Features:

  • Works with Alexa for voice control (Alexa device sold separately); Requires 110 to 240 Volts
  • Control and monitor your door from anywhere. Lock and unlock your door, control keyless access and keep track of who comes and goes, all from your phone
  • Secure, code-based home entry
  • Accessory for the August Smart Lock
Pros/Cons from a geek, early adopter, and smart-home enthusiast!

Wanted to give a few thoughts about my recently purchased August smart lock. For background, I’m running this lock in a decidedly “smart” house. Two Nest thermostats, a harmony hub, myQ garage, and 25+ LIFX connected lights. Pros: + Super brain-dead easy install. Took less than 10 minutes with just a philips head screwdriver. The video walkthrough on the app makes it really hard to mess up. + HomeKit integration is badass, and works flawlessly for me. There’s something soo cool tellling Siri on my cellular Apple Watch to lock/unlock the door, and it’s done. This works from inside/outside my house, on wifi, cellular, doesn’t matter. + Auto-locking is customizeable and works great. Don’t have to fish my key out to lock the door every time I take the puppers outside for a potty break. Neutral: * Doorsense, the little nubbin that you attach to your door frame that tells you if the door is open/ajar, was really easy to install and setup. So far though, doesn’t seem like a must-have feature. * Remote unlock with the included August Connect works fine, no issues so far. Takes a little bit longer than I’d like to actually connect to the lock when I’m out and about though. * a little bit pricey at $279 retail, but c’est la vie, yolo, and fomo Cons: - Auto-Unlock is finicky and unpredictable. It doesn’t work when you expect it to. This is the only reason why I gave it 3-stars instead of 5. The way it’s supposed to work is that you set your home location in the august app, and this puts a 200-meter radius around that spot (about a couple city blocks). When you (and your phone) leave this area, the lock enters “auto-unlock” mode, and is supposed to automatically unlock the next time you enter Bluetooth range (maybe 15-20 feet) or seemingly whenever you hop on to the same wifi network as the lock. Obviously, you have to keep Bluetooth on, and not force-close the app for this to work. The app will even send you a push notification when it detects that you’ve left your home area, and that the lock has entered auto-unlock mode. The problem is that it just doesn’t work 100% of the time. I’ve had instances where I did exactly as I was supposed to (left home area, got push notification saying lock was in auto-unlock mode, kept Bluetooth on and app active), and the lock doesn’t unlock even though I’m literally standing on the other side of the door. I’ve also had times when the lock won’t detect that I’ve left my neighborhood, and thus never enters auto-unlock mode in the first place. No rhyme or reason to it. On twitter, August says they’re constantly tweaking the algorithm of auto-unlock, so there’s hope that this will get better. Also, the home radius should be way less than 200-meters! I don’t live in a mega-mansion/ranch, and I shouldn’t have to wander a couple city blocks for the lock to know I’m not at home. Other random thought(s): * How badass would it be if the lock could use my cellular Apple Watch to auto-unlock?? TLDR: Easy install, auto-locking is awesome and customizable, HomeKit integration is sweet, but auto-unlocking algorithm needs more time in the oven. If “hey Siri unlock the door” from my Apple Watch didn’t work as well as it did, I’d probably return the lock. *update 11/8/17* - upgrading to 3.5 stars - Picked up the new iPhone X last week. Absolutely love this phone. Can you imagine if August put FaceID in their lock?? The future will be amazing (and a little creepy). Oh yeah, the iPhone X works fine with the August lock, no issues at all. - August issued a firmware update to the lock about a week ago (1.5.21). Auto-unlock feels like it is getting better at recognizing when I’ve arrived home. Still not 100% reliable. It sometimes takes too long for the lock to recognize that I’m standing outside (sometimes up to 5-10s). But the frequency of it working as it should is going up! Good job August, keep it coming! - If you have an iPhone, add the August widget to your lock screen. This gives you one-touch lock/unlock capability. And if you have the new iPhone X and Face ID, your phone will automatically unlock for you as soon as you look at it, so unlocking your august lock is one swipe + one tap away. - Not having to fish my key out every time I leave/come home truly is a luxury. Auto-locking works perfectly every time. And even with the ongoing auto-unlock finickiness, I feel confident enough in the lock that I removed my house key from my key ring (only the car key and mail key left!). And pulling out my phone and hitting unlock on the widget screen is still faster and more convenient than fumbling with a physical key in the dark. *update 5/25/18* - upgrading to 4.5 stars - August keeps improving the lock. Recently issued an update that makes remote connection almost instantaneous now. You don't have to manually connect to the August Connect any more either - it just does it automatically. Very cool. - Auto-unlock continues to improve. Still wish it would enter auto-away mode much sooner! One little quirk that I did not mention in the original review is that even when I enter the house from the garage on the other side of my home, the August Lock will auto-unlock. It does this reliably and consistently, even though I don't really want it to. I believe this is called out in the support documents, so it's not really a bug. It doesn't really bother me at all though, since it will always auto-lock itself after a few minutes anyway. Probably just uses the battery a little bit more is all. - Guest access keys work great so far! - Speaking of battery, I get about 3 months of use out of 4xAAs. I switched to some rechargeable eneloops, and seem to be getting a bit more use this time. *update 6/25/18* - upgrading to 5 stars - August updated the lock firmware again, and this time, it allows me to use the iphone widget to directly unlock the lock. Before, hitting the unlock button on the widget would take you to the app, and you had to tap the screen again to unlock the lock. It's so much faster now! - Still wish the away-mode radius could be smaller, but maybe it'll get there soon with how regularly August seems to be improving the lock! - Having had the lock for the better part of a year, I feel confident enough about it to recommend it to family now. Friends and family who have seen/used it have also commented on how much easier it is to use than a regular key.

