waiting for August Smart Lock homekit version

[cyberdogl2]

when i saw that the homekit version of the August Smart Lock was available for purchase, the 3-6 weeks availability kinda turned me off. so i wanted to wait a couple weeks for it to be available to make my order.

it's been months now with the same status, and so the wait continues...

for now regular August lock with Connect works fine i just would like some siri love to come along with it

 

[chuyn]

when i saw that the homekit version of the August Smart Lock was available for purchase, the 3-6 weeks availability kinda turned me off. so i wanted to wait a couple weeks for it to be available to make my order.

it's been months now with the same status, and so the wait continues...

for now regular August lock with Connect works fine i just would like some siri love to come along with it

It may be a while wait. Especially in Canada. I pre-ordered when they were announced near the end of last year from Best Buy with a release date of November. Then it got pushed back to March. And now it's listed as June..

 

[cyberdogl2]

just checked their Facebook, looks like estimated mid april now

 

[ericgtr12]

In their defense, a lot of companies that have claimed they would be Homekit compatible by now have had the same delays, it's hard to say what the standards are but it seems to be from Apple's end. I stopped waiting around a long time ago for most of my other home automation devices, that being said the Schlage Sense is Homekit compatible.

 

[tnc25]

My homekit smart lock just shipped Friday April 22nd via FedEx Home Delivery with an estimated delivery date of today Saturday April 23rd, however it's 7:30PM and the tracking says "Shipping Label Created" so I am guessing it won't arrive till monday at earliest... Anyone else have their homekit smart lock shipped?

 

[tnc25]

My homekit smart lock just shipped Friday April 22nd via FedEx Home Delivery with an estimated delivery date of today Saturday April 23rd, however it's 7:30PM and the tracking says "Shipping Label Created" so I am guessing it won't arrive till monday at earliest... Anyone else have their homekit smart lock shipped?

in transit, arrives tuesday!

 

[chuyn]

Nothing for me yet. Mine was ordered through Best Buy in Canada (just too expensive to ship if ordered from August). Still says June for release date. Although I noticed their app just got updated a couple days ago to include support for the Homekit version, so it seems the locks only started shipping recently.

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

So how is it ? Thinking of buying one. Not sure what color though. Lol

 

[cyberdogl2]

finally got mine installed last night. the replacement of my nonhomekit one was quick and easy.

HomeKit set up went without a hitch. I'm amazed that with literally zero configuration, my iPhone iPad and Apple Watch can now control and check the status of my lock.

Also I don't know if it's placebo but the HomeKit version seems to have a good amount of less lag.

In the last year I've had to use my physical key to open my door only three times. I expect it to be just as solid going forward.

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

finally got mine installed last night. the replacement of my nonhomekit one was quick and easy.

HomeKit set up went without a hitch. I'm amazed that with literally zero configuration, my iPhone iPad and Apple Watch can now control and check the status of my lock.

Also I don't know if it's placebo but the HomeKit version seems to have a good amount of less lag.

In the last year I've had to use my physical key to open my door only three times. I expect it to be just as solid going forward.

I got mine installed tonight ! love it, only thing I noticed is that the auto unlock isn't working for me when I arrive at my place. Do I need to buy the "august connect" for this feature to work? Do you know?

 

[chuyn]

You don't need the Connect. The Connect is just for accessing the lock remotely. The auto-unlock has been working really well for us actually. Have you tried turning the feature off, then back on and/or adjusting the geofence size?

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

You don't need the Connect. The Connect is just for accessing the lock remotely. The auto-unlock has been working really well for us actually. Have you tried turning the feature off, then back on and/or adjusting the geofence size?

I haven't. I'll check it out.
[doublepost=1463523972][/doublepost]

You don't need the Connect. The Connect is just for accessing the lock remotely. The auto-unlock has been working really well for us actually. Have you tried turning the feature off, then back on and/or adjusting the geofence size?

Do I have to have bluetooth on ?

Update:
I tried everything, and no go for me . Everything seems to work smooth except for that feature. It's bugging me that I can't get it to work , I contacted August , gave me a troubleshoot guide and nothing still ! So irritating .....

 

[chuyn]

That would be frustrating. Sorry can't help any further. All I can suggest is making sure bluetooth is always on as well as your location services (and the app have permission to use it), which I'm sure their guide already mentioned.
It should only unlock after you come back from leaving the geofence you've set though. So if you're just going out to the backyard and back, it won't auto-unlock. You would have to, for example, go a block or two away to make sure you're out of the zone, then come back for it to register.
Perhaps a defective unit?

