As someone who loves technology, it’s easy to get excited about new things. I love to tinker with the latest gadgets, but I know for those who aren’t into this stuff, that seems like a nightmare. My wife doesn’t get excited about new technology, though. As long as it makes her life easier, she’s content. She wants it to work. Right after Christmas of 2019, I purchased the 3rd generation August Smart Lock Pro. Since then we’ve absolutely loved every aspect of it. A few weeks ago, I decided to upgrade to the 4th generation August Wi-Fi Smart Lock. Read on to hear more about August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, and why it’s worth upgrading to the latest generation.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
After hearing about smart locks for years, I resisted purchasing one as I was worried the installation was complicated and would require me to change out the entire door handle. Once I started looking a little closer at August’s products, I realized that I only had to replace the interior part of the deadbolt. The 3rd generation product was a breeze to install and so was the latest generation. Even for someone who isn’t that handy, I was able to go from unboxing to configuring the final touches in around a half-hour.
Installation process
August has done an excellent job of building a short video for every step of the way. The first step is to use painters tape to secure the outside deadbolt from falling out. Second, you remove the interior part of your deadbolt. It then walks you through using the supplied adaptors to connect the August Lock to your deadbolt. All in all, the hardware installation took ten minutes. You’ll need a Philips head screwdriver, but other than that, all the required products are in the box.
In my situation, I was removing an existing August lock, so I had to raise the tabs on the side to unlock the actual August Lock, and then I removed the mounting bracket. I then worked backward with the products from the 4th generation August Wi-Fi Smart Lock. I screwed in the mounting bracket, added the lock adaptor, and then mounted the new lock. Since I had already installed the Door Sense sensor, I was able to just leave it as-is from the previous installation.
Once the hardware was configured, I went to work setting up the software side. The software configuration is another place where August has done a great job of making it easy. It walked me through the calibration process, sharing it with my wife over the August app, and then adding it to HomeKit as well. Once that was done, I removed the old lock by doing a factory reset.
The total time from unboxing to when it was up and running was around thirty minutes. For someone that hates home projects with a passion, it was painless. If you’ve held off on a smart lock due to the perceived complexity, you’ll be safe choosing an August Wi-Fi Smart Lock,
Day to day use of August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
My home includes a two-car garage that we used quite often before getting the lock. On a given day, it might have gone up five or so times. Now, it’s only used first thing in the morning, and we park in the driveway until we’re home for the night. We’re putting less wear and tear on our garage door thanks to August Smart Lock Pro.
HomeKit Support with August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
I’ve got it configured where it automatically unlocks as we walk up to our home, so we don’t have to fiddle with finding our keys while trying to get our children in the house. As we leave, it automatically locks. I also have it set to automatically lock when we come home after five minutes. It’s a perfect example of how smart home products should work. We don’t have to think about it. It blends in perfectly with our lifestyle, and it works behind the scenes.
Thanks to its HomeKit support, I can always check in with Siri to make sure my door is locked. I can also set it to run with my other automations as well. Right now, I have it to set auto-lock via HomeKit automation when our “Night” mode goes on. In the event the door is still unlocked, I know that HomeKit will lock it.
What makes the 4th generation lock different
If you have a previous August lock, you might be wondering what makes the 4th generation lock different, and if it is worth upgrading. The first thing that you’ll notice is that it’s dramatically smaller. August claims its 45% smaller, and I believe them. The previous locks weren’t massive, but they were a lot bigger than a normal deadbolt lock. The 4th generation August look blends in much more with your door. The second reason to upgrade is to avoid needing the Connect bridge. Previously, if you wanted to access the August lock offsite and you didn’t have HomeKit, you’d need the Connect bridge. Otherwise, the lock would only work with Bluetooth. With the 4th generation lock, Wi-Fi is built right into the lock so no bridge is needed.
Since I was able to sell my old lock for around 1/3rd of the cost of the new lock, it was a worthwhile upgrade. The 45% smaller form factor is worth the upgrade alone for me.
Wrap-up on August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock Pro is my favorite HomeKit product. I love being able to unlock the door as we walk up to the house. It blends in nicely with the rest of our door hardware. It was extremely handy while we were on vacation a few weeks ago as we were having our floors redone from tornado damage back in April. I was able to remotely unlock my doors each morning before they arrived and re-lock it when they left in the evening.
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock allows us to avoid fumbling around for keys when we’re carrying in groceries, trying to get the kids inside, while also trying to keep the dog from getting outside. As we talk up, the door authenticates to our phone, and it automatically unlocks. A few minutes later, it automatically locks right back. Without a doubt, if you only have one smart home product, make it the new August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.
The 4th generation solves all the complaints I had about the previous version, so it’s a great time to purchase one.
