Well, for the third time in two days, I’m sitting in my living room watching TV and my Level Lock Touch on my front door just decides on its own to unlock! I feel really secure now.
It's possible someone is picking it. LockPickingLawyer demonstrated how the deadbolt can be picked by people who have no real picking skills. Not only that, but the locksmith McNallyOfficial demonstrated that it is significantly less secure than even the cheapest deadbolts at Home Depot.
A friend of mine bought this lock and I tried raking it open with a strip I cut out from a coke can. Opened five times effortlessly, the advertising said it was supposed to notify if it was opened improperly but my friend's phone was silent. It's now in a return package and the boring old lock that at least needed to be picked is back on his door. With such a glowing review, I know I can't take anything else out of this channel seriously
It’s a standard deadbolt. If you put a deadbolt on your home, it can be picked. This is no worse than any other deadbolt but at least you KNOW when it was unlocked and can do something. So still safer than most locks
@@flipsolo Not true. Not at all. It has an ANSI Grade 1 rating. ANSI Grade 1 is the spec for the strongest, most secure deadbolt lock. You just want something other than a deadbolt if you want something that is harder to bypass.
@@flipsolo I do not concur. That's how deadbolts are. Basically all deadbolts. But you have extra security, peace of mind, and easy of entry. I'm very happy with this on my door.
3:26 Regular door lock deadbolts are hollow too. Videos on RUclips have ppl cutting them and apparently they’re also hollow. Something I didn’t know and most ppl don’t know, we just assume deadbolts are solid.
Maybe some cheap ones but the only other time that they wouldn't be completely solid is for there to be room to fit a hardened steel rod for cutting protection
Can be easily bumped. For so much money, you'd think they would atleast have modern industry standard for protection against bump keys Sing about the durability of the lock all you want, but when the actual 300$ lock it self can be easily picked with hairpins and bump keyed, its useless as a lock. And level should probably consult actual security experts before making another lock instead of just using data without context to back up claims.
I guess you'd just be paying for convivence. I would've never considered buying this, but my door knob is completely gone and I'm tired of worrying about losing my keys.
The door is locked for the safety of the criminals. I’m not expecting most criminals to pick the lock standing in front of my security cameras. If they defeat the door barrier by picking, breaching or breaking a window, my response goes to the next level.
@@jamesjoy8866 The point of the front door lock is to buy as much time as possible. And acting as a decent deterrent. Especially against common small time thugs looking for easy targets who doesn't want escalation by breaking window and look for easily locks so they can bump in, target common places people put their stuff, take something small and out in as little as a minute and move on to their next target. This is not the only smart lock on the market. There are better smart locks made by people who actually know how to make a decent lock for deterrent. You have a choice.
Is it possible to set the HomeKey as the default card to come up when accessing Wallet? Seems cumbersome to have to switch from your default credit card to HomeKey when wanting to unlock your door, compared to other biometric locks that use fingerprint authentication.
I do not have the Level Lock, but have two Schlage Encode Plus. All I have to do is hold my watch or phone near the lock and it unlocks the door. Home Key is great.
Depends on what your existing locks are, but Level's lock cylinders are standard core sizes and are replaceable. You (or a locksmith) can re-core them to match most locks.
Wouldn’t recommend this product. Customer service is the worst. I have two of these and one stopped working. After countless hours of trying to reset it, to no avail. Called customer service, emailed them and one is just as useless as the next. Literally 7 hours dealing with them and they will not replace the lock. I have only owned it for 2 months.
@@chaskinsnc No, not all deadbolts can be picked this quickly. There are plenty of quality ones that takes time and expertise to pick, and its definitely less than $329.
