If you had asked me yesterday I would have given this lock 2 stars. Been living with it sorta connecting and auto locking or unlocking one time and then not re-syncing the status in the app for almost a year. Tried perfecting the latch so it was smooth and didn’t catch AT ALL for a good while and that wasn’t the issue. We tried getting a better WiFi signal, disabling all the battery draining features/notifications, calibrating the lock, restarting the app etc. Sometimes it would work a couple times and then resume not syncing on the app. The WiFi connection was strong, the log would note the times we unlocked it manually. Still, I was hung up on the lock to app signal being the cause of our issues and got a august connect adaptor to try and help (plus I read that could help slow the battery drain). Turns out even the 4th gen lock doesn’t allow an external connect device so that was a dead end. Maybe the connect I got is an older model or something but I couldn’t get them to link, it just complained there were no compatible devices at setup). Another clue that this wasn’t the cause should have been that even when using the phone’s Bluetooth signal it wouldn’t update the lock status after the first app unlock. Also when we would unlock from the app the light would start turning green on the lock then end with a red once it unlocked.

Finally found a FAQ doc that said to make sure the notches on the lock adapter were at the vertical position (12/3/6/9 o’clock) when the lock was at it’s ‘default’ position (unlocked). When I swapped out the adaptor to the blue one from the light brown and recalibrated the lock one more time it started working perfectly. No more weird mismatch between the app and lock position even when the WiFi signal was good! Range of motion is much farther when the lock opens now and it has a fancy chirp to show it unlocked correctly. That chirp made me so happy after fighting with the app this long, but it didn’t compare to clicking the app a second time and having it reliably relock immediately.

It felt like it was ‘almost’ working before figuring this issue out so I assumed the app/some buggy firmware was at fault but it was installation error on my part! The rest of the install was so easy. Oh well.

Also, go get the rechargeable 123a batteries for this lock. Saw that tip from someone else and just got two sets to swap between. The disposable batteries drain pretty fast and are expensive.

Despite some of the negative reviews, this has honestly been one of the best smart home purchases we’ve made. We live in an apartment complex and wanted a smart lock without replacing our existing deadbolt or losing the ability to use our keys. The August lock was the perfect solution because it works with the lock we already had and gave us all the convenience of a smart lock.

The biggest benefit for us has been the ability to grant temporary access through the app. When we traveled, we had a pet sitter taking care of our cats, and instead of giving a stranger a physical key, we were able to give her access only during the days and times we selected. It made us feel much more secure and was incredibly convenient. We had also read reviews complaining about poor battery life, but in our experience it took about three months of regular use before we received a low-battery notification. We also appreciated that it gave us plenty of warning instead of suddenly dying without notice.

Installation wasn’t perfect, my partner would rate it about a 7/10. Attaching the lock to the mounting plate was a little frustrating, and occasionally the lock loosens and needs to be tightened again. We’re not sure why that happens, but even when it has come loose, it has continued to work properly. Overall, the convenience and flexibility have far outweighed the minor issues, and we’d definitely recommend it.

I've had the lock for a month now and figured that was long enough of a trial time to write a review.

1. Install was easy. Probably no more than 15 minutes. The unit was installed on a condo door in an interior hallway. As there was no outdoor exposure, no wood expansion, etc fit and calibration were simple however I can see how it might be more difficult on an exterior door. I did not install Door Sense since our door frame has a large metal striker plate I cannot drill into and our door automatically closes so not much of an issue.

2. Wifi connection through the app has been reliable. Our router however is only located about 8 feet from the lock so signal to the lock has been strong and consistent. I think router or node placement are very important if you want reliable remote control of the lock through the app.

3. Home kit - "meh". Using 2 iphones. Both connnect to the lock and display its status. One will effectively control the lock. The other iphone user (me) consistently gets a no response message when trying to lock or unlock. I have tried resetting the lock as per instructions, disconnecting and reconnecting BT but no luck with the second phone.

4. Alexa works. I have lock closure integrated along with controlled lights into my "good night" routine and Alexa gives me a verbal confirmation of lock closure.

5. Auto unlock feature is sometimes delayed. The elevator is located about 25 feet from our door. Occasionally I will hear the door unlock when I am approaching but on most occasions, I am waiting at the door or pulling on the door handle for several seconds waiting for the door to unlock. I think, not certain that waking your phone up may speed up the process. Auto- unlock also does not activate until you have returned to your home zone after leaving. The radius is about 2 blocks and I think this should be adjustable especially for people who reside in urban areas. It doesn't activate for me after I return from a short dog walk.