A Great Smart Home Gadget! Nice-to-Have but not a Must-Have...

I honestly purchased the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect 3rd Generation as a fun smart home gadget, that would make my life easier, but also to add a “coolness” factor to my home. Between smart doorbells, alarm system, sensors, etc. I thought it was time to add a smart lock to the list. After much research I went with the August due to the leading application and support (with fully customizable features...I’ve added some of my personal insight below), great design (I love the look), Connect from anywhere features (I can lock/unlock from anywhere in the world...as long as internet connection is available), the ability to send a temporary “virtual key” to visitors (like friends and family), and that I can still use the lock in a traditional fashion (from outside I can use my key in the even of low batteries, and inside I can simply turn the cylinder). The first decision I had to make was installation location. Due to the price, although I’d like to install on all exterior doors, I only purchased one, and chose to install on my garage door. This happens to be the door most frequently use, and the one my hands will often be the most full going through (between grocery trips, heading in/out the door before/after work with coffee, computer, etc., or for my wife with the kids, book bags, etc.). Installation was simple, and the lock was installed in less than an hour. The mobile instructions were extremely intuitive, and well thought out. They have a more simple option to place a sensor on the frame of the door, or for you to drill a small hole on the inside of the frame (making the sensor nearly invisible, especially when the door is closed). I chose the second option (picture attached) for a more clean look, and so nothing would get frustratingly caught on while running out the door. I used a dab of wood glue on the sensor to keep it in place. My only frustration was placing the Connect box. There is a plug in a laundry room very close to the front door (which we keep shut, which would have hidden the Connect box), but it wasn’t sending a strong enough signal. Luckily I have an outlet close to the front door, I just didn’t want to see the box (no big deal). After installation, I strongly suggest customizing the settings/features. For example, I don’t have my door auto-lock after entry or when I leave the near vacinity of my home. Personally, I don’t want it to lock when I’m driving down the street, and have my wife locked out in the garage without her purse, keys, and phone (sometimes she goes out to put the kids in the car before going back in to get her purse). I LOVE the setting of auto unlocking when I get in close proximity. It’s great because I can have my hands full and don’t need to get my keys out of my pocket. I’ve also enjoyed the “virtual key” function, and use it when parents or family visit (especially if arriving late at night). The virtual key would be great for people with visitors, dog walkers, etc. Thrse features will gain even more importance as my kids grow and can do more on their own. In conclusion...So far, my experience has been outstanding. Honestly, for me this is a nice-to-have but not a must-have for most. I bought it for the fun and love the features, but could definitely get by without it. I love keeping my keys in my pocket, and being able to check if my door is locked from anywhere in the world. In the future if the cost comes down I’ll have them on all my doors. I rate this a 5/5 and would definitely purchase again. Thank you for reading and rating my review!