This is just ridiculous, highly don't recommend this on ur house a bump key can actually unlock this easily and effortlessly. U know what now that i think about it yeah! It is very beneficial you'll have it on ur door. Highly recommend it!💯👍
Is there a smart lock for sliding glass doors? All the doors in my house are sliding glass doors and so far I have not been able to find a smart lock that is compatible with them
Can you explain how you get home key on other family member phones? Instructions are poor on how to do this. I got home key installed on my iphone and watch; but don't know how to get home key on my wife's phone? We are both on iOS 16.1. Do we both have to be using the same apple ID or can she and I have different apple IDs?
Most people here don't seem to care. They only want a gee-whiz-bang high-tech gadget that they can use their phone with. That the physical security of the lock is very poor is not really important, based on the comments I've read.
No it isn't, can be unlocked easily by a lockpick because it doesn't has any pins, for comparison a 10$ lock which has 3 pins is much harder to lockpick than this
Interesting timing that this release comes just as I was looking at the Touch model. Pity that the + model only comes in gray and black. I need the brass finish to keep my HOA off my back.
Yes! In the level app and Home app. You also get an alert that the battery is low. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a spare key in your car just in case - same with any other lock!
2:46 How strong is that magnet? I like that the screws are hidden, compared to a typical deadbolt where the knob is held to the plate with a C clip of sorts and the screws have to be somewhat visible. But, is there anything else holding it on, like a hidden C clip inside the knob and a notch on the shaft that it can clip into? Because in the video clip just prior, it looks like the knob slides off almost too easily.
Ever since I installed it I been having issue like it kept on unlocking after my kids had just locked the door using the level app. Please help if you know what to do. To resolve the issue also how can I share the home key and add it to the Apple wallet. Thanks!
I have enough trouble with my hue lights turning on (or not) for no explicable reason, can imagine coming home and finding my house empty and unlocked and no idea why 😂 thanks technology
I have 3 Level smart locks and they’re all within 6 feet from a Homepod Mimi. They do NOT support Thread…bluetooth is very SLOW to respond. Level really need to get off of their butt and make their locks to support Thread.
Does this work without the Level Keyhole and stuff, if you just install the deadbolt itself and keep your other existing (non Level) hardware on the door?
Wondering this too, I live in an apartment and my landlord would need a copy of this new key. It’d be nice if it has these updated features without using the included new deadbolt.
It looked like a Schlage key, can the lock cylinder be removed so it can be rekeyed? If so, one could easily add additional security pins and bump resistant pins. Also, can I remotely see if the door is locked or unlocked? And if someone forgot to lock the door, can I remotely lock it? Thank you, I appreciate your time.
I've got mine installed and I love it! The only strange issue I'm having is that I can unlock with my Apple Watch no prob, but it won't work from tapping the phone directly. My wife and I both have the silver home key in our apple wallets, it just simple doesn't seem to recognize them. They are both even set to express mode so no ID needed or anything! Very odd...
This is a stupid scam, a 10 dollar deadlock is more secure bexause it has standard amounts of security pins than this piece of garbage which has none at all, that's what you get for being stupid I guess
@@Sparky_oto I decided the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is better and I’ve been happy with it. It’s been very reliable and the build quality is solid. The only issue is the batteries run out pretty quickly with the WiFi turned on. To resolve this, you can turn off the Wi-Fi and control it remotely through HomeKit.
I have it. After one year, I'm throwing it away. Going back to key locks. These are the worst, pain in the ass locks that I ever had. Absolute garbage.
@@AppleInsider ehh. That’s a bit of a bummer. But I’m willing to sacrifice the built in door detection wyze offers for the amazing features and design of level. Thanks!
If you live in an apartment building can you just use the internal “invisible” deadbolt without the external components? I know the touch sensing won’t work, but would nfc and homekey and keypad work? Thanks!
If you're looking for just the internals, check out the Level Bolt! That is the ORIGINAL Level Lock and it is just that! You get the motor for inside your door and the rest of the HomeKit functionality. Unfortunately like you mentioned, some features aren't supported there like Home Key, touch sensitivity, and key cards.