6. Auto lock - I do not use this now but may activate (see below). It is possible to lock yourself out without your phone and have no entry if you haven't brought keys with you. Conceivably, I could run to my lobby to check mail, get distracted and chat and then find upon returning that the door has locked on a timer.

7. I purchased a keypad. The biggest plus is that is allows me to "one touch" lock the door with onsite audible confirmation. Since I now have another means to unlock the door, I may utilize the autolock feature since I no longer need to be worried about leaving phoneless.

Battery use update...we had to replace the battery after 3 months of use. I would estimate the motor on the lock is activated 6 - 10 times daily. Looking back, the first indication of battery failure was WIFi disconnect alerts which were previously rare. I purchased Surefire batteries and am interested to see if battery life is any longer. However at this rate of battery usage, our annual battery costs will be over $14. August needs to come out with a firmware update that broadcasts battery life.

I purchased a second generation version of this lock in 2017 and it lasted a little over seven years until the mechanics wore out. Not a bad run. Being overall happy with the product, I purchased this latest generation.

As the lock has gotten smaller, it is an entirely new installation. However, it is very simple. The exterior of your lock stays exactly the same and will still work with the existing key. Therefore this is a great choice for renters (where the landlord might need access in an emergency) or anyone else who wants to leave their current keys functional.

The package comes with a piece of painters tape, which you tape over the outside of your existing lock so that it doesn't fall out during installation. On the inside, you simple unscrew the existing inside back plate of your lock and store it for move-out, the future, etc.

You then place a provided plastic pin on the existing lock pin. Several adapters are provided for the different lock types. My lock has a '/' shaped pin. Then you attach the plate and then "ball" part of the unit which turns the lock and has the batteries. These are attached with two clamps, so that you can remove the "ball" easily at any point.

This generation uses two lithium batteries instead of AAs like older models. Having only two batteries makes installation and replacement of them easy. I am now in month three of use with no sign of replacement needed yet. the batteries are CR123A, which look like mini AAs. They are not as ubiquitous as other types but are still available cheaply in bulk such as on this site.

This model has two additional features vs. the Gen 2 I had: First, it can connect directly through wi-fi. You don't need a bridge like Apple Home. This apparently uses a little more battery, but I have it on just in case. I separately still connected it through Apple Home, which is the smart home app I use the most. Setup was very simple.

Second, this model comes with a door proximity sensor. This is just a little magnet (or stuck-on) peanut-sized sensor which is placed an inch from the lock and will monitor the door's ajar status instead of just the position of the lock. You can set an alert in the app where you will be notified if the door has been open from one minute to 30 minutes (your choice via slider).

This lock also locks and unlocks slightly quicker and more forcefully than my old Gen 2. Perhaps the lithium batteries give it more juice.

Otherwise, the app comes with features like auto-lock, auto-unlock, and a log of all recent opens, closes, unlocks and locks.

The only feature in the app which I would like tweaked is the auto-unlock feature, which presently requires you to be a certain amount of distance from your home before functioning upon your return. This is so it doesn't constantly unlock when you are home. However, the prescribed distance is a little small for me living in a big city. I wish this feature would work even when I'm only a block away not four or five. The suburban equivalent would be it working when you're at your neighbor's house down the block instead of driving to the grocery store.

Lastly, I think at some point August should make a version of this lock with a rechargeable lithium battery via USB-C. Removable probably so you don't have to run a long cord.

Overall, I think this is a great product though particularly because it's easy to install and keeps your existing exterior key lock.

I am not someone who often leaves reviews, but I decided I had to protect other people from experiencing the same frustration I have had with this lock. I purchased the latest Smart Lock, Door Sense and the wireless Keypad. None of them work as advertised. I now have to use a manual key to open the door, which defeats the purpose of buying this overly priced piece of bad technology.

My recommendation is this: if you are super techie and want to waste a lot of time working on a technical problem until you are blue in the face, this product may work for you. If you just need a lock the works - opens and closes the door, this is not the product. Run fast. Find another one that works better.

