How to use a smart lock

• Smart door locks make it easier to securely share keys

  Within an office environment for example, a staff member might need access to his floor and selected meeting rooms.

  With a traditional lock, this would require them having individual keys to each individual lock - a costly and time-sapping experience.

  However, the benefit of smart locks within offices is that digital keys can be shared at the touch of a button, in seconds, and can instantly grant access to relevant doors.

• It’s very simple to revoke access with a smart door lock

  If you have a higher turnover of staff, contractors, visitors, etc. then managing access through a single cloud-based system is almost a necessity, enabling administrators to revoke keys as and when required.

  With a smart lock and access control solution in place, the security of the building is maintained and in a way that brings significant time saving and cost saving benefits.

• Smart door locks are more convenient

  The ability to easily manage access to a property is a major benefit of smart locks.

  When being responsible for access to multiple properties or venues, as in the case of property managers, the time consuming nature of managing traditional keys and the time saving nature of smart locks is increased.

  These time savings are further accentuated when a smart lock solution is combined with an access control system.

• You can remotely manage access with a smart door lock

  A smart door lock that is connected to Wi-Fi or 4G (rather than to Bluetooth) can be controlled remotely. This is especially useful when visitors or contractors need to be let into a property but a digital key has yet to be shared with them. The administrator or property manager can simply activate the smart door lock and unlock the door. This is equally useful should emergency entry be required.

Using a digital key on your smart lock

Once a digital key has been shared, the user would then download the relevant app onto their smartphone. The digital key for a specific smart lock that they have received will be securely kept in this app.

Are keycards viable?

A keycard is an alternative to the digital key on an app. However, the disadvantage of keycards is that they can easily be lost or forgotten by the user - thereby preventing them from using the smart lock. Whereas a smartphone is rarely out of a users’ sight.

Once a digital key has been used

Once the digital key has been used on the relevant smart lock, in the case of Klevio, the door then remains unlocked for 3 seconds. This enables the user to enter the space.

For peace of mind and additional security, the administrator is then notified what door has been unlocked, by whom and when.

1. Smart locks using Bluetooth

Smart lock apps for native smart door locks work in a similar way, all controlled by the manufacturer of the smart lock. Invariably, digital keys will be shared with you. To unlock a particular door, it will simply be a case of selecting the key and using it to unlock the door. Many of these apps then use Bluetooth to connect to the smart lock.

Unfortunately Bluetooth smart locks are limited to the range of Bluetooth so you can’t be too far away from the lock you want to control - this means the flexibility and freedom that administrators and users have with their smart lock is substantially reduced.

With that in mind, Bluetooth smart locks may not be effective solutions for Airbnb Hosts, property managers with multiple properties, properties that are managed off-site, any space that may have emergency access requirements, etc.

2. Smart locks connected to the internet

The alternative to Bluetooth smart locks is a smart lock that is connected to the internet by either 4G or Wi-Fi.

Internet connected smart lock solutions do not have the restrictions of Bluetooth. It therefore enables users to control the smart door lock from anywhere (as long as you have an internet connection). As a result, they are well suited to facilitating the management of properties at a distance or where regular travel would be inefficient.

The structure of the associated smart lock apps are then similar to other smart lock apps in that it gives a list of keys assigned to the user that they can then use as the administrator sets.

Learn more about how smart locks work

Imagine the worst case scenario - for example, emergency services needing to gain access to the property at 2am. Would it be fast and straightforward to give them access whilst you’re still in bed?

The good news is that it is possible to remotely unlock a smart door lock - but you would need the correct smart door lock.

Wi-Fi & 4G smart locks provide remote access

If you want to unlock your door remotely with a smart lock, an ideal solution would be choosing a smart lock that has Wi-Fi or 4G connectivity. You could then be anywhere in the world and, as long as you have an internet connection, you would be able to unlock your door.

This solution is ideal if visitors, contractors, guests, staff, emergency services, etc. want to enter the premises but they haven’t been assigned a digital key (and an administrator is not extremely close to the property).

Bluetooth smart locks don’t give effective remote access

Bluetooth smart locks unfortunately don’t have the functionality to unlock the door from anywhere in the world.

This is simply because your phone (the device that unlocks the Bluetooth smart lock) would need to be within Bluetooth range for the smart door lock to work.

Smart door locks with physical keys

The manual override is helpful in the event of a smart lock failing - so having a physical key option is also useful.

With adapted smart door locks, because your existing lock is used and just made smarter, you can also use your existing physical key, in the same way that you currently lock and unlock the door. As a result, you don’t need to get more physical keys cut.

Some, although not all, native smart door locks also enable you to use a physical key alongside a digital entry system.