This collaborative space allows users to contribute additional information, tips, and insights to enhance the original deal post. Feel free to share your knowledge and help fellow shoppers make informed decisions.
There is a lot of misinformation on this product. Let me clarify..
1. The actual lock communicates with the bridge via BLE (Bluetooth) and its the bridge which conncts to your router via WiFi. Since the bridge is plugged-in, there is no issue about the bridge "draining power".
2. The advantage of the lock with BLE is that once your iPhone is in close proximity to the lock, it connects via Bluetooth - so, if you ever lose your WiFi or electricity, you can always unlock/lock with your iphone.
3. It is critical to make sure that your deadbolt locks smoothly (ie the door is very well aligned). This is where the battery drain issues occur. If the motor has to work hard to move the deadbolt or it is stuck against the strike plate, you WILLdrain battery fast. Make sure that your door is perfectly aligned all the time, closes completely, and the lock can move in-out freely and that you regularly lubricate the mechanics of the deadbolt (Do NOT use WD-40, but a gel type log acting lubricant).
4. The lock works with Alexa and can be locked or even unlocked by Alexa (need a code for unlock). No connection to RING.
5. The lock does have geofencing for those interested. It unocks as you come near.
6. The lock can be set to automatically lock after X minutes, so that you can unlock, close the door and walk away.
7. You can share access to the lock via app
8. Yes, you can use your apple watch to lock/unlock
9. A t this price it is a great deal (if your door closes perfectly all the time)
I have this for the past 3+ years and no issues. The big round knob is bit strange and looks funny.
I have had an august smart lock for 3 years. Main benefits
- The app can be set to away mode, which means when you leave your area (1 mile from your home) and come to the front door, the bluetooth will detect you're there and auto unlock the door. It doesn't sound like much, but honestly it's something I am so used to at this point that I cannot see myself going back.
- The connect is to allow you to access to the lock outside the home, this isn't needed if you have an Apple TV as you can just connect it to Apple Home.
- August has it's own app, it doesnt connect directly with other apps like Ring for example, but nothing is stopping you from unlocking remotely.
- You can add guests will time limits to the lock, but away mode only works for owners
OP you may wanna clarify this is 3rd Gen, which requires connect to remote lock and unlock (Unless you have apple home setup with an Apple TV)
84 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I don't recommend the August lock, the battery last only 2 months with regular usage. I would recommend a nest door bell
so every deadbolt door i have has one of these... I change the batteries annually. Personally i would not use anything else.
I love these locks for so many reasons.
this is an excellent deal as i have paid much more over the years.
My recommendation to anyone interested:
Make sure your door lock operates smoothly. If not adjust the bolt lock until it slides without contact.
Make sure you have the right hardware outside lock type selected (with correct adapter)
If you make adjustments- recalibrate it.
I have teenagers and its fantastic knowing who's coming & going. It keeps them accountable and i don't need to ask.
I love that the door automatically unlocks as i walk up to it and then auto locks shortly afterwards
again - if you have older teenagers or kids in general you know they forget to lock the door (say im asleep at 1am and the older ones come home), i don't worry about wondering if my family is safe. The door auto locked.
I have remotely controlled the lock and had service done on my house.
The only request i have is a non-deadbolt version. I have a shed door that doesn't have a bolt. Id like to be able to simply replace the locking door with something like this.
But this deadbolt lock does exactly what it should and has been reliable for nearly five years.
I have four - none of them have battery drain issues because of the steps i took above.
Not sure what else people want from a relatively easy retrofit option that only requires opening up one side vs replacing the lock completely for others. I have used Level (reliability is shit but most covert) but August was the easiest and most reliable. Only complaint is one of my family members custom steel door didn't have enough clearance, but neither did any other current retrofit option. They offer a keypad but it's screwed/adhesive stick on separately and defeats the purpose of not advertising to walkerbys that it's a digital lock capable of being remotely hacked (I understand it's rare but it's important to people who live in high foot traffic areas imo)
Notch out the wood trim, touch up paint, so worth it.
Thanks for this. So no issue with clearance between the security screen and the regular wood door....this doesn't use anything large on the backside, correct?