The installation was ok. The company is trying to go with an Apple-like minimalist approach to delivering the product with very little written instructions. Too few in fact. So I found that I constantly needed to search online for pieces of information to complete the installation, calibrate the lock, install the Doorsense and Keypad. Or they sort of force you to use the August app to do some of the installation, which worked somewhat ok. The app kept hanging during lock calibration, so I never knew if it was set up or not. I am fairly tech savvy and it took about 1 hour total to get it all installed, and some semblance of what appeared to be "working". That was until I actually tried to use the lock.

The issue is that when installed, the products simply do not work. The software app looks slick, but it doesn't work. To unlock and lock the door, the software/app on the phone only works about 10% of the time. It takes way to long to show whether the door has been locked or unlocked, and often times is incorrect (maybe issue with their door sense product, or bluetooth chip in the lock????). Sometimes the app shows the door is unlocked when it is really locked, or vice versa. The only way I have found to correct this is to exit the app, and sometimes turn off/on the wifi on my phone. The app does not refresh fast enough so it can literally take about 5 minutes before I can lock and unlock the door. The app is constantly saying the lock has been disconnected from WiFi, which is not correct. At that point the lock is Grayed-out in the app so you can't do anything with the lock. Once again, close the app, relaunch it and hope it connects to the lock. When I called and emailed August support, they provided very basic troubleshooting and clearly are not interested in really helping resolve the issue. They send pre-canned email responses blaming my WiFi, or bad installation. Not much help and really just pushing the problem away instead of trying to figure it out. I've had at least 5 lengthy email exchanges with August support and as you can see I am still running into issues. I've tested the WiFi may times when it says this and it has an excellent signal and Internet speed. The WiFi router is less than 20 feet away. At this point I've given up and just use an standard key now as the app doesn't work and neither does the wireless keypad.

Even worse is the wireless keypad. When it's connected it works about 30% of the time. So for example, I arrive at the house, I enter my 4 digit code into the keypad, hit the enter button, and.....wait for it to do something. Sometimes it opens the lock. Sometimes nothing happens. Then I try again, and again, until eventually, maybe the door unlocks. When I leave and try to use the keypad to lock the door it works seldomly. Maybe after 6 or 7 tries will it actually engage the lock on the door. The BIGGEST issue with the keypad, and the reason it should not be used, is that the batteries run out after about 5 days to 2 weeks, without even being used more than a few times. I cannot rely on this if I need to replace the batteries so often. It is virtually unusable. On my 4th call to August support someone finally mentioned that it may be a bad bluetooth chip. But they did not offer a replacement, only more troubleshooting steps sent via email. When I received the steps they were the exact same ones sent to me by a previous person. Once again, they are aware of their issues, they just can't fix them because the product and the software is just bad.

I have now spent dozens of hours trying to get this to work, to troubleshoot issues and noone has been able to help or fix anything. My recommendation is this: if you are super techie and want to waste a lot of time working on a technical problem until you are blue in the face, this product may work for you. If you just need a lock the works - opens and closes the door, this is not the product. Run fast. Find another one that works better.

Doesnt try to keep locking when the door is not fully lined up properly. Which hopefully means it will not break internally like another brand I had previously. Compatible with google, Alexa and smartthings. Easy to make automations with it, feature rich, customizable, notifications can be very helpful. Shows offline on Google for a couple seconds until Bluetooth and wifi connection establishes. Emails automatically delivered when the battery is about to die. Batteries not the best. AAs would have been better but maybe instead of the 2 months on average that high quality batteries can last in this thing, AAs would require more frequent replacing. Easy to replace, batteries are just not as common or cheap. Overall the value is great with the many ways of being able to lock and unlock it and much more. A separate plug in hub for the wifi connection might be worthwhile to minimize the battery drain speed.

Update #3, after a year and a half: Well, I finally removed the August smart lock and reinstalled my Schlage Connect smart lock. The August lock has the easiest install, uses your existing key, has the best app, and works without a hub. But (and it's a big but), the August lock EATS BATTERIES. Over the past year and a half, I've had to replace the batteries every 90 days. The batteries aren't cheap little AAs either. The bigger problem is that the August lock isn't a workable solution if you want to use it in a place where you'll be gone for more than 90 days -- e.g., a rental unit, vacation home, if you're gone from home for long stretches on deployment. So, although I loved this lock's functionality and excellent app, I ended up removing it and going back to the Schlage. OK, that's the end of the story. Read below for the full timeline and feature review.