Don’t believe these bad reviews!

DO NOT LISTEN to ANY of these BAD REVIEWS! I took a chance even though the reviews were not great! I am extremely happy with this lock! It’s amazing! From its functionality, WiFi connection, the app associated with this item, and for the luxury of having an all inclusive front door setup with lock and doorbell camera definitely give this item five BIG stars. August gets a bad wrap I think because you really need good internet speeds and placements of each product needs to be pretty close to perfect suggested distance for their devices to work properly, but if you take the time to get it set up right, might need to make tweaks after initial setup, but the time is well spent! I honestly already had an August door lock and extender so i also bought the doorbell because I just didn’t want any more apps on my phone. I have never had one connection issue with my lock. It always unlocks for me when I’m pulling up to my house, has not once failed after having for almost a year! This was by far the best smart thing I purchased for my home, and it just goes to show you can’t always believe low rating reviews. I bought this and amazon was showing 2.5 star or 3, I can’t remember but that is wrong! Five star all the way!!!

AMAZING SMART LOCK!!

We love this smart lock! We ordered another “Smart” lock and it wasn’t very smart....so we returned it! We were alittle hesitant about trying another smart lock, but we bit the bullet and tried this one next. First thing, we ordered a used one off of Amazon (which saved us almost a $100 dollars)....but after installing it, found out the lock was registered to another owner (note: once the app is installed, you can eventually unregister the lock if need be). We had to call customer service and verify that we had bought the lock ourselves to have it registered in our names. Customer service was very helpful and quickly registered the lock to us. As for physical installation....SUPER EASY!!! The app has a step by step video for installation. The one thing that was hard for us was having the lock and our doors strike plate line up....if you don’t have a door that closes well or doesn’t easily lock, you will have to move your strike plate to address this issue so August Lock can work properly. Moving a strike plate usually requires a chisel. As for internet setup, that’s alittle tricky. The August Lock Hub (plugin) has to be in a precise area for it to “speak” to your router and the lock. Each time you move the hub, you have to go through the process over of setting to your router. Once, you finally find the SWEET SPOT....the app will display that you are on the internet and are ready to set it up with any other smart products, like ALEXA! We set ours up with Alexa and it works great. Note, Alexa can NOT unlock your door and that’s a good thing....you don’t want just anyone unlocking your door! I love that this lock can be program to auto-lock. Also, we have lots of Out town guest, so it’s easy to give them VIRTUAL KEYS! But I think my favorite part of this lock....you use your existing door lock, so no changing out your old keys for new ones. AWESOME LOCK....totally worth the money!!

Auto-unlock/lock, Digital Guest keys, full-Manual backup + rock solid Homekit integration!