No, it's about the same depth as the doorknob you're replacing. You will have to notch your trimming about 1.5" x 3" cut right through to the bottom trim. It's a little larger than it needs to be, but that's because i don't want anyone jamming fingers in that notch and creating a new problem.
Used mine 6 years, no issues. Battery lasts 3 months; can push to 5 but yells to change. Sturdy like a tank, Wi-Fi weak but extenders help. House of 6. Lots of activity.
No. I have both and they are not ccompatible. It does work fairly well and I have had zero issues with battery life because it uses a hard wired wifi bridge.
Ty. Appreciate the response.
Like
Helpful
Funny
Not helpful
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I have had this smart lock for a few years and I love it. The batteries last around 6 months, which is fine - YMMV based on the brand of battery you use. Just make sure the deadbolt hardware is aligned when installing, if it's off kilter it can make the lock work harder than it needs to. You can hear it if it's off.
Not sure where to look but does anyone know if this is compatible with ring? Ty in advance!
It's not compatible with Ring, that said - probably the best Digital Lock I have been using since it first came out. Records also who opened the door at what time - one can authorize a friend or family visiting for 1 time or as long as you want even for minutes. Best army level security encryption. It works also with Blue tooth in your cell phone. Also comes with a Bridge adapter if you prefer connecting it to wifi. Their customer service is 2nd to none. Right now now its the best value.
absolute garbage. i fitted my airbnb with three of these and the batteries drain so fast i swear it's every 10 days i have to replace them. and i don't even use the battery as my guests just use their hand. i needed a remote solution in case a key is lost or to let people in to fix something. absolute trash i really advise against these
There is a lot of misinformation on this product. Let me clarify..
1. The actual lock communicates with the bridge via BLE (Bluetooth) and its the bridge which conncts to your router via WiFi. Since the bridge is plugged-in, there is no issue about the bridge "draining power".
2. The advantage of the lock with BLE is that once your iPhone is in close proximity to the lock, it connects via Bluetooth - so, if you ever lose your WiFi or electricity, you can always unlock/lock with your iphone.
3. It is critical to make sure that your deadbolt locks smoothly (ie the door is very well aligned). This is where the battery drain issues occur. If the motor has to work hard to move the deadbolt or it is stuck against the strike plate, you WILLdrain battery fast. Make sure that your door is perfectly aligned all the time, closes completely, and the lock can move in-out freely and that you regularly lubricate the mechanics of the deadbolt (Do NOT use WD-40, but a gel type log acting lubricant).
4. The lock works with Alexa and can be locked or even unlocked by Alexa (need a code for unlock). No connection to RING.
5. The lock does have geofencing for those interested. It unocks as you come near.
6. The lock can be set to automatically lock after X minutes, so that you can unlock, close the door and walk away.
7. You can share access to the lock via app
8. Yes, you can use your apple watch to lock/unlock
9. A t this price it is a great deal (if your door closes perfectly all the time)
I have this for the past 3+ years and no issues. The big round knob is bit strange and looks funny.
Thanks for this. I forgot I can lock and unlock with my watch!
I've had all the August locks over the years. August has kind of led people down a misleading path, as the Smartlock Pro is actually an older, inferior model to the 4th gen. The 4th gen has BT and WiFi as well, and uses CR123 (2x) batteries, and is MUCH smaller, more attractive, and has a much cleaner motor sound. WiFi is horrific on all these locks, so don't bother.
Either use something like an Apple HomePod as the bridge for BT connection, or pick up a Connect. With my HomePod as a bridge, I get 7-9 months of battery life. Over WiFi it was about 2-3 weeks (unbelievably horrific). I have two of the 4th gen locks, and they've been great for years now.
Leave a Comment
Top Comments
1. The actual lock communicates with the bridge via BLE (Bluetooth) and its the bridge which conncts to your router via WiFi. Since the bridge is plugged-in, there is no issue about the bridge "draining power".
2. The advantage of the lock with BLE is that once your iPhone is in close proximity to the lock, it connects via Bluetooth - so, if you ever lose your WiFi or electricity, you can always unlock/lock with your iphone.