Update after 8 Months: I've now been using the lock for 8 months, so I'm getting a good sense of battery life. The lock doesn't have a battery meter, but it does send a message that the batteries are "critically low" when they need to be replaced. The first set of batteries lasted 3 months. The second set lasted 3 months. So, if you're using this lock in a situation where you can change the batteries every 3 months, it's a good choice. as noted before, the lock offers many advantages over other smart locks. But if you need a smart lock for a location where you can't change the batteries every 3 months, a lock with better battery life would be a better choice. That might mean a smart lock that uses a hub rather than direct wifi, since a Bluetooth/Zwave/Zigbee connection probably uses less power than a wifi chip.

Update after 4 months: I still really like this lock. Easy installation. Excellent app. Doesn't require re-keying (since it uses this existing deadbolt). Doesn't require a hub. But one problem has come up, and it's significant. As far as I can tell, there's no way to check the battery level in the app. The first warning you get is an email message saying the battery is critically low. Unfortunately, in our case, that email message arrived three days after we closed up the house and left for another state to take care of an elderly parent for an indefinite period. The whole point of putting this smart lock on the door was so I could let people (e.g., the furnace repair guy) into the house while we were gone. Now I can't do that, because the batteries are dead, which defeats the whole purpose of the lock. The lock should have a battery status indicator, like a phone, so you can decide whether you need to preemptively change the batteries if you'll be away for awhile. The batteries this lock uses are expensive, so I don't want to throw away good batteries, but I also don't want them to die unexpectedly. Why doesn't the app have a simple battery monitor? Taking off a star and hoping they fix this.

This is my third "smart" deadbolt lock. With each purchase I've relied on expert reviews, which have been valuable, but technical reviews can't capture the experience of actually living with a lock, which is what I'll try to capture here. Here are the pros and cons after living with several different locks.

Schlage Connect BE469. My first experience with the Schlage smart lock was good. It was relatively easy to install, and it had a removable ring, making it one of the few smart locks that fit in smaller bore holes (which are surprisingly common in any house old enough to vote). The Schlage has a keypad, so you can get in even if you don't have your keys or your phone. It also has a traditional key, which is useful if the batteries die, although you'll have to have a locksmith re-key it if you want the key to match others (e.g., your back door). The biggest disadvantage of the Schlage lock is that it requires a hub for remote control, like letting a contractor into the house while you're at work. The first Schlage BE469 I installed worked fine with my Wink Hub 2, but then Wink had financial troubles and started charging a monthly fee. So I switched to a Samsung SmartThings Hub. Weird thing is that the hub worked fine to control one Schlage, but said the other Schlage (which was bought two weeks later on Amazon) was too old a version and wouldn't allow advanced features like remote control. I spent months trying to solve the problem (upgrading firmware of both lock and hub, uninstalling and reinstalling, deleting and reinstalling the app, etc.), but nothing ever worked. I finally removed the second Schlage and replaced it with this August lock.

So ... on to the August lock. First of all, installation was a breeze, since the lock using the exiting outside keyed portion and deadbolt, replacing only the inside thumb latch. Easy. Second, the app is very well designed, including the guided tutorial for both physical installation and smart setup. After setup, the app is super intuitive, and the graphics that indicate door status are smart. The log file is complete, accurate, and easy to read. Third, since August replaces only the lever, you can keep your existing key as backup. Fourth, the new August lock is a lot smaller than earlier versions. Downsides: No external keypad, so you have to have either your key or your phone for access. This is a bummer, since I often take neither for walks. Also, rated battery life is shorter than for other locks -- this is the price of direct WiFi. The lock comes only in silvery grey -- I wish there were a brass option to match my other existing door hardware. The biggest factor for me, and why I really like this lock, is that the remote feature works reliably. That's a huge deal for me, since the primary reason I got the lock is so that I can let in contractors when I'm not home. I can open the lock then relock it when they leave, without giving them a keypad code. The remote locking works reliably even though my deadbolt isn't perfectly aligned (we normally have to push the door shut before throwing the deadbolt, but the August lock gives it a second then third effort and always manages to get the bolt in place, even without holding the door shut).