My top priories while searching for a smart lock for the 1st time were: - Full-automation for locking/unlocking the door - Visibility into the status of the door and ability to lock/unlock it from anywhere at anytime - Ability to easily give visitors or contractors access, while also managing and restricting that access However, my WIFE’s one and only concern was having a fully-MANUAL backup option that she could easily use if issues were ever to occur or she couldn’t get it to work lol. This lock has somehow managed to meet BOTH of our requirements in a single package, and more importantly, helped my wife COMpletely overcome her general fear of these types of devices! PROS: ———————— The primary reasons I bought this smart lock over the others I reviewed including the: Kwikset Kevo 2nd Gen, and Ultraloq UL3 are: - Ability to maintain existing external lock & use my existing key to manually open the door whenever needed: —This is not only convenient it’s also more secure. Because this lock sits on the back of the door, no one can tell from the outside that you even have a smart lock therefore negating the possibly of people trying to “hack” it or anything else. — Neither the Kevo or Ultraloq can claim this as both make it clearly evident from outside that you have a smart lock. - Auto Un-Lock Function: You can set up a geo-fence around your home that will automatically lock the door when you exit that area, and automatically unlock it when you come home. This seems like a small thing but in reality it has completely changed how we interact with our home. — I no longer have to fumble with keys while holding groceries and my backpack, I also don’t have to worry about wonder if I locked the door when I’m in a rush on my way to work in the morning, I just close the door and walk away knowing the lock will do it’s thing! - Ability to send virtual “Guest” keys to visitors and contractors with user-specified durations and auto-expiration: —The KwikSet Kevo did have the option to send guest eKeys, but they were limited to 24hrs max and not available on all devices. Ultraloq did not offer this capability at all. - Ease of use and install + HomeKit integration: The installation of this lock took no more than 15 minutes start to finish. That is including setting up the Wi-Fi connect module, and connecting it HomeKit. — At the time of review (Dec, 18) The Ultraloq did not have ANY kind of smart home integration ability, while the Kevo sis have Alexa just not Homekit or Google Home. Problem is, to use with either one you need to buy a separate $100 hub that will be used for NOTHING else! CONS/Potential Future Improvements: ———————— There are a few shortcomings/enhancements I would like to see addressed in a version 3: - Additional unlocking options besides auto-unlock or manually clicking “Unlock” from within the app. — One thing both of the other locks I looked at had going for them was multiple ways to unlock besides the core Bluetooth functionality. Having the ability to unlock my door by maybe tapping my phone 3 times on it, or by using an “at-home” setting that works like the regular auto-unlock but does so repeatedly would be very nice. — It is a bit of a pain to have to pull out my phone or watch because the door has locked while I was going in/out the garage working on something. - Integration of the Wi-Fi functionality into the lock itself instead of needing a separate connect module. — I understand August’ reasoning as a Wi-Fi module would add heft and also drain battery life much quicker but at least giving users the option would be nice. Maybe add a rechargeable lithium-ion battery to both address the Wi-Fi power consumption issues and negate the need to replace AA batteries all together. - Ability to have multiple locks set to auto-unlock upon arriving at home: Again I understand the reasoning but sometimes I’m bringing different items that I can’t fit through the garage door and I need to go through the front, having both unlock for a set period of time would make things that much easier. - Always show a “Battery Life Remaining” indicator in the app instead of waiting till they are almost dead and saying: “batteries are low and need to be replaced.” - Lastly, and one of my only true concerns, streamline the Guest sign-up process!! — The flexibility of being able to send digital keys to guests is wonderful, however, making those guest download the August app AND create and account just to use that digital key is a bit much! It almost defeats the “ease of use” principle in the 1st place... — Instead of this, I would expect to see a streamlined process that brings users to a simply laid out HTML5 webpage explaining the sign-up process and how to use the key. It would then ask them for permission to query the device for its unique Bluetooth signature in order to link the phone to the lock, no August acct required. (I can examine technically how this would work but all you non-engineers out there would gloss over :) so August contact me if you want to know!) Overall I am quite pleased with this device, in fact I liked it so much I bought a used 1st gen one for my garage door too! All of the above functions have so far made for a seamless experience and although there are some small issues, they are irritations at best. If you are looking for an all-encompassing smart lock with rock solid Homekit integration, (and your still reading my review at this point!), you have found it. Don’t add it to a list, don’t read any more reviews, just go ahead and buy this thing now: your wife will thank you!

Only a couple issues but still 5/5!