Checked with Level and they said we need all components to have it working because the nfc is on the keyhole plate, while the keyhole plate needs to be connected to the thumb turn plate to get power.
@@hermanleong9233 yes but you HAVE to have the external part for Home Key. There will never be a Home Key lock without th external piece because it holds the antenna…
Do not get this lock, it's a disaster. 1. Auto-unlock will unlock randomly when you are home. Happened a few times while sleeping! Unacceptable, feature is permanently turned off. Really hard to trust a "lock" after that... 2. Battery life is decent, but the software that buries the battery % level 4 menus deep and has no notifications when you are going low, it just down right stupid. 3. Touch to unlock works maybe 20% of the time. 4. Physical key cards randomly stop working after a few months and then you have to re-pair them. So giving them to guests/family members is useless... 5. Homekit integration does work about 70-80% of the time, but still has a ton of quirks where it will just randomly stop working at all, you need to then take out the battery and put it back to "reset" the lock Bottom line, this lock is gorgeous, clean, and simple, but the execution especially on the software side is a straight up FAILURE. Save yourself the headache and look elsewhere.
I guess you can unlock without waking up the phone, go into wallet and search for the HomeKey, right? I saw there is express mode which suppose to unlock the door when you place the phone next to the lock, without any interaction with the phone.
@@metalmanexetreme For express transit card, we don’t need to wake. And we can unlock the door when the phone is out of battery. So I doubt we need to wake the phone up.
Looks great, except for the choice of a magnet to hold the inside knob. This most likely violates building codes for fire egress. This is similar to double cylinder deadbolts which require a key from the inside; They are usually not allowed in residential buildings. The removable knob becomes an issue. I'm surprised that Level chose looks over security. Aside from that, to me it seems like kids & pranksters could yank & lose the knob.
Hey Dan! This isn't a problem at all. It requires you to use a pin or other tool to remove the knob. Just as tedious as having to remove screws on a standard door knob. But makes it easily snap into place!
@@NSOLsome (a $10 lock from Home Depot) at least offers some resistance, makes the thief/intruder stay at the lock longer. This you can just bump it open within a split second.
At that point there's no easy way to open it without having a locksmith come out. But it's important to know what leads up to that point. The battery dying isn't instant and you'll get alerts that the battery is low and needs swapped. Additionally, that's no different than a regular non-smart lock. You always have to have a key or you cant get in. This just gives you more options. You can use the key or smart features.
Yes, this expensive lock's actual lock cylinder was designed and implemented very poorly. Take a hair pin or similar thing (cut up a coke can, etc.) and rake it up and down the keyway while applying slight turning pressure. Within seconds you can open this lock without a key and without power. You assume the lock is secure and will be hard to open without a lockpick; sadly you are mistaken.
Our contractor threw away the box and all of the codes. I tried the code on the body of the lock and it still opens using bluetooth. It would be much better if you could unlock using wifi from any location. Not impressed with the Level lock until they allow remote locking/unlocking
I promised myself I wasn't going to buy new smart home things that aren't thread / matter supported, or will be later. Is there any word on that? I just recently picked up my first few thread light bulbs and its actually a huge improvement in stability and responsiveness. I have the August lock right now, and it works 90% of the time with auto-unlock feature, but there's enough lag / unresponsiveness there that I would really love to see the benefits I've seen with thread applied here.
Yeah, all HomeKit door locks are Bluetooth at the moment. If you want a HomeKit door lock, it is going to be Bluetooth. As long as any Home Hub is nearby, it will work. That includes Apple TV. The range is quite long, like 100 feet I think?
Almost everything here seems great. But the fact that it doesn't seem to work with Thread is ridiculous. Everyone knows that Bluetooth is bad when it comes to smart home. You'll have to be in close range, and it's really slow. The good thing is that (as far as i know) you don't rely on Bluetooth when using Apple Home Keys, but still, if you're using the app to make sure you locked your door, I assume either your phone or some other smart home thing like your HomePod does have to connect to it via Bluetooth. And on top of this, the price is really stiff..
