Reviews
4.3
2,082 reviews
Can’t live without it…. Never knew I needed it!
I bought this quite a while ago and I have a lot of people coming and going and the door gets locked and unlocked manually, automatically, via the app and remotely (when I’m away from home and realize I forgot to lock it.) You can still use your key and for renters it doesn’t change the lock so you’re not violating your lease. It allows you to set up alerts to tell you each time the door is locked or unlocked manually, if it is done by a user (and which user) via the app, notifies you and specifies which user has unlocked/locked it remotely (ie: when away from home and using the app), if the door is left ajar for a certain amount of time and if the auto locks feature is activated. You can set time limits on how long the door is ajar before it notifies you, you can set it up so after a specified amount of time the door will auto lock after it is closed and not locked (it knows when have left with your app installed device) and you can enable auto unlocking so when you walk up to the door with your device that has the app installed you just wait in front of the door for 30 seconds to a minute (the time it takes a regular person to find their keys) and the door will unlock automatically for you! This feature is awesome for those of us that have our hand full all the time or can never find our keys in our purses (or pockets!) it also allows you to set guest passes that can be sent or become active either once or on a regular basis (ie, for when your maids come in once a month on Wednesdays between 8:00am and 8:30am) it will allow their device to enter during the predetermined hours and their device won’t be allowed entry any other time. If you have auto lock on it will then auto lock after they leave! Just make sure they pull the door all the way closed so the deadbolt can be turned properly! It also allows you to send a one time code to someone’s device that allows them a one time entry and you can again specify day and time it should be valid for. It installs in literally less than 5 minutes and keeps the outside of your door looking exactly as it did before… it’s your little secret. It always is great if you want to when (and which user if done via the app) has come home or when they have left and you can double check to make sure they locked the door properly when they left with the remote lock/unlock feature. It also allows you to ensure that no one enters without you knowing about it. It will show the door was locked manually or unlocked manually and the time so you have to figure out who it is (a camera inside helps with this part! (Ever heard of the Alfred app? That’s what I use everywhere and the free version has everything you could ever want!) Anyways, back to the August lock, it will help you feel secure knowing no one is entering your place when you are not home or that the landlord, maintenance man, building manager or strata hasn’t entered your place without prior permission and if given permission you can see what time they enter and left and if they remembered to lock up! And for all you lazy people out there (like me) you don’t even have to leave your seat to lock the door if someone leaves and forgets to lock it or your guests leave and you need to lock up behind them. You can stay where you are and use your device with the app installed (I use the IOS version) and they have an app for the Apple Watch so you don’t even need to find your phone to close the door. This device is a god send and Inreccomend it to everyone I know whether you live alone or with lots of others. It also requires less keys to be out there that could possibly get lost and saves you from rekeying the whole house! It works on any single deadbolt and has become so useful in ways I didn’t even realize I needed. Perfect for renters, owners, realtors or Air BnB hosts. This thing works like a dream and never fails. I can’t live without it and never knew I needed it! I was just looking for something to see if the staff in my building were coming in without prior permission and it told me everything I need to know and so much more. Solved problems I didn’t even know I had. Buy one and you’ll never regret it! PS. I forgot to mention you can set up multiple owners and unlimited singles entries along with guest passes! Life is like a dream now :) also works with Apple HomeKit perfectly. Love it so much!!
A Farce of Innovation & a Pathetic Disappointment
The battery life of this so-called 'smart' lock is laughable, barely stretching a few weeks. To add insult to injury, it uses CR123A batteries, which are not only more expensive but seemingly rarer than a unicorn.
To salvage any semblance of a decent battery life, users are left with the absurd choice of disabling fundamental smart features such as 'Auto-unlock'. It's akin to buying a sports car and being told you can only drive it downhill to save fuel.
If the paltry battery life wasn't enough, here comes the cherry on top. To make the lock function as promised, you're pressured into shelling out more hard-earned cash for the August Smart Wifi Connect bridge. And if God forbid, you find yourself without your phone or keys with the auto-lock feature enabled – welcome to the nightmare of a potential lockout situation.
My interaction with their customer support has been disheartening. They seem more focused on attempting to shift responsibility onto the lock's compatibility. It feels disingenuous and lacks transparency.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
To salvage any semblance of a decent battery life, users are left with the absurd choice of disabling fundamental smart features such as 'Auto-unlock'. It's akin to buying a sports car and being told you can only drive it downhill to save fuel.
