Android users can add digital keys for compatible smart locks in Google Home to their Wallet app.
Android users can add digital keys for compatible smart locks in Google Home to their Wallet app.
Google has added digital home key support to Google Wallet, allowing Android users to open smart locks by tapping their phone against them or simply approaching. The feature is currently available in public preview for the Google Home app, and will roll out to everyone “over the coming weeks,” according to Google’s announcement.
This was a long time coming, given Samsung and Apple users have had this convenience for a while now. While Google Home already has some unlocking functionality, this update allows users to leverage the Near Field Communication (NFC) and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) tech in their phones with compatible smart locks. Multiple locks can be controlled via Google Wallet using a single digital home key. All household members linked to the same Google Home account can also add their own key to their personal Google Wallet.
Tap to Unlock works by holding the back of an NFC-enabled Android phone near the lock reader, and doesn’t require the phone to be unlocked. Unlock on Approach needs to be manually enabled in Google Wallet, but can automatically unlock a door when it detects the user walking up.
There are a few compatibility requirements to bear in mind, however. These new Google Home capabilities are built on Aliro, the open standard designed to let any smartphone unlock any smart lock, but the hardware that supports it is still fairly limited. According to Google’s announcement, the list of supported locks currently includes the Aqara u400, Schlage Sense Pro (NFC at launch and UWB to follow), and Nuki Keypad 2 NFC, with “more locks to come.”
Users will also need a Matter-enabled Google Hub with 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 only works on Aliro UWB-compatible Android phones, such as the Google Pixel 10 Pro series and above. Wear OS smartwatches aren’t supported “at launch,” according to Google, which implies they might be in the future, and that seems likely given that Apple Watch already has similar unlocking features.