Curious to see if Thread and Matter come as updates to these locks. I really want one but thread would make it even better (and need a gold one to match the ugly locks and handles of our doors). Curious too how hard it is to get these keyed to match other doors on the house
Not at all! You can still use a key like any regular lock. I always recommend keeping a spare handy -- or on your car keys -- in case you ever have to use it.
Not at all! You can always take some random item like a hair pin and rake it up and down the lock's key cylinder while applying slight turning pressure and you'll open the lock in no time! Look what convenience you're getting for the high price!
@@robertmiller7849 build is taking preorders with a ship date months away that seemed more of a guess. Lowe’s has been out of stock for months (I check regularly and am subscribed to be notified if they’re ever available)
@@Travisrogers87 Those other ones pop up too, but you gotta be fast and check mutiple times per day. BTW: the notications for both lowes and home depot don't work. I've signed up and never got a notfication, although I've seen in all of them online and in-store in the last two weeks.
Anything Apple is outrageous prices. Yeah, I have an iPhone but all the goody products are bookoo $ because they can which really holds back more market share
I think this smart lock is way overpriced at $330 compared to the competition on Amazon for $130. You did a great job on stating all its features that aren't obvious from looking at it.
This smart lock is a joke. Two locksmiths under the handle of LockPickingLawyer and McNallyOfficial demonstrated that this lock is less secure than even the $10 locks one would find as the cheapest locks at Home Depot. One can pick this lock without any skills at all.
![[1480] $329 Smart Lock Opened in Seconds (Level Lock)](/img/1.gif)
Well, for the third time in two days, I’m sitting in my living room watching TV and my Level Lock Touch on my front door just decides on its own to unlock! I feel really secure now.
It's possible someone is picking it. LockPickingLawyer demonstrated how the deadbolt can be picked by people who have no real picking skills. Not only that, but the locksmith McNallyOfficial demonstrated that it is significantly less secure than even the cheapest deadbolts at Home Depot.
Probably McNally making the rounds
A friend of mine bought this lock and I tried raking it open with a strip I cut out from a coke can. Opened five times effortlessly, the advertising said it was supposed to notify if it was opened improperly but my friend's phone was silent. It's now in a return package and the boring old lock that at least needed to be picked is back on his door. With such a glowing review, I know I can't take anything else out of this channel seriously
Lol! Ask the Lock Picking Lawyer how good this is...
It’s a standard deadbolt. If you put a deadbolt on your home, it can be picked. This is no worse than any other deadbolt but at least you KNOW when it was unlocked and can do something. So still safer than most locks
@@AppleInsider For $329, it should take longer than a second to pick it.
@@flipsolo Not true. Not at all. It has an ANSI Grade 1 rating. ANSI Grade 1 is the spec for the strongest, most secure deadbolt lock. You just want something other than a deadbolt if you want something that is harder to bypass.
@@AppleInsider Ok, so does other deadbolts that sell for 5-10% of the price. Again, for $329, it should not be that easy to pick. Don't you concur?
@@flipsolo I do not concur. That's how deadbolts are. Basically all deadbolts. But you have extra security, peace of mind, and easy of entry. I'm very happy with this on my door.
3:26 Regular door lock deadbolts are hollow too. Videos on RUclips have ppl cutting them and apparently they’re also hollow. Something I didn’t know and most ppl don’t know, we just assume deadbolts are solid.
Maybe some cheap ones but the only other time that they wouldn't be completely solid is for there to be room to fit a hardened steel rod for cutting protection
Can be easily bumped.
For so much money, you'd think they would atleast have modern industry standard for protection against bump keys
Sing about the durability of the lock all you want, but when the actual 300$ lock it self can be easily picked with hairpins and bump keyed, its useless as a lock. And level should probably consult actual security experts before making another lock instead of just using data without context to back up claims.