Last, but not least, I also have old-fashioned mechanical keyless locks on other doors. It has push button buttons and you set the combination mechanically inside the lock before installing. No batteries. The brand I have is a Lockey. The downsides are that you can't open the lock remotely with an app, and if you have to give out the combination, then the person you gave it to will have access unless you physically remove the lock and change the combination. The upside is that you don't have to carry a key or a phone. Another upside is that this type of lock is incredibly hassle and maintenance free -- I installed Lockey mechanical locks on an exterior garage door and two basement doors 25 years ago, and they're all still working great. If you don't need to lock and unlock your door remotely, this old mechanical technology is worth considering.

That's it. I hope this real-life experience of living with different generations, technologies, and brands of smart locks over the past quarter century is of some use to you in deciding which lock will best serve your needs.

I bought one of the first generations of this lock back in 2017 or so. It was Bluetooth only back then, and I also bought the Wi-Fi bridge at the time to allow remote access and control. It was a mess and never worked, and I returned it and left a poor review.

Knowing that things improve, and being in a new rental, I decided to try the 4th generation now that it has native Wi-Fi support and some other features.

So far, the unit performs as expected. Remotely, the app shows the lock status within a few seconds. Locking and unlocking are then instant. The activity history, including manual locks and unlocks, is handy. It integrates with my Google Home infrastructure pretty flawlessly. The PIN for unlock is a bit annoying, but understandable. The door open/closed functionality is a nice improvement from the first gen. Battery life is TBD, and it uses the large nonstandard photo batteries, but I believe rechargeable versions are available and I'll probably buy some now that I've decided that I'm keeping this lock.

I did have a hiccup when calibrating the lock, where it got stuck in a lock/unlock cycle, but pulling the batteries and running the calibration again worked fine. Also, if you're calibrating the door open/closed function, make sure you have the metal cover installed over the batteries or else you'll need to do it again because the cover will make your previous calibration inaccurate.

Like the first generation, you have to have a well fitting door and deadbolt latch for this to work effectively, but it's a great solution for renters if you need to keep the external key the same for property management or others. Glad I gave it another shot.

Comprei para substituir um modelo mais antigo. O app não aceita mais configurações de dispositivos fora dos EUA, então para configurar voce tem que usar uma VPN com um servidor nos EUA

I’ve been using August for a long time. Best thing about it is that from the outside looks like a normal lock. My old August failed about 6+ years in. After I did some research I found out August to be the most affordable replacement. I did not hesitate and purchased my 2nd unit.

Only to find out that its installation is geo fenced to US and Canada only. Outside, must be trough Yale App, which may NOT support August in all countries.

Took a bit of network creativity, but I finally managed to set it up. All good when it ends well,…. just a reminder to those purchasing August from outside of US and Canada that it may not work straight out of the box.

Me gustó todo. Llevo 2.5 meses con él y funciona muy bien. Fácil de instalar y configurar. Me gusta mucho la función de que se abre cuando llego a casa sin hacer nada. Muy ingeniosos. También de que se cierre a los 2 min de que se abrió. Así nunca se queda abierta. También que puedes utilizar automatización como prender algo cuando se abre.

Parece que las baterías duran poco. Me empezó a avisar desde hace 14 días de la urgencia de cambiarlas. No he hecho caso y sigue funcionando perfecto. Ya le gané 14 días.

it is perfect

I was recently hospitalized and was really panicked about my dog as the only people with a spare key to my place were out of town. So I started researching locks that could be opened remotely or with a pin pad for emergencies.

It turned out that my strata doesn’t allow anything that changes the appearance of common areas so I had to find something that left my front door and lock looking as before with the mechanism being inside the house.

This August lock has served so well! Install was very easy. Had to download the app and then the step by step guide in the app was clear and well thought out.

The app is key if you don’t install the pin pad. I’ve shared the August lock app with my dog walker and she can access the unit easily. I love how you can get the app to log who has opened the door and at what time as well.

Several reviews mention poor battery results. I’m yet to have the batteries run out, but I note the batteries that came with the lock are pretty cheap. I’ve only had the lock installed 3 weeks so as a result of other reviews discussing battery life, I plan to buy slightly more expensive batteries to replace them, when they finally go, or maybe rechargeable.

On Sunday, we had a scheduled power outage by the electric company. I fully expected the lock to fail due to the lack of wifi, but the Bluetooth setting continued to work through the power outage and I could get and in and out still without a key.

All in all, I’m really happy with this purchase. Highlights include being able to share access with others, setting the lock to auto lock if left unlocked for a certain period (i chose 1 minute), being able to set my neighbourhood, so if I go more than 200m from the house, it locks the door. Highly recommend.