I installed this at my son’s apartment along with a Ring peephole doorbell. These two devices are ideal for apartments where you are able to covert back to original in 5 min each. The lock works beautifully. I would never get a lock without built in Wi-Fi now that they’re available. A have a LOCKLY at home one one door. There’s a Wi-Fi bridge. It’s a solid lock but the fingerprint sensor is not always reliable and requires a 6-8 digit code. But lots of nice features. I also have a Yale lock which is touchpad and Wi-Fi. It requires a bridge as well. It works well but bridge sometimes loses Wi-Fi connection. And yes it pops up on August app as well. And finally the latest lock I installed is the Kwikset Halo Fingerprint. That one has built in Wi-Fi (hooray) and the fingerprint sensor is extremely reliable. I really like it. Obviously my house has a lot of outside doors for me to try different locks. The perfect lock for me would have fingerprint, built in Wi-Fi, keyhole, and long battery life. The only problem is that now I don’t have a universal key although I don’t use my key anymore.

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Wow, you have more smart lock experience than i do! haha I'm looking forward to your video reviews. :)

I’ve had the 2nd gen August lock for about 4 years now and it’s great! I honestly find it better and safer that on the outside it just looks like a regular lock. I’ve heard that people sometimes target homes with smart locks, so I’d rather be somewhat in stealth mode when it comes to that.

@poppydillings7448

Жыл бұрын

using Schlage keypad number codes for years, I’ve learned any lock with a key hole can be picked. The Schlage interior wire broke after 15 years or so. And my neighbor sat with binoculars watching me enter codes. avoiding outside key holes I simply installed a deadbolt plate through my existing lock. I only have a flat plate cover no key whole. No key pad required. Love it. Get rid of keypads! Also Remember one cannot lock the lock with out the phone. Invest in a small mophie (portable charger) to be sure you can charge your phone.

@zefrum3

Жыл бұрын

Whut?🤪

as a Canadian...with long cold winters im always afraid touchscreens are not going to work properly. August is scoring points on that!

I switched from August WiFi lock to Level Bolt for two reasons after trying both: 1. ⁠Level allows you to keep your existing hardware and you don’t need a wart on the inside of your door. 2. ⁠The batteries last about 12x longer than august. After reading many reviews it appears August only lasts 2 months and this will last 12! It also uses 1 battery instead of 2! Saves me money! I was a bit worried about switching from August’s WiFi lock to this Bluetooth-only lock since my Apple HomeKit hub is located down the hall and on the opposite end of the living room. The Bluetooth connection to my Apple TV doesn’t seem to perform any worse, and sometimes I feel like it even performs better (faster). Happy I switched so far :) Please do know that the Level doesn’t have a sensor to notify you if your door is left open. This wasn’t important to me.

Had it for 2 years and it has been working great for me. Really like the easy installation and also it looks exactly like a normal lock from the outside. Only issue is the auto unlock is not so responsive sometimes I have to wait about 20 sec until it unlock for me

I like the touchpad in the lock, but in my situation I need to keep the outside of the door looking the same as it is an apartment block, so body corporate doesn't like things looking different. In my situation, it makes the August lock a much better option as it keeps the original hardware on the outside. The other option I was looking at was the Level Bolt lock, but August seems to have better integration with the home automation products I use.

I’m right there with you on your evaluation. After a ton of research, I got the August Smart Lock Pro when it first came out, a few years ago. The app is great, and gives you a bunch of solid options. However, when it came to guests, the flaws quickly started to show themselves. I didn’t think it’d be that complicated, but friends and fam were CONSTANTLY standing at our door with question marks over their heads trying to figure out how to get out of our house. No one understood the concept of turning the puck. We eventually turned off the auto lock feature to avoid giving a lock tutorial after every dinner party. Additionally, the guest key feature requires guests to download the August app and create their own August account. A lot of work for someone just staying for the weekend. I’ve been following your smart lock search. Haven’t landed on a new lock since moving to a new house, but whichever route we go with will allow you to enter a PIN from the outside.

@abc123fhdi

2 жыл бұрын

having a keypad is better for setting up guest pins and having a normal looking thumb turn on the inside is better as well.