I guess you'd just be paying for convivence. I would've never considered buying this, but my door knob is completely gone and I'm tired of worrying about losing my keys.
@@bichen-up-ur ahah
The door is locked for the safety of the criminals. I’m not expecting most criminals to pick the lock standing in front of my security cameras. If they defeat the door barrier by picking, breaching or breaking a window, my response goes to the next level.
@@jamesjoy8866 The point of the front door lock is to buy as much time as possible. And acting as a decent deterrent. Especially against common small time thugs looking for easy targets who doesn't want escalation by breaking window and look for easily locks so they can bump in, target common places people put their stuff, take something small and out in as little as a minute and move on to their next target.
This is not the only smart lock on the market. There are better smart locks made by people who actually know how to make a decent lock for deterrent. You have a choice.
Is it possible to set the HomeKey as the default card to come up when accessing Wallet? Seems cumbersome to have to switch from your default credit card to HomeKey when wanting to unlock your door, compared to other biometric locks that use fingerprint authentication.
When you hold your phone to it, it’ll know to use home key. And with express mode on, you dont even have to unlock the phone.
You dont even have to open the wallet app! Just bring your phone near and it goes! Quick and easy!
@@AppleInsider This is great info! I assume it does the same for the Apple Watch as well?
@@Funnyguy194 for sure. just turn on the express mode on the watch
I do not have the Level Lock, but have two Schlage Encode Plus. All I have to do is hold my watch or phone near the lock and it unlocks the door. Home Key is great.
Is this the one that just got picked relatively easy?
Yes.
Can you key with your existing house keys or do you need to replace your keys?
Depends on what your existing locks are, but Level's lock cylinders are standard core sizes and are replaceable. You (or a locksmith) can re-core them to match most locks.
Wouldn’t recommend this product. Customer service is the worst. I have two of these and one stopped working. After countless hours of trying to reset it, to no avail. Called customer service, emailed them and one is just as useless as the next. Literally 7 hours dealing with them and they will not replace the lock. I have only owned it for 2 months.
Yeah haven’t been able to use the app for two months….
Can you re-ping this lock to match your current keys? It would be a deal breaker if I had to have different keys for my exterior doors.
Ooh good question! Yes, I’d hate for my gate door to have a different key then my actual door.
Nice look and packaging. Can be picked in 2 mins or less...
I feel like all dead bolts can be picked quickly, but will anyone really do it?
@@chaskinsnc No, not all deadbolts can be picked this quickly. There are plenty of quality ones that takes time and expertise to pick, and its definitely less than $329.
@@chaskinsnc All deadbolts can be picked, this lock doesn't need to be picked. The construction is so bad, you can just rake it open
took 3 seconds to open it lol
This is just ridiculous, highly don't recommend this on ur house a bump key can actually unlock this easily and effortlessly. U know what now that i think about it yeah! It is very beneficial you'll have it on ur door. Highly recommend it!💯👍
Is there a smart lock for sliding glass doors? All the doors in my house are sliding glass doors and so far I have not been able to find a smart lock that is compatible with them
Its not for sliding door but it might work for you smart door lock called nuki
Can you explain how you get home key on other family member phones? Instructions are poor on how to do this. I got home key installed on my iphone and watch; but don't know how to get home key on my wife's phone? We are both on iOS 16.1. Do we both have to be using the same apple ID or can she and I have different apple IDs?
does not have security pins in the key, very easy to to jimmy open. NOT A SECURE LOCK CAN BE PICKED WITH LITTLE EFFORT
Most people here don't seem to care. They only want a gee-whiz-bang high-tech gadget that they can use their phone with. That the physical security of the lock is very poor is not really important, based on the comments I've read.