If the paltry battery life wasn't enough, here comes the cherry on top. To make the lock function as promised, you're pressured into shelling out more hard-earned cash for the August Smart Wifi Connect bridge. And if God forbid, you find yourself without your phone or keys with the auto-lock feature enabled – welcome to the nightmare of a potential lockout situation.
My interaction with their customer support has been disheartening. They seem more focused on attempting to shift responsibility onto the lock's compatibility. It feels disingenuous and lacks transparency.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
Would not buy again
I've been using this product over 1.5 years now and picked it particularly for its reputation, and professional look. It indeed carried those qualities, and maybe still does compared to some others in the market. It's been reliable in terms of locking/unlocking using a smartphone or the keypad. So I wouldn't say there is a problem in the basic promise, which is what you should expect a 200$ product anyway.
But...
1. It's been a pain being have to change the batteries that drain SO quickly! I have to replace the battery every 1-1.5 months. It is nowhere close to 3 months which is what is advertised (still too frequent maintenance for such a fundamental asset of a home). I was on a long vacation once and installed a fresh new batteries just in case. When I came back 2 months later, it already started complaining about changing the battery. I haven't used the gd thing once! I mean would even be fine, maybe, maybe with charging it via usb from my powerbank once in a while. It absolutely nonsense to keep worrying about the stock of 3V volt batteries at home and waiting in fear when will I get an email about my batteries being low.
2. Wifi connection. It keeps dropping connection and sends a notification about it to my phone every time (2-3 times a day). After 8-9 months I gave up and turn off all the notifications on my phone. Now I have no way of being notified about who came home and when.
Now there seems to be pretty good alternatives in the market. It wasn't back then. I would suggest looking them unless August made any improvements about these issues.
But...
1. It's been a pain being have to change the batteries that drain SO quickly! I have to replace the battery every 1-1.5 months. It is nowhere close to 3 months which is what is advertised (still too frequent maintenance for such a fundamental asset of a home). I was on a long vacation once and installed a fresh new batteries just in case. When I came back 2 months later, it already started complaining about changing the battery. I haven't used the gd thing once! I mean would even be fine, maybe, maybe with charging it via usb from my powerbank once in a while. It absolutely nonsense to keep worrying about the stock of 3V volt batteries at home and waiting in fear when will I get an email about my batteries being low.
2. Wifi connection. It keeps dropping connection and sends a notification about it to my phone every time (2-3 times a day). After 8-9 months I gave up and turn off all the notifications on my phone. Now I have no way of being notified about who came home and when.
Now there seems to be pretty good alternatives in the market. It wasn't back then. I would suggest looking them unless August made any improvements about these issues.
Avoid this company and it's products
I bought a couple of generation 2 locks a few years ago. I was disappointed when one of the locks began failing in a relatively short amount of time - within 2 years. There was a gritty sound and feel to the lock, as if sand had gotten into the lock - which it hadn't.
Then that same lock started constantly connecting and disconnecting all the while draining the batteries. I have two Wi-Fi network nodes within distance. One is within 10 feet but a wall is in between. Another is 20 feet away but there is a direct line of sight. The network is not the problem and the August app always confirmed that by always reporting a good signal. I tolerated changing batteries every 3 to 4 weeks for quite some time.
Eventually I got tired of changing batteries and purchased a Wi-Fi lock as a replacement. Physical installation was a breeze and went smoothly. However there were issues both with the August app and it's integration with Apple Home Kit. So I sent and inquiry to August's "support" staff. Over a month later, I still haven't received a response.
Now the other original gen 2 lock is starting with that same gritty sand feel. I fully expect that failure is imminent by the end of 2024.
I will be cutting my losses and not investing my money in any August or Yale product.
Then that same lock started constantly connecting and disconnecting all the while draining the batteries. I have two Wi-Fi network nodes within distance. One is within 10 feet but a wall is in between. Another is 20 feet away but there is a direct line of sight. The network is not the problem and the August app always confirmed that by always reporting a good signal. I tolerated changing batteries every 3 to 4 weeks for quite some time.
Eventually I got tired of changing batteries and purchased a Wi-Fi lock as a replacement. Physical installation was a breeze and went smoothly. However there were issues both with the August app and it's integration with Apple Home Kit. So I sent and inquiry to August's "support" staff. Over a month later, I still haven't received a response.
Now the other original gen 2 lock is starting with that same gritty sand feel. I fully expect that failure is imminent by the end of 2024.
I will be cutting my losses and not investing my money in any August or Yale product.
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