I will admit to being a technology geek. I love all things digital. I especially appreciate home automation technologies and the convenience and safety they offer. And right now, one of the devices I am most curious about is the smart lock. The decision to purchase one has already been made. Now I am researching brands and models to find one I like.
My research into smart locks has revealed some interesting things. I have discovered a lot of really cool things you can do with a smart lock. I even found a fantastic post on the Vivint Smart Home website, a post discussing some of the incredible features being built into the current generation of smart locks.
I don’t want to steal Vivint’s thunder, but I am intrigued by some of the things their post discusses. So based on it, and some other resources I have delved into, here is my selection of five really cool things smart locks offer homeowners:
1. Keyless Entry
The very first feature on my list is a no-brainer: keyless entry. Smart locks are designed with this particular point in mind. Although brand-new locks come with keys for backup purposes, homeowners do not use their keys daily. Instead, they lock and unlock their doors through some other means. Here are the top three:
- Keypad – A smart lock with a keypad is programmed with an access code. This is normally a 4-digit code entered using the embedded keypad. Punch in the code and the door unlocks. You get in without having to fumble with your keys.
- Biometric – Some smart locks rely on biometric entry. You might have a smart lock with a fingerprint scanner. It works similar to the fingerprint scanner on a phone. A more advanced lock might rely on a retina scanner. Even facial recognition is on the table.
- Cell Phone – Nearly all smart locks on the market today can be activated and deactivated with a cell phone. You simply download a companion app and connect it with the lock. Then, with a tap of a button on your phone, you can lock and unlock the door.
If nothing else, being able to access your lock without having to use keys is a big plus. The only real concern is leaving your keys at home and then returning to find out that the batteries in the lock are dead. But that happens so rarely that it is not a big deal.
2. Multiple Access Codes
Next up is the access control you get with a smart lock. Let’s use a standard lock with a keypad function to illustrate this point. Take a family of four: dad, mom, and two kids. Each one gets a unique access code. Why unique codes? So that the homeowner can always know who is coming and going.
Mom and dad can check on the kids every afternoon. Just by looking at access codes, they know when each of their children arrives home. But that is just for starters. Let us talk about preventing porch piracy.
A homeowner could assign a unique security code to a neighbor who has agreed to bring packages in. As soon as a package arrives, the homeowner sends a text message to the neighbor. That neighbor runs over and puts the package inside the house. A digital record has been created by the neighbor’s unique access code.
3. Temporary Access
Along those same lines, temporary access codes can be given to out-of-town guests. Maybe the homeowner’s in-laws are coming for two weeks. While they are in town, they will be visiting with old friends. That means they will be coming and going at all hours of the day. But they will not need a set of keys because they have their own access code.
The homeowner doesn’t need to be home when his in-laws first arrive. He does not need to be home to allow them to come and go as they please. Best of all, he can revoke his in-laws’ access code when their visit is over.
4. Remote Locking and Unlocking
The next really cool thing you can do with a smart lock is to access it remotely. With a mobile device and an internet connection, activating and deactivating a smart lock is as simple as bringing up an app and tapping a button. Think of the implications.
Rather than providing an access code to a neighbor, you can have delivery companies contact you when they arrive with a package. You unlock the door on the spot. Packages are left inside by the driver. As soon as the driver leaves, you lock the door again.
Do you have contractors coming to work on your house? You can do the same thing for them. Unlock the door when they arrive and then lock it again when they leave for the day. Combined with a good set of surveillance cameras, a smart lock offers fantastic access control so that you don’t have to be there when work is being done on your house.
5. Integration With Geofencing
If I had to choose one of these five cool features as my favorite, it would be this last one ─ integration with geofencing technology. If you are not familiar with geofencing, it is essentially building a virtual digital fence around your property. Your location within that virtual fence is determined by the GPS functions built into your phone.
With geofencing deployed, you can program your smart lock to activate and deactivate based on your location. That means you can automatically unlock the door just by pulling into the driveway. The door will lock behind you as you drive away the next morning.
There is a lot more I could write about smart lock features. The point is that a smart lock changes the way a homeowner secures his home. I am looking forward to installing my first one within the next few days. I cannot wait to start playing with all of its features.