It's good, but the price is ridiculous 💯
No it isn't, can be unlocked easily by a lockpick because it doesn't has any pins, for comparison a 10$ lock which has 3 pins is much harder to lockpick than this
@@36-ganendraabror87 It has pins just no security pins, still horrible for security, but it still has pins.
this thing is SLLOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Interesting timing that this release comes just as I was looking at the Touch model. Pity that the + model only comes in gray and black. I need the brass finish to keep my HOA off my back.
@You Tube different lock and doesn’t support home key which is why it’s only $199.
I have the Level Bolt (which is the guts only) so that I could use it with my existing locks. Love it! 😁
best option IMO
Does this support the NFC keys or the Apple Keys?
@@TheJuniorgonzales no, but keep your eyes out for a Level Bolt+. I'm hoping that becomes a thing as well.
Omg lock picker lawyer just open it when it sneezes 😂
How loud is the lock unlock mechanism compared to Schlage? I have the Sense and it is obnoxiously loud.
There are other videos where you can hear it, it’s not crazy but it’s a standard motor sound.
My concern is the battery dying and not having any notification to replace it. Is there a battery indicator of any sort?
Yes! In the level app and Home app. You also get an alert that the battery is low. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a spare key in your car just in case - same with any other lock!
Can't wait for a friend to get one of these so i can demonstrate raking! 😂 (with their permission)
Would’ve loved to hear about battery life and how it is recharged.
It doesnt recharge but uses 3V CR2 batteries! Super easy to replace and you get alerts before the battery ever dies!
I have the Level Lock Touch and the battery is lasting on the average 7 months. Cheers!
@@ed1wweaver Thanks! Do you feel that is long enough for you?
Before anyone buys this watch lockpicking lawyer
can you set schedule for level lock on smarthome? lock at 5pm ?
I would like to know as well.
Can you change the tumbler so I can have it work with my current house key? If not, it would have been better if they had partnered with Kwikset
Can you change the lock to work with your existing key?
any locksmith can do that with any lock, ever
2:46 How strong is that magnet? I like that the screws are hidden, compared to a typical deadbolt where the knob is held to the plate with a C clip of sorts and the screws have to be somewhat visible. But, is there anything else holding it on, like a hidden C clip inside the knob and a notch on the shaft that it can clip into? Because in the video clip just prior, it looks like the knob slides off almost too easily.
The knob is on the inside
Hi! Is there an option of not using the keylock/deadbolt? I'm asking because I want a seemless design @ my door. Thank you!
Skipped over the fact that the lock works via bluetooth and other versions of the level lock have been notorious for being slow.
Ever since I installed it I been having issue like it kept on unlocking after my kids had just locked the door using the level app. Please help if you know what to do. To resolve the issue also how can I share the home key and add it to the Apple wallet. Thanks!
Just watch a video on it from lockpicking lawyer 😂
I have enough trouble with my hue lights turning on (or not) for no explicable reason, can imagine coming home and finding my house empty and unlocked and no idea why 😂 thanks technology
Can we get LPL to check this out pls
Edit: He’s just done a video…
Can non-Level Lock NFC cards be added as keys? Say like an NTAG216 NFC chip, that may or may not be embedded in my hand…
Does this lock support remote access? Can I control or lock/unlock the door remotely?
Absolutely does! But you do need a home hub to do that! That can be an Apple TV or HomePod
Is it possible to change the key(sloth) 😮so you could still use the previous key
I have 3 Level smart locks and they’re all within 6 feet from a Homepod Mimi. They do NOT support Thread…bluetooth is very SLOW to respond. Level really need to get off of their butt and make their locks to support Thread.
Hmm, yea no thread is dealbreaker.
Does this work without the Level Keyhole and stuff, if you just install the deadbolt itself and keep your other existing (non Level) hardware on the door?
Wondering this too, I live in an apartment and my landlord would need a copy of this new key. It’d be nice if it has these updated features without using the included new deadbolt.
