no hole through the steel door itself. Then the only way is in with welding equipment.
I don't particularly enjoy buying HomeKit hubs, but that design allows HomeKit to directly control non-HomeKit devices.
Alexa can only indirectly control many devices. The hub she uses is "up in the cloud", which makes her dependent on an Internet connection, and that whoever is running the hub never stops. If either of those dependencies are missing, she can't control the device anymore. But to your point, you don't have to buy a hub for devices like that.
If HomeKit treats locks the same way that it treats garage doors, you'll first need to "authenticate yourself" (by unlocking your device) before you can do voice commands. I don't know one could do that with HomePod.
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Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to keep an external keyway. Especially if the door is the sole means of entry.
Sure this design has a clever way to handle a dead-battery scenario, but if the electronics / keypad / motor die, you're SOL.
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That'd be pretty neat, though "Hey Siri, Unlock Front Door" works pretty effectively via the watch. (I have the Schlage Sense)
Sure this design has a clever way to handle a dead-battery scenario, but if the electronics / keypad / motor die, you're SOL.
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That'd be pretty neat, though "Hey Siri, Unlock Front Door" works pretty effectively via the watch. (I have the Schlage Sense)
I think that's how I'd prefer to do it. Putting the watch near the door and having the door automatically unlock sounds cool, but I'd prefer to have the door already unlocked by the time I get to it.
That was my immediate thought too, having been burgled using that method. Dead-lockable internal handle would be a must for me.
Simple - just make sure they're always in the same 'designated' place at night (preferably not in the inside of the lock). Or escape through a window.