@brad4life14

2 жыл бұрын

@@abc123fhdi 100% agreed. Having used them for just about all the Airbnbs I’ve stayed at, that’s definitely the better route

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Great feedback! I could see people being confused by the puck if they've never seen one before.

My daughter has lost a few house keys and I decided on this lock. Works great.

Now I wish August would come out with a calendar and time one can open and close the lock for commercial use.

I don't know about the lock but, that T-Shirt you're wearing is 🔥🔥!

I used the August lock for a couple of years. I had to switch last year and I went with the Bosma Aegis smart lock, because Consumer Report rated it higher than the August.

Just got it to replace my level lock, which was absolutely atrocious. Really loving the August lock!

Not sure if you had figured it out yet but since August and Yale are the same company, it probably co-located both in the same app. Hope that helps

I have the August Smart lock 3rd gen and it's been great. I did not buy the 4th gen because from reviews, it seems like a step backwards. They made it smaller, which is nice, but then stuffed the wifi into the lock, which is a bad decision. It leads to less battery life and has WiFi connection issues. I see no reason to remove the WiFi Hub, which works great. The Keypad on the other hand, is useless. You have to change the batteries every 1-3 months regardless of if you have the backlight on/off. Also, the app gives errors sometimes when trying to add/remove codes.

@rxonmymind8362

Жыл бұрын

Rather replace AAA batteries then the CR ones. Also last s lot longer.

@gagepollard8566

Жыл бұрын

@@rxonmymind8362 What do you mean by “CR ones”? I am going to replace my August lock + keypad with the Yale Assure Lock 2.

@rxonmymind8362

Жыл бұрын

@@gagepollard8566 CR batteries. Expensive.

I am onto my second or third generation august lock. For the most part they work OK pending you get them calibrated properly. My biggest complaint is that I’m going through batteries like crazy. Especially if you have the auto lock feature enabled be prepared to replace your batteries every 30 days. I’m shopping around for another model because of this one feature.

I love this lock because it does exactly what I want it to do. It locks automatically when I leave, opens automatically when I return, I can open and close it from anywhere in the world, it is mostly silent. I have other locks like this that didn’t work well at all… this one is great! The only issue for me is the battery life. Three months is really terrible. I am generally away six months each year and I have to have someone replace the batteries. This needs a fix.

There's also the new Eufy lock with finger print sensor and the Lockly lock also has a finger print sensor and the touch screen virtual buttons move around and have more than one digit so it's harder for someone to see the code. Kwikset also makes a lock with just a finger print sensor. I think having a separate touch pad means you have another coin cell battery you have to replace plus the batteries lasting only 3 months is a no go for me. I have the kwikset smart lock with smart key so if the other locks in the house are kwikset or kwikset compatible you can re-key your lock to match the existing locks. My kwikset lock also works with Ring so locking and unlocking will auto arm and disarm the alarm system. The Auto Unlock feature is nice if only it worked reliably.

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

When i had my Vivint security system installed they put in a basic Kwikset lock with physical buttons. I love that it integrated into my security system AND had the ability to be re-keyed to use my existing keys.

The best smart lock will have thread protocol support. Future proof for the upcoming Matter standard!

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, i agree. The good news is Thread support can be added through a software update.

Great Review Steve! Just sold me on buying a August lock 💯

The massive fatal design flaw of August is the tabs on the plastic inserts are so small that they strip out at the slightest bit of resistance, such as if the door isn’t closed fully. This renders the lock useless. I replaced 4 before finding a design to 3D print my own. Replacements are $10 + shipping each.

Steve, We’re in the process of building a house and know that for the most part, we’ll be going in and and out of the garage. We’ve decided not to even do a smart lock on the front door for now.

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Yea we do the same. The garage door is so much easier.

I had to look up how to get this thing open to replace the batteries and that's how I found this video (I'm not the one who usually replaces them).. We've had this thing for a few years and it absolutely makes a meal out of batteries. They only seem to last us about a month before we start getting notifications, and then we let it run until the batteries die, which takes about 2 weeks. Good thing I have a connection for cheap batteries because this thing is HUNGRY. Other than guests occasionally getting confused by how to operate the puck (which is probably more the fault of the user and not the product), that's my only complaint.

