Now, the whole point of Matter is that you shouldn’t need separate apps to manage all your devices. Kwikset still requires you to start with its app for initial setup, but you’ll then go to Lock Settings and tap the section called Matter, where you can easily switch control to the smart home ecosystem of your choice. The app will ask you to choose Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Home, or Samsung SmartThings when you switch to Matter, and then give you the keys to the ecosystem you choose.
Photography: Kwikset
After trying out a few Matter devices, I don’t mind starting with one brand’s app, and I think it makes especially sense when installing a smart lock rather than, say, setting up a smart plug or smart light bulb. There are several more steps to follow when installing a smart lock, and getting it wrong can mean no lock on your door will work at all.
The Kwikset app will also make it easy to return control to Kwikset and Wi-Fi if you decide Matter isn’t for you. There are more features available if you go the Kwikset-controlled route, such as guest codes and use of the included door status sensor, but the lock promises better battery life when using Matter.
Thin detection
Photography: Kwikset
The most interesting addition to Kwikset’s newest lock is the included door status sensor. It works like any other door sensor – the sensors line up to tell you if the door is closed – but it has a super slim and discreet style compared to other options on the market.
Kwikset hasn’t had door sensors before, but other smart lock brands like Yale (which now owns August locks) have offered them for a while alongside their locks, and many other smart home device makers have offered door sensors. independent door. Door and window sensors for a similar experience. In both cases, it is a two-part sensor that is placed on the door or window frame and on the door or window, and usually requires some adhesive pads to perfectly align the two parts so that the sensor can correctly identify when the door is open or closed.
Kwikset will not use that system. Instead, the brand designed a super slim magnetic-style sensor that will sit on the door frame, where it can connect to the lock. It looks incredibly stylish and seems like it would be much easier to place than trying to perfectly align two separate sensors on a door and frame. Only testing will tell if this is truly the case, and it will be at the top of my testing list once it is available.
The Kwikset Halo does not have a specific release date, but it is expected to be available at retailers like Lowe’s and Amazon in mid-November and will retail for $279.