 

[kepardue]

You don't need the Connect. The Connect is just for accessing the lock remotely. The auto-unlock has been working really well for us actually. Have you tried turning the feature off, then back on and/or adjusting the geofence size?

So, with the Connect, does it appear in HomeKit itself when you're remote through the Apple TV, or does the Connect only allow status/control through the August app? That is to say, if I'm away and I need to let someone into my house, can I go to the Home app or tell Siri "Unlock my front door"?

I really want a couple of these for my house, but I'm having trouble justifying the expense given that it's $229 for the lock and another $80 for the Connect, plus another $80 if you want a keypad... and it doesn't even improve the security of the lock hardware on the house itself. I'd be keen on the Schlage Sense if it wasn't for the auto unlock feature when you get close. That's a key selling point for me.

 

[chuyn]

Right now I'm using the non-HomeKit version of the lock so I have no access through Siri regardless. Using the Connect, I access the lock through the app, but it's different. When you're next to the lock and have no Connect, you'll see your lock status in the app (red/green) and just tap the lock to operate it. When you have a Connect, the only difference is you have an extra button that says Remote Connect. So you have to take an extra step to connect to the lock through the Connect (like when you're away from home). Could be a power saving feature but the main thing is the Connect has to be "activated" each time you open the app in order to operate/view the lock remotely. Normal operation of the lock, like the auto-unlock feature, or locking it with the app when you leave the house, is all just done from the phone -> lock. The Connect is never involved until you press that Remote Connect button.

My HomeKit locks are arriving today, so I'll test out how Siri access works with them. The August site says remote Siri access requires the Apple TV be within range of the lock. As far as I'm aware, it is just the lock that is HomeKit capable, not the Connect. So remote operation/view of the lock through the August app would require the Connect. Remote operation through Siri would require the Apple TV. The reason I got the Connect was I wanted to see the lock's status through the app (I don't really want to always have to talk to Siri to check or operate the locks remotely) as well as linking it to my Harmony remote. I'll still need it even with the HomeKit version of the lock.

 

[kepardue]

Excellent to hear, chuyn. I'd appreciate it if you could update this thread once you've had some experience with the HomeKit version. I do have the Apple TV, so that much wouldn't be a problem. I'd just like to be able to peek in the Home app (or any other HomeKit app) and get a status on the lock, and be able to remotely lock or unlock it.

One other question is the history. I assume you have to have Connect to get the notifications about when your kids arrive home, etc. But if you *don't* have connect, does it still record history and sync that via Bluetooth when you're in range of the lock?

I'm thinking:
Main entryway door: Smart Lock + Keypad (for the in-laws that don't have smart devices)
Side door in the garage (e.g. the one we always use): Smart Lock only with the auto unlock enabled so we don't have to fiddle with keys as we come in.

I'm just undecided about Connect. It's pricey, but it seems like you're missing half the point of the smart locks without it. Being able to tell Siri to make sure the door's locked while in bed and out of Bluetooth range seem awesome. I really wish this would have been included in the $229 package.

 

[chuyn]

You know, about the history syncing via Bluetooth... I noticed their screenshots on the app store showed a manual lock entry. I've never seen those in my app so I emailed them and they claimed that it was a feature in an upcoming firmware update. I haven't seen this update yet. What's weird though, is that my Connect allows me to get notifications of the lock being operated manually (and I do receive them) but they don't show up in the lock's history in the app. There are just entries for locking/unlocking using the app, or remotely through the Connect. I assume this future update will allow you to see/sync history of the August keypad usage as well. That should be only reason to sync history, because if you're using the app to get in, it syncs the history right away because the app should have a data connection.

By the sounds of things, you use the garage door mainly, and the front is for guests? A Schlage Sense at the front and the August at the garage doesn't sound too bad. I do really enjoy the auto-unlock feature. It's what made us lean more towards the August vs the Schlage. And luckily for us, all of our friends/family have smartphones. You should be able to ask Siri to check the lock from bed if your Apple TV is within range. Like I said, main reason I bought the Connect is I prefer to see/use the lock through the app vs asking Siri when I'm not home. Plus I have a "bedtime" scene on my Harmony so when we're done, it shuts down our a/v, turns the lights off, locks the doors, etc. The Connect is needed for that.

Will update after I set up and play around with the locks this evening. My Apple TV is within about 15-20ft of one door but farther from the other door. I'm not very confident it can connect to the far door, but we'll see.

 

[kepardue]

You nailed it. I've thought about exactly that, the August for the side door that we use and Schlage for the main entryway door that guests/in-laws-tending-the-house-during-vacations would use. I'm just concerned about having so many smart apps. Without an official Apple Home app (yet, I'm hopeful for iOS 10), I already have Ecobee, Smappee, Eve, Hue, and iDevices apps that all do their own respective jobs better than the next, and that would be adding both an August and Schlage app to the mix, each with it's own history of entry/exit.