3. It is critical to make sure that your deadbolt locks smoothly (ie the door is very well aligned). This is where the battery drain issues occur. If the motor has to work hard to move the deadbolt or it is stuck against the strike plate, you WILLdrain battery fast. Make sure that your door is perfectly aligned all the time, closes completely, and the lock can move in-out freely and that you regularly lubricate the mechanics of the deadbolt (Do NOT use WD-40, but a gel type log acting lubricant).
4. The lock works with Alexa and can be locked or even unlocked by Alexa (need a code for unlock). No connection to RING.
5. The lock does have geofencing for those interested. It unocks as you come near.
6. The lock can be set to automatically lock after X minutes, so that you can unlock, close the door and walk away.
7. You can share access to the lock via app
8. Yes, you can use your apple watch to lock/unlock
9. A t this price it is a great deal (if your door closes perfectly all the time)
I have this for the past 3+ years and no issues. The big round knob is bit strange and looks funny.
- The app can be set to away mode, which means when you leave your area (1 mile from your home) and come to the front door, the bluetooth will detect you're there and auto unlock the door. It doesn't sound like much, but honestly it's something I am so used to at this point that I cannot see myself going back.
- The connect is to allow you to access to the lock outside the home, this isn't needed if you have an Apple TV as you can just connect it to Apple Home.
- August has it's own app, it doesnt connect directly with other apps like Ring for example, but nothing is stopping you from unlocking remotely.
- You can add guests will time limits to the lock, but away mode only works for owners
OP you may wanna clarify this is 3rd Gen, which requires connect to remote lock and unlock (Unless you have apple home setup with an Apple TV)
84 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I love these locks for so many reasons.
this is an excellent deal as i have paid much more over the years.
My recommendation to anyone interested:
Make sure your door lock operates smoothly. If not adjust the bolt lock until it slides without contact.
Make sure you have the right hardware outside lock type selected (with correct adapter)
If you make adjustments- recalibrate it.
I have teenagers and its fantastic knowing who's coming & going. It keeps them accountable and i don't need to ask.
I love that the door automatically unlocks as i walk up to it and then auto locks shortly afterwards
again - if you have older teenagers or kids in general you know they forget to lock the door (say im asleep at 1am and the older ones come home), i don't worry about wondering if my family is safe. The door auto locked.
I have remotely controlled the lock and had service done on my house.
The only request i have is a non-deadbolt version. I have a shed door that doesn't have a bolt. Id like to be able to simply replace the locking door with something like this.
But this deadbolt lock does exactly what it should and has been reliable for nearly five years.
I have four - none of them have battery drain issues because of the steps i took above.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutte...mar
I got mine on Amazon during BF for $70ish
1. The actual lock communicates with the bridge via BLE (Bluetooth) and its the bridge which conncts to your router via WiFi. Since the bridge is plugged-in, there is no issue about the bridge "draining power".
2. The advantage of the lock with BLE is that once your iPhone is in close proximity to the lock, it connects via Bluetooth - so, if you ever lose your WiFi or electricity, you can always unlock/lock with your iphone.
3. It is critical to make sure that your deadbolt locks smoothly (ie the door is very well aligned). This is where the battery drain issues occur. If the motor has to work hard to move the deadbolt or it is stuck against the strike plate, you WILLdrain battery fast. Make sure that your door is perfectly aligned all the time, closes completely, and the lock can move in-out freely and that you regularly lubricate the mechanics of the deadbolt (Do NOT use WD-40, but a gel type log acting lubricant).
4. The lock works with Alexa and can be locked or even unlocked by Alexa (need a code for unlock). No connection to RING.
5. The lock does have geofencing for those interested. It unocks as you come near.
6. The lock can be set to automatically lock after X minutes, so that you can unlock, close the door and walk away.
7. You can share access to the lock via app
8. Yes, you can use your apple watch to lock/unlock
9. A t this price it is a great deal (if your door closes perfectly all the time)
I have this for the past 3+ years and no issues. The big round knob is bit strange and looks funny.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Either use something like an Apple HomePod as the bridge for BT connection, or pick up a Connect. With my HomePod as a bridge, I get 7-9 months of battery life. Over WiFi it was about 2-3 weeks (unbelievably horrific). I have two of the 4th gen locks, and they've been great for years now.
Leave a Comment