Excellent Smart Locks

I have been using four 1st generation August Smart Locks for about 10 years and they continue to perform exceptionally well. I use these locks in three different houses. These locks easily allow me to add and remove access for guests while I am remote. I am sure the latest models match the performance as the original with functional and physical improvements like reduced size. I highly recommend this product and I am sure I will update my locks at some point.

An awkward looking regular door knob

I wish I could tell more about the features of the product, but unfortunately I cannot so far. For me it's just an awkward looking regular knob, this is why:

Great idea, poor results

I’ve had this lock for a while now. It looks great, the app is good and the functionality is what I want. However, the performance falls so short that I cannot recommend anyone purchase this lock. The battery performance is terrible, lasting approximately 30 days before replacements are needed and CR123 batteries aren’t cheap. Rechargeable CR123 batteries are also not as good as other battery types. This unit also drops WiFi connectivity frequently (despite having a good network connection). I had to purchase a Connect Bridge, which initially seemed to improve both of these problems but more recently those same issues have gotten worse. I’m very disappointed and looking for a new smart lock now.

A very cool device. It works beautifully.

I was a little skeptical but it's very smart and versital with it's calibration feature. There's a magnet that can be mounted on the indoor side of the door frame or in the door frame below the catch by drilling a 5/8" dia hole where it is unseen. IMO the device is a definite keeper so drilling the hole is the way to go. It works with the existing deadbolt by removing the inside knob and faceplate, then sliding it on to the shaft after inserting the proper shift adapter provided. It takes a little more than the 10 minutes advertised if you drill the hole for the magnet. It tells the app whether the door is open or closed I believe. A 5/8" paddle bit is required if you mount it in the door frame. If you're in love with the look of your deadbolt from the inside then take a look at the picture. A quality product though, to be sure. I recommend getting the wifi adapter accessory, it'll work from anywhere you are away from home and automatically switch from Bluetooth to wifi when necessary within your home. (the scuffs are unrelated to the device installation. On the to do list to be touched up.)

No more keys!

I’ve been using the August WiFi Smart Lock for a couple years now and I haven’t used/needed a house key since I installed it. I have it set to lock automatically (after a set amount of minutes) so I never have to worry if I forgot to lock the door, and unlock for me automatically when I come home. This is of course optional, but it works great for me and means that all I need is to have my phone on me and the door will unlock when I get within range without even needing to take it out of my pocket. I use the keypad (separate item, not included) to ensure I never get locked out, even if I don’t have my phone.

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!!

Get this if you want to be locked out.

I went on a walk around my neighborhood and locked my house. When I came back, I could not unlock the door with the keypad, Bluetooth, or wifi. Mind you, I had just locked this door 10 minutes prior using the one touch. As a result I had to pay for a locksmith $407 out of pocket. When I reached out to customer service about the issue they refused to reimburse me, and said my lock (bought October ‘21) was out warranty and they won’t even replace the lock. They didn’t destroy my front door August deadbolt, I had the locksmith destroy the one on my garage door. I even sent them videos of how the lock was acting up afterwards and they still refuse.

A great product

It has just been over a month since we got our smart lock installed. Installation was pretty straight forward. So far we are still on the original battery that came with the product. Just to be safe, as part of our purchase, we also got 4 additional rechargeable batteries with the accompanying charger. We are still waiting to see how long the original battery lasts. Auto lock is very reliable. The auto unlock feature does not work 100% but as long you have your phone and spare key with you, this is not a show stopper. As the original lockset is not changed, it maintains a very low profile. I definitely recommend this lock. It is worth the expense and trains you to keep [at least your phone] and/or key with you at all times.

Multiple defective units

I purchased an August Smart Lock and within a year the unit stopped working. It was under warranty and they sent me another one. This time it lasted longer but within 3 years it also stopped working. The quality of the product is really low and they expect you to replace them on a regular basis. I have spoken to tech support more times than I can remember and they are generally helpful, but when it comes to replacing a defective unit, they don't really care and just expect you to replace the unit. I'm quite disappointed as I really like the unit and the app when it works, but in the end, it isn't feasible to have something like this fail at a critical moment in the middle of winter and be locked out of your house with freezing temperatures.

No Matter Support, terrible battery life

I bought this lock over a year ago at BestBuy and while it works from the app itself. I had to completely remove it more than once to get it to work with HomeKit.

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.

Costs too much in batteries

I’ve had this lock for about a year now. I’m about to have to change the batteries for the fifth time. This set has lasted 54 days, not the 3 months in the ad copy. It wouldn’t be so bad if the CR123 batteries it requires weren’t so expensive. Around $8.50 for two this time. If they lasted 4-6 months, I wouldn’t mind. At this rate, I’m anticipating around $50 outlay for the coming year. I don’t use any of the features. It’s on my front door. We usually leave via the garage. We only use it to lock or unlock 3-5 times/week. Seems like with that little activity, battery life would be longer. Its main value to us lies in the ability to check to be sure the door is locked when we leave the area. If it used AAs or a rechargeable battery, I would be a lot more satisfied.

Reliable and easy

Cost effective, unobtrusive, feature rich, and easy for anyone to use.

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.

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.

Works great, eats 60$ worth of batteries a year

the 4th gen smart lock cost me 159$ in a discount deal and I was excited!

Good when it works. Poor support when it doesn’t

I’ve purchased 7 August Locks over the years and initially loved them. Each of them has failed within 2-3 years and has needed to be replaced. Since this is beyond the 1 year warranty, they’ve needed to be re-purchased at full cost. When they are replaced, every user and their access code must be manually re-added to the account. Additionally there are 2 users on my account that cannot be modified or removed, allowing them access to my house despite me trying to remove them multiple times. I’ve spoken to August’s support multiple times about the issue and it has been over a year that they have been trying to find a solution. Overall, I’d have a hard time recommending August or Yale products given these experiences.

Lasted Barely Past A Year

Had an earlier version of the lock and liked it. Decided when we got a new home to purchase this one and it barely lasted past the warranty period. Received canned email responses about the issue, happy to share so others can avoid this company. They thought they were so generous to offer a discount for a new lock, but with restrictions, that was going to cost me another $150, after I just purchased that same lock a little over a year ago. Zero logic or common sense used in their canned responses telling me how sorry they were, but I could spend another $150 to buy the same lock that doesn't work anymore. I never once asked for it to be free, as I used it for a year, but I wasn't expecting them to say "we appreciate your business and we are sorry for the inconvenience, please pay us another $150 for the same lock you bought a little over a year ago." I let them know I will spend far more than that to switch to another lock for my home then to give them another $150 for the same lock that didn't last a year. They sent me another email letting me know they were happy that I shared my thoughts and apologized for my inconvenience. Sadly they don't understand as a company that treating good customers, who aren't looking for a free handout, will cost them 10x's more as everyone we know constituently is asking about what technology we use in our home.

Go broke on batteries

Battery life on these locks is so poor I have begun to put a sticky note inside the lock with the date I replaced them. Now it is very obvious that a pair of CR123 lithium batteries last me about a month. Those batteries cost a little over two dollars apiece. Extrapolate that out for two batteries across three locks and I am spending more on keeping these locks functioning then I am on Disney+ and oil changes on my car every year.

So convenient!

We purchased our August lock six months ago and so far it has been wonderful! The first thing that I like is that it works with your existing deadbolt. That means that I can purchase the most secure deadbolt but still have all the features of a smart lock.