My detailed thoughts: So basically I love this thing. I knew I would. I put off buying it for so long and then I saw a chance to buy one that had been returned. It was over $100 cheaper and I’m telling you, this thing had never even been opened. Initial thoughts: it’s so cool. I love giving my guests access to my home without having to give them a physical key. I love that the door locks behind me. I also love Alexa being able to open and lock the door for me by voice. Also worth mentioning, The door censor is so easy to install and really elevated the functionality of the lock. It’s virtually unnoticeable. I don’t know why some people are saying not to even install the censor... sometimes I forget to shut the door all the way when I’m putting groceries away. If you have kids or pets the censor really gives you piece of mind. I used to leave my keys in the door all the time. With this lock I don’t have that issue anymore! Issues that I feel are minor but still worth mentioning: When I walk my dogs around the block, it’s not far enough to declare me “away”. I think you should be able to determine your own away range because who doesn’t walk their dogs or get to the parking lot/garage and realize that you forgot something? I just think 2 city blocks is a bit much. I wish there was a radial slider that you could adjust. My other issue is that I ride my bike every day. I Lock my bike up in front of my home. There is a bike post about 10’ from my door. It takes me about 2-5 minutes to cover and lock it. By the time I finish and walk to my door, the lock has already unlocked and re locked... why!? I have the door censor installed. Can’t it stay unlocked until I actually open the door??? Other times I’m bringing groceries in and I have to make several trips. I mean it’s not a huge deal but the fact that it instantly re-locks before I even open it pretty much makes the auto-unlock function useless 50% of the time. So give it a timer that you can adjust before it re-locks. Otherwise I’m completely happy with this lock. My entire home is automated and this was the second to last piece of the puzzle and it was a simple and painless conversion. Next stop, automatic blinds! Hope this was helpful.

One more smart home piece of gear that works

I went back and forth over which type of lock I would get to work with my Amazon Echo. I settled on the August lock system because it is consistently highly rated and I was emboldened by its claims that it would be easily installed in just a few minutes. The packaging is excellent and everything was in its own little place in the formed cardboard protector inside of a very sturdy box. It literally took less than 10 minutes to install the door lock after removing the original and then setting up Alexa to work with it. You need to download the August app from the Google Play Store for your Android or from the Apple Store ideas for your iPhone but that was a simple thing. You just have to set up an account and then it leads you through the installation in the app, which was nice. After I installed the lock it wanted to calibrate the system but it asked me whether I wanted to do the lock or the lock and the door sense. I didn't know what a door sense was so I pressed the wrong button and ended up with a system that would unlock the door but would not lock the door while I was standing there using the app to try and control it. I had to search and found instructions on the August website about how to install the small oval door sense on the door jamb opposite where the August lock is. Once I followed that set of instructions everything worked fine. I recalibrated and everything was positioned properly & I apparently was able to install it properly! Note that your Echo will definitely lock the door just on voice but to unlock it you have to find in your settings where it says to add a PIN to unlock it. It wasn't a big deal once I figured it out but now I can't remember where that was to put it here in my review. Just know that you have to do that extra step or it won't work with voice control through your Echo.

Great solution for people that forgot keys! (ME!)

Why we purchased this? We got tired of getting locked out with no option other than a locksmith. After our last lockout which ended at 9pm, we immediately searched for a smart lock. There are many but we went with August because of the ability to retain your ability to use the key externally but have the option for August to allow you to open your door with your phone. We decided to buy the August Connect as well so that we could have it connected to our home's Wifi for when we want to open the door for those that come over and we are not home and have the ability to check if we locked the door after leaving the house (sounds lame, but it happens too often). So here is my mini review: Install: Very easy, make sure that the path the deadbolt travels is clear and with no resistance. This will allow the August to function easily as it locks and unlocks the door. I had to file down the deadbolt hole in the door frame to make it work better. Take care when mounting the August to make sure that the bolt tension is only what is needed to keep it secure or the retaining clips you push down to mount the August won't e level, this took me far longer that it should have if I would have just read the instructions slower. Function: The August works great. As I stated before, between the door shut sensor and wifi Connect, it performs excellent. I've had no battery issues and plan to keep tabs on battery health. Wishlist: 1. I really wish that the android app had a shortcut on the icon to be able to lock and unlock the door. Having to open the app is something that takes too long and I end up using my key when I wish I could just use the phone. 2. I'd like to see an NFC / Bluetooth version where I could swipe my phone without opening the app to open the lock. 3. Fingerprint (Android) / Face Unlock - security for the application. I really don't want just anyone that has my phone locking and unlocking the door.

