Android users can now add digital home keys for compatible smart locks in Google Home to the Google Wallet app, giving them a door-unlocking capability that Samsung and Apple users have had for some time. The update lets phones use their Near Field Communication and Ultra-Wideband hardware with supported locks, a step beyond the unlocking functionality Google Home already offered.
A single digital home key in Google Wallet can control multiple locks, according to Google. Every household member connected to the same Google Home account can also add an individual key to their own Google Wallet.
The feature works in two ways. Tap to Unlock requires the user to hold the back of an NFC-enabled Android phone near the lock reader, and the phone does not need to be unlocked first. Unlock on Approach must be switched on manually in Google Wallet, after which it can open a door automatically when it detects the user walking up.
Compatibility is limited. The new Google Home capabilities are built on Aliro, the open standard intended to let any smartphone unlock any smart lock, but Google's announcement lists few supported locks so far: the Aqara u400, the Schlage Sense Pro, which supports NFC at launch with UWB to follow, and the Nuki Keypad 2 NFC. Google says more locks are coming.
Users also need a Matter-enabled Google Hub with a Thread Border Router, such as the 2nd-gen Nest Hub. Tap to unlock requires NFC-enabled phones running Android 9 or later, and hands-free unlocking works only on Aliro UWB-compatible Android phones, such as the Google Pixel 10 Pro series and above. Wear OS smartwatches are not supported at launch, Google said, wording that suggests support could arrive later; Apple Watch already offers similar unlocking features.
The rollout matters for US Android households that have held off on phone-based door access while iPhone and Samsung owners used it. For now, adoption depends on whether consumers own one of the few supported locks and the required hub hardware.
More software news from TechManNews.
