These codes can also be set to only activate at certain times or certain days perfect for those of us that use AirBnb and want to automatically limit access before a guest checks in and after they check out. I recommend the former for guests – rather obviously. The former enables them to only use their code to unlock or lock the door, while the latter also gives them access to things like your Nest Thermostat, Nest Cameras, and Nest Doorbell. For example, I’d like to be able to receive notifications when one of my AirBnB guests uses their code to get in, but I’d rather not be notified every time my girlfriend uses her code.Ĭodes can be granted either Door Access Only or System-Wide Access. Personally, I’d love to see a bit more micro-management options. Unfortunately, notification control is limited to whether or not you get one when the door is locked or unlocked, or not at all. The app maintains a separate UI for each Nest device in use in your home, so accessing these devices is as simple as tapping on the device you want to use from the Nest home screen and then – in the case of the Nest x Yale – long-pressing the massive Lock/Unlock icon to perform that function.įrom the app you can also manage codes and permissions for those codes, as well as configure notifications. Whether indoors or out, the easiest way by far to lock or unlock your Nest x Yale smart lock is with the Nest App. I stuck one in my glove compartment, just to be safe. It’s not quite as fast as using a key, perhaps, but it sure beats keeping track of one.Īlso on the exterior side of the Next x Yale is also a terminal for connecting a 9-Volt battery in the case of a battery failure – which would be useful if, you know, anyone carried a 9-Volt battery. Unlocking the door manually is simple – just tap the Yale key to wake up the lock, type in your personal code, then tap the check mark. Some die-hard traditionalists might bemoan the lack of a mechanical key slot, but the result is a clean look indeed. The exterior face of the Nest x Yale is standard fare, with a metal frame and black gloss keypad as the only means of access on the thing. Needless to say, it should be used judiciously. There’s a single button on the on this side of the door a Privacy Mode button, which when pressed and held makes it so it can’t be unlocked from the outside, even with a code. If you installed it correctly, the bolt should slide with no trouble at all – but the turn-style may trigger a (patently false) sense of flimsiness. Whether this is actually tamper-proof or simply put in place to annoy us, we’ll never know – but it’s a pain. The interior side of the Nest x Yale looks like your average deadbolt, albeit with a rather garish black plastic battery cover that can only be removed by poking a thin object – like the included tool, or a pushpin – into the top of the lock. Using the Nest x Yale is pretty painless, whether you’re doing so via the app or manually, from within or without. A coarse file and a little elbow grease later, and the bolt turns smooth as butter. The deadbolt wouldn’t quite turn without a slight hitch, and the small motor in the Nest x Yale requires a completely smooth turn to work properly. Mine is a four-screw plate affixed using tamper-resistant cabinet screws, while the included one from Nest was a puny little two-holer with two standard 1″ screws included. My only hangup, hardware-wise, came when I made the decision to use my existing strike-plate rather than the one included in the box. I’m mostly useless around the house, but I still pulled it off with minimal help. I have next to no experience installing hardware. The included instructions, diagrams and templates are tremendously helpful. Installationįrankly, it was a fairly fool-proof installation, assuming you already have a deadbolt installed in your door. Its exterior is largely metal (in Satin Nickel, Oil Rubbed Bronze, or Polished Brass finishes), with a black plastic battery cover on the interior plate and black glass keypad on the exterior. The Next x Yale in particular fits the bill. And that’s what makes a smart lock every bit as secure as a manual deadbolt. The fact of the matter is a lot more would-be criminals have the skill to bust a window or pick a lock than do ones that can hack a two-factor Google account or an AES256-encrypted WiFi network.
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