It looked like a Schlage key, can the lock cylinder be removed so it can be rekeyed? If so, one could easily add additional security pins and bump resistant pins. Also, can I remotely see if the door is locked or unlocked? And if someone forgot to lock the door, can I remotely lock it? Thank you, I appreciate your time.
You can see if it has been un/locked and un/lock it from the distance
If I get the Apple Key version (at apple store only), does this have the touch unlock with finger?
Yes
Ridiculous cost. I’ll just stick with Schlage smart key locks. Super easy. Nice review!
I've got mine installed and I love it! The only strange issue I'm having is that I can unlock with my Apple Watch no prob, but it won't work from tapping the phone directly. My wife and I both have the silver home key in our apple wallets, it just simple doesn't seem to recognize them. They are both even set to express mode so no ID needed or anything! Very odd...
Watch the lock picking lawyer video
@@lars3001 2 seconds open
I'm sorry for your loss
This is a stupid scam, a 10 dollar deadlock is more secure bexause it has standard amounts of security pins than this piece of garbage which has none at all, that's what you get for being stupid I guess
16.1 may have included the code to share homekeys but the feature isn’t available yet.
You can finally grant guest access to locks in iOS 18.
Great video! Would you say the Level Bolt is better or the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock?
I’m looking at the same too! Did you end up finding an answer to this?
@@Sparky_oto I decided the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is better and I’ve been happy with it. It’s been very reliable and the build quality is solid. The only issue is the batteries run out pretty quickly with the WiFi turned on. To resolve this, you can turn off the Wi-Fi and control it remotely through HomeKit.
I have it. After one year, I'm throwing it away. Going back to key locks. These are the worst, pain in the ass locks that I ever had. Absolute garbage.
Do you know if the Level keypad can be set to lockout after a certain number of failed attempts?
Can it tell whether your door is open or closed? And can it lock automatically when the door is closed? Like the one I use from wyze.
It can lock automatically but you need a contact sensor to know if it’s open or closed.
@@AppleInsider ehh. That’s a bit of a bummer. But I’m willing to sacrifice the built in door detection wyze offers for the amazing features and design of level. Thanks!
@@joshx413 how does the lock know if the door is opened or closed without some sort of contact sensor? Not being sarcastic, just seriously curious.
it's water ressitant? I'd like to use it in a front gate , under weather conditions
Lock picking super easy
Did the box come wrapped in plastic film to ensure that no one accessed the included physical keys?
Is it possible to use HomeKey without the key component and internal part. E.g. for a door inside the house (where we do not want to use a big lock)
No the electronics are inside deadbolt so unless you disassemble and make your own lock with it….no.
If you live in an apartment building can you just use the internal “invisible” deadbolt without the external components? I know the touch sensing won’t work, but would nfc and homekey and keypad work? Thanks!
If you're looking for just the internals, check out the Level Bolt! That is the ORIGINAL Level Lock and it is just that! You get the motor for inside your door and the rest of the HomeKit functionality. Unfortunately like you mentioned, some features aren't supported there like Home Key, touch sensitivity, and key cards.
Checked with Level and they said we need all components to have it working because the nfc is on the keyhole plate, while the keyhole plate needs to be connected to the thumb turn plate to get power.
@@hermanleong9233 yes, but they sell just the internals as the Level Bolt. You can use that!
@@AppleInsider We are all after HomeKey, so we need Level Lock+ 😁
@@hermanleong9233 yes but you HAVE to have the external part for Home Key. There will never be a Home Key lock without th external piece because it holds the antenna…
What about opening the door to visitors from a distant location in the house?
Use the app or Siri to unlock if you don’t want to get up and unlock.
Do not get this lock, it's a disaster.
1. Auto-unlock will unlock randomly when you are home. Happened a few times while sleeping! Unacceptable, feature is permanently turned off. Really hard to trust a "lock" after that...
2. Battery life is decent, but the software that buries the battery % level 4 menus deep and has no notifications when you are going low, it just down right stupid.