This is the first time watching your channel and I have to admit, for a brief second I thought you were Drew McIntyre LMAO. Excellent video btw, I just subscribed.

Thanks :) I have a keypad lock currently and it’s good but it’s not a smart lock so to change codes between guests is awkward and time consuming. Will check out your other smart lock reviews. I wouldn’t be able to fit this one on current system so would have to find my original lock and keys anyway

Such a helpful overview on this lock! I’ve been looking at this one and the Eufy Retrofit Smart Lock - I’d love to see a video on that one or a comparison of the two!

@lockdown123456789

Жыл бұрын

Do not use Eufy, please look up and read or watch videos about the horrible practices and security problems they have.

Thank You for yet another great video and for giving us the inside knowledge 🙂👍

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

I changed from the August lock and installed the EUFY just for the rechargeable battery that the Eufy has. I would go back in a heartbeat if the August had the same battery.

@abdullahX001

2 жыл бұрын

why?

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Do you not like the Eufy lock?

Re: Auto-unlock feature ... I would have guess that it would have used Bluetooth (ala Tesla cars, etc) vs GPS coordinates (geofence)? Plus not sure I like the tracking by the app (power usage, etc).

Question: does the remote unlock/lock feature work for both owner and guest users? Do guests have access to unlock the lock away from the home or do they have to be in Bluetooth range? Just would like to know if guests have full access away from the lock.

The problem I see is that I cant connect remeotely. I dont like that I cant do that except if I am standing next to the door. My kwikset allows for locking and opening remotely.

Hi Steve … I watched both of your videos where after the first one I went ahead and bought the Yale smart lock the same as yours. I had two issues with Yale smart lock. First while installing the interior piece, with the help of Yale support rep, when connecting August Wi-Fi Network Module. It was inserted fine but when removing it in order to scan the QR code to register it, the whole black piece in the lock itself which connects to the module came out and stuck inside the module. The support rep nicely ordered replacement of the module as well as the interior part of the lock. Two weeks later I received them and installed them and worked fine. The second issue unfortunately two weeks later I had trouble with the interior part of the lock (the new replacement) where the lock start to jam. According to the support rep the problem was with the deadbolt latch which needs to be replaced. Here comes another issue where the latch is out of stock and they don’t know when it will be available. In the meantime I have two options either I go the traditional way using the key which defeats the smart lock concept or trash it and use different smart lock. Here comes my shopping for August Smart lock which you were demonstrating in the video. Now Yale and August are partnering and every time you check Yale website, 90% of their products are not available. My question is: Can we rely on those two guys, Yale and August and their products?

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Oh wow, sorry to hear about your issues with your Yale lock. Thankfully i haven't had any issues with mine. I do think both brands are reliable for the most part. They both score pretty high on most top 10 lists from other sites.

is it possible to use nfc tags with switchbot or homekit to open up the august smart lock instead of relying on the slow auto unlock?

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

I don't think you can use NFC tags but this lock is compatible with Apple's HomeKit.

@penningtonproductionsvideo

2 жыл бұрын

i don’t have one myself but i use nfc tags and i’ve done research on the lock. you can go to automation in the Home app and create a command to unlock door if a tag is tapped

How often do you have to change the batteries of the keypad?

Have you reviewed the wyze lock yet?

Can you continue to use your key to unlock the deadbolt in case you don't have your phone on you and don't want to install keypad?

Hi Steve, I’m a new subscriber to your channel. Thank you for so many informative videos. I’m about to change the lock of my Airbnb home to a smart door lock. My biggest concern is that, would a August door lock be stolen from guests very easily? Since it looks incredibly simple to install. Second question about the Yale Wi-Fi assure lock is, again, if the Wi-Fi plug being removed/stolen, will I not being able to access my door lock remotely anymore? Thank you.

@gavmastatube

Жыл бұрын

Visitors would be able to steal the August lock. I would imagine Airbnb would reimburse for stolen/damaged household items, including the door lock. But you’ll have to ask them.

Also, I noticed that you have a vivint system. Have you done a video yet on vivint compatible devices that can connect to the hub and app? I have the same system and looking at the items they sell it seems like there should be a lot of other options for better prices.

I’ve gone for level smart lock. It’s invisible and seamless. I am accidental landlord for a new York building that I just inherited.

