What Are Smart Locks?

Getting the lock right is always important. No matter if you are in a duplex, a midsized family home, or a luxurious estate, safety is always important. Smart locks are a great way to combine the technology and smart home systems you already know how to use with additional functionality that will make your home – and your family – safer in the long run. At ETC, we know that part of our role in this community is keeping clients safe, and we know smart locks are just one way to do that. So, let’s open the door on smart locks. This week we’re going to go through a primer on what smart locks are, how they work, and how they can help bring safety and peace of mind to your family. Let’s dive right in.

Smart Locks 101

All locks need a key, right? For smart locks, you don’t need to use a physical key (though some smart locks also still have traditional keyholes that you can use as a backup option). Instead, you have an electronic key. This can be one of a couple different things: an app on your smart phone, or it could be a key fob that you use. The lock and the electronic “key” communicate, unlocking your door for you. Of course, your door already has locks on it, so what does that mean when it comes to smart locks? Well, it depends on the lock. Some smart locks can actually work with your old locks, and others replace them all together. This is where we come in – give us a call and we can go over what options would work best for your home, and together we can come up with a smart security plan that we know will keep you feeling comfortable.

What do smart locks do?

OK, now that you know what a smart lock is, let’s look at what different types of smart locks can do for you and your family and how they can make your life both easier and safer. Some smart locks don’t even require you to take out your phone – they’ll unlock as soon as you walk close to it with a phone that has the right digital key. Others have keypads that you can use if you want, giving you more options than ever when it comes to making your home security work best for your unique needs. You also can use smart locks to lock and unlock your door from anywhere you are. If you need to let one of the kids into the house because you got stuck in a meeting and they beat you home, all you need to do is pull up the app and let them in. If you are on vacation and have an important delivery coming, you can unlock just the porch door, let the delivery person in, and then lock it behind them. Some smart locks even have video cameras to allow you to see and talk with whomever is at the door, as well.

One Step Further

Of course, smart locks are just the entry point to your smart home. The benefits of smart locks really start to expand exponentially once you consider them just a part of an overall smart home security solution. [caption id="attachment_30614" align="aligncenter" width="300"]

female hands holding phone with app smart home on the screen in the room[/caption]With such a solution, your smart locks can also be integrated to work with your larger smart home automation system. The possibilities here are as practical as they are helpful: Maybe you want your entryway lights to turn on when you open your front door. Or, looking at things from the other side, you could have your whole security system automatically arm itself when you leave and lock your front door on your way out. These are just a few ways you can make a smart lock even more impactful to your home’s overall security!No matter what you are looking to do with smart locks and your home security, you can always trust us at ETC to take safety and security as seriously as you do. Head on over to ETC Security or gives us a call at 561-881-8118.