Combines all the desired features of a smart lock and does it well!

I am very particular about my smart home devices and researched this until I was cross-eyed. So many options, and like most things, these all of have their strengths and limitations. I was looking for something that would allow me to: 1) keep my outside portion of my deadbolt 2) use my same key 3) integrate with Alexa or Google Home 4) unlock and lock remotely, 5) track lock activity history. This lock does this and more. The lock installed easily, set up was easy enough but I did have some kinks integrating with Alexa and getting the bridge to work with my WiFi. Called customer support and they were all over this. August let me know they were updating the software to address this issue and had me send screenshots and information on what was going on. Next day I heard from their tech team who had some follow up questions, very committed. Lock is working great - I lock it by voice at night and open it by voice when I leave in the morning. The door auto unlocks when I get within proximity to the front door. All of these things are programable within the software. You can have the lock, lock within a predetermined time after you leave. I am thinking that's not a good idea for me - I can see myself leaving the house without my phone or keys and locking myself out of the house. Alexa or Google will not unlock the house by voice without a verbal passcode. Google hub provides an optional keypad display when you ask it to unlock the door to prevent having to verbalize the passcode. At night, after I've gone to bed, I sometimes wonder if I locked the door, pre-smartlock I had to get up and check. Today I ask Alexa if the door is locked and she lets me know Yes it is locked or no it is not. If it's not locked I can do it verbally without getting up. The lock also has the ability to let you know if the door is open or ajar, very nice!! I am pleased with this purchase and feel confident the device will be supported well.

A must buy product!

So.....I've been wanting this lock for a while now, but never bought it because of it's price and the reviews it's had for the previous gen models. Also I wanted more than bluetooth range and having the ability to open and close the lock remotely from anywhere where internet was available was very important to me. Enter August Smart Lock Pro 3rd Gen. I pulled the trigger on this particular model because it checked all the boxes for me. But I was still a little apprehensive. I'm glad I jumped in. This is one of those products that seems to model the packaging and user experience of an Apple product. I was extremely impressed with how the app showed you how to install the lock. Hands down the best installation system I have EVER seen. In other words, if you mess ups the installation on this product....well....you have bigger problems. The setup could not have been easier. I absolutely LOVE the Door Sense feature. One of the problems I've had in the past with my front door is that it sometimes stays open if you're not careful about closing it. With Door Sense, it will alert you if this happens. Also, I've had "dumb" electronic locks that would auto-close regardless of whether the door was open or closed. This can't happen with this smart lock. Based on my tests with the lock, it works perfectly. It also works INSTANTLY. Absolutely no lag whatsoever. This really surprised me. It is also very quiet and smooth. My older electronic locks sounded absolutely awful and would often jam up. Siri and Alexa integration is absolutely fantastic. I can just summon Siri with my iPhone or Apple Watch and BOOM! Works flawlessly! So I am not gonna bore you with a super long review. This thing works and works amazingly well. Hell I would buy another one just to have fun installing it again....but I don't have another door to install it on LOL. I don't often write reviews but I just had to on this one. Very impressed. Well done August! (I will try and provide updates as time goes by. I am writing this review only after the initial installation and have had this product for only 12 hours. So let's hope it lasts!) UPDATE (10/14/17) So I have had this product for two weeks now and it has not disappointed. The lock has worked flawlessly during this time period. The auto unlock has worked every time and the response time using HomeKit is almost instantaneous. There's not much else to say other than it works as advertised. I mean what else can be said? If it works, it works!

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