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

WOAH, I just checked out that lock and it looks really awesome! I love the feature of touching the top of the lock to lock and up-lock the door. Does it work well?

@anthonycraig274

2 жыл бұрын

@@SteveDOES So far, its fantastic. I control the New York building from the UK 😂

I have the same gen August lock as you. It only open by itself, if I sit in my car for a few minutes when I get home. You cane see the app trying to work to unlock it. Most of the time I will open the app and unlock it that way. I’ll be getting the key pad now and just use that from my car. Wish I could pair it to my home link buttons in my car…..is that an option?

Great video. But please stop adding stretch syllables to your speech. "Let's test-ah out-ah, this-ah auto unlock.

so far...not so good...had it 4 months...first problem was battery died...then now my iphone wont open it..and whats worst...it wont lock manually either

Will it work on a security screen door?

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

If it has a standard deadbolt it should work.

Cool shirt

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

easy to install but battery life not very good, installed Sept2020 - average 50 to 60 day when receive battery low notify; recommend setup DOOR SENSE if want to know all door status ; guest must install app and setup august account ; do have keypad installed & recommend setup quick lock 1 button feature, see August FAQ page about keypad ; since i buy CR123 for 3 other devices I decided to keep this 1 August lock installed ; auto unlock occasional not work

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

I love getting feedback from an experienced user. Thanks for sharing!

Got rid of mine!

Testing the Schlage connected lock?

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

i don't have it on the list but i'll look into it.

good video

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks David.

How does it work with Smart Home? Is Google/Alexa able to unlock your door?

@bobd3752

2 жыл бұрын

I have it working with Google Assistant.

Out of the box the batteries barely last...then New batteries installed.....2weeks later it says it needs new batteries. And this is with light use, maybe it gets used every 3 days. No thanks.

@inegma29

Жыл бұрын

Exact same thing happened to me. Out of the box the batteries barely lasted....new batteries from the store only lasted about 2 weeks. No thanks.

How are next generation customer interacting with this product?

Is the August smart lock water proof?

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

It’s not.

What stop anyone from lifting your lock and taking it?

@luismercado71

2 жыл бұрын

The lock goes inside the house,,unless the relatives or friends that come visit will steal it,..😀

@rosyjo11

2 жыл бұрын

I’m wondering if it’s tied to the app so can’t be used by anyone else?

I personally can't stand August locks

If you like paying money every 2 weeks to buy batteries.....this thing eats batteries up very quickly. And at almost $8 per batt from CVS, that is ridiculous

Short answer... No, it's not a very good lock

auto unlock works only 90% yikes.

Not really a lock at all, but a wifi controlled thumb-turn. It does nothing to improve security. Instead of pulling out your keys you pull out your phone. Big whoop. Oh ya, and when your house shifts a little, as they all eventually do, and the bolt no longer perfectly aligns with the strike on the jamb, it becomes useless until you hire someone to re-align the strike.

August are not the best! not comfortable to open, jams easy, eats batteries like crazy! Hornbill, smonet are seriously the best cheap and solid! Easy to Integrate, with Alexa, google and ifttt, iOS and android app is decent.

@anthonycraig274

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve gone for Level. I live in the U.K. and had to smarten up a house in New York I just inherited.

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

Hmm, i haven't heard of Hornbill. I'll have to take a look.

@brandon84107

2 жыл бұрын

@@SteveDOES I’ve been extremely happy with mine. The finger print works amazing we never use the code at all just finger prints and it’s lightning fast. I’ve had two for almost a year batteries are at 65 percent. My august I have changed four times. Now the august is gone…

It seems clunky, over engineered and under delivers. When 90% of anything doesn’t work, means I am working for it 10% of the time, that’s something I don’t need in my life.

@SteveDOES

2 жыл бұрын

No No, it works 90% of the time. :) but of course the 10% that it doesn't work is when i need it to the most. haha

@anthonycraig274

2 жыл бұрын

@@SteveDOES 😂 that’s what meant.

Wow very interesting video in very detail 👏 can you do video on yale conexis L2 with have Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge + Yale Access Module and there are not any video about this lock on the Internet or KZread please let us know if it's possible thank you 😀