The Apple TV is maybe 15 feet away from the front door, so I'd imagine the Bluetooth would reach it. If it allowed remote access via HomeKit that way, even if the August remote access app wouldn't work, that would probably be enough for me. But if you have to have Connect to run your bedtime scene, I'm assuming it wouldn't work with straight HomeKit.

Definitely interesting that it notifies you of manual entry without recording a history log of it. I'd be interesting to see that update when it comes out.

 

[chuyn]

So I installed the locks and did rough measurements. Front door is about 15 ft from the Apple TV and the back door about 26 ft away. Tested the following with Siri (all without the Connect set up and with wifi/Bluetooth on and then off):

In the living room, worked.
In bed, worked.
In my garage, worked.
At the back of my backyard, worked.

I tried asking lock status of each door, then for both at the same time, as well as locking/unlocking each and both. So, for me, either my phone or my Apple TV is close enough to reach either lock.

I also turned wifi/Bluetooth off and tried operating the locks using the Home app. Works... It shows the locks' status as well as operating them.

I know what you mean about all the separate apps.. I just tuck them into a smart home folder. I usually operate them via widgets, or Siri. Our lights we have scheduled and will rarely operate them differently. When we do, we just use the physical switches.

Also, to clarify my "bedtime" scene, it's not a HomeKit scene. It's an "activity" that I have set up on my Harmony remote, like "watch tv" or "play Xbox". It's so when when we're turning in for the night, I press the "bedtime" button on the remote and it shuts off the tv, amp, turns off the lights (non-HomeKit Insteon switches and HomeKit hues), and locks the doors. It's not related to HomeKit/Siri so it requires the Connect to access the locks.

 

[kepardue]

So I installed the locks and did rough measurements.

That's most interesting feedback. Thanks so much for reporting back with your measurements and experience with it. As it happens, your measurements are almost the same as mine: about 12 feet from the front door and about 27 from the side door. I would seriously have doubted that the Bluetooth range to the Apple TV would have reached at 26 feet. If that's the case, it's ironic that you'd be able to see the lock status and unlock via Homekit, but not the August app. Thanks also for the clarification on your Goodnight scene. Enjoy your locks! I have a feeling I'll be joining you in ownership soon enough.

 

[cyberdogl2]

just want to add that when i bought my homekit version i removed my nonhomekit version and also removed the connect. the homekit version lets me do everything i could do before, my apple tv is just functioning as the connect sorta. works really well.

also, the times i notice that auto-unlock didn't work for me is when i had turned wifi or bluetooth off before i entered the geofence area. i usually leave wifi/bluetooth on all day and so most the time it auto unlocks

 

[brianbunge]

So I installed the locks and did rough measurements. Front door is about 15 ft from the Apple TV and the back door about 26 ft away. Tested the following with Siri (all without the Connect set up and with wifi/Bluetooth on and then off):

In the living room, worked.
In bed, worked.
In my garage, worked.
At the back of my backyard, worked.

I tried asking lock status of each door, then for both at the same time, as well as locking/unlocking each and both. So, for me, either my phone or my Apple TV is close enough to reach either lock.

I also turned wifi/Bluetooth off and tried operating the locks using the Home app. Works... It shows the locks' status as well as operating them.

I know what you mean about all the separate apps.. I just tuck them into a smart home folder. I usually operate them via widgets, or Siri. Our lights we have scheduled and will rarely operate them differently. When we do, we just use the physical switches.

Also, to clarify my "bedtime" scene, it's not a HomeKit scene. It's an "activity" that I have set up on my Harmony remote, like "watch tv" or "play Xbox". It's so when when we're turning in for the night, I press the "bedtime" button on the remote and it shuts off the tv, amp, turns off the lights (non-HomeKit Insteon switches and HomeKit hues), and locks the doors. It's not related to HomeKit/Siri so it requires the Connect to access the locks.

Would you mind sharing which Harmony remote you have? If you mentioned it already I missed it. Thanks!

 

[chuyn]

Would you mind sharing which Harmony remote you have? If you mentioned it already I missed it. Thanks!

I have the ultimate home remote. All of their recent remotes that use the hub are capable of home control.

 

[brianbunge]

I have the ultimate home remote. All of their recent remotes that use the hub are capable of home control.

Good to know! I still have an old Harmony 1100, but have been wanting to move up to something with home control. You said the August Connect is required to work with the new Harmonys, right?

 

[chuyn]

Yup that's right. The Connect is needed because the hub communicates over wifi.