IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
Image captionSmart locks are becoming more common
For Candace Nelson, finding out about smart locks from a friend "really was a game changer".
People like her, who live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), often feel a need to perform routines like washing their hands, counting things or checking a door is locked.
"I have quite a few times nearly made it to work and couldn't remember if I locked the door, so I'd turn around," she says.
On other occasions she has driven for an hour before turning back. "My brain will not stop until I know for sure," explains Miss Nelson, who works for the Girl Scouts in Charleston, West Virginia.
But in September she installed a door lock that she can monitor from her smartphone.
"Being able to just look at my phone and feel that sense of comfort really helps put me at ease," she says.
IMAGE COPYRIGHTCANDACE NELSON
Image captionLike many people, Candace Nelson appreciates the convenience of a smart lock
Smart locks like Kwikset's Kevo began to appear in 2013. Using a Kevo, your smartphone transmits the key by bluetooth from your pocket, then you touch the lock to open it.
Bluetooth uses less energy than wi-fi, but offers fewer features.
Raising the stakes, Yale's August and Schlage's Encode, launched in 2018 and 2019, have wi-fi as well.
Wi-fi lets you monitor and control the lock when you're away from home, and see the face of your Amazon delivery person who wants to get in.
Connecting with wi-fi also allows your lock to talk to Alexa or Siri, and turn on your lights and adjust the thermostat when you get home. The electronic equivalent of a dog fetching your slippers.
Using a smartphone as a key has become especially popular for AirBnB hosts, and the rental platform has a partnership with Yale.
Worldwide, the smart lock market is on track to reach $4.4bn (£3.2bn) in 2027, up tenfold from $420m in 2016, according to market research firm Statista.
Smartphone keys are also gaining popularity in Asia.
Taiwan-based Tracy Tsai, research firm Gartner's vice president for connected homes, points out that people are already happy to use smartphones for shopping so using them as a key is a small step.
Post time: Jun-02-2021