3. Touch to unlock works maybe 20% of the time.
4. Physical key cards randomly stop working after a few months and then you have to re-pair them. So giving them to guests/family members is useless...
5. Homekit integration does work about 70-80% of the time, but still has a ton of quirks where it will just randomly stop working at all, you need to then take out the battery and put it back to "reset" the lock
Bottom line, this lock is gorgeous, clean, and simple, but the execution especially on the software side is a straight up FAILURE. Save yourself the headache and look elsewhere.
Thanks for the the awesome review!! But have you run into an issue?
Is it possible to replace the physical keys to different ones?
Can you plz let me know if i have 3 doors to my house can i setup all 3 on home key how would that setup work
So Home Key gives you access to your home, so you have one key in your wallet and you just walk up to each one and you get access. Super easy!
Is it possible for someone like a child to easily remove and hide the inside knob making it difficult to unlock in case of an emergency?
Great question Tim! Not at all! While it magnetically connects, it does lock in place. you need to use a small pin or paperclip to remove it again!
Saw this thing got unlocked with a random key with a hammer.
With the home key, does it work like travel pass, so you don’t need to go into wallet to use it if you put your phone close?
yes, you can set this up in "express mode" to allow that to function without unlocking your phone at all.
I guess you can unlock without waking up the phone, go into wallet and search for the HomeKey, right? I saw there is express mode which suppose to unlock the door when you place the phone next to the lock, without any interaction with the phone.
Think you still need to wake to go into wallet, express just makes it so you don’t have to unlock device to do so
@@metalmanexetreme For express transit card, we don’t need to wake. And we can unlock the door when the phone is out of battery. So I doubt we need to wake the phone up.
Yup! Just wake your phone, walk to your door, and tap your phone! No need to open wallet at all!
might want to check the lock picking lawyer's review of this before you go full apple fanboy 😂
Looks great, except for the choice of a magnet to hold the inside knob. This most likely violates building codes for fire egress. This is similar to double cylinder deadbolts which require a key from the inside; They are usually not allowed in residential buildings. The removable knob becomes an issue. I'm surprised that Level chose looks over security. Aside from that, to me it seems like kids & pranksters could yank & lose the knob.
Hey Dan! This isn't a problem at all. It requires you to use a pin or other tool to remove the knob. Just as tedious as having to remove screws on a standard door knob. But makes it easily snap into place!
@@AppleInsider That's great to know and makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the reply. :)
You shouldn't be surprised. Level's entire brand is looks and profit over usability.
Is the Level+ replacing the Level - Touch Edition that cost the exact same?
Yes, believe so!
Great Video. looking closely at this Lock. Were you successful with 16.1 and sharing a home key outside your family?
I like the homekey feature, is it possible to use the level lock plus as a level bolt? You know, just use the guts and use my own hardware
I have the same question. TIA
@@matthewkeating9673 i just got a level lock plus, the answer is yes but not exactly, antennas are on the front plate so nfc wont work without it
It looks easy to install and use. Only problem is if locks are keyed alike.
How's that a problem? picking a lock is extremely easy anyway
@@NSOLsome (a $10 lock from Home Depot) at least offers some resistance, makes the thief/intruder stay at the lock longer. This you can just bump it open within a split second.
Can this be used for an inside doorway such as bedroom door?.
Yes as long as your door and frame has a deadbolt hole in it it will work.
Someone can pick it in 20 seconds you are better off getting August lock
Does it connect with Z-wave?
What if the battery of the lock runs out and you don't have the physical key with you? Is there another way to open it?
You will be notified about the battery status in the app
At that point there's no easy way to open it without having a locksmith come out. But it's important to know what leads up to that point. The battery dying isn't instant and you'll get alerts that the battery is low and needs swapped. Additionally, that's no different than a regular non-smart lock. You always have to have a key or you cant get in. This just gives you more options. You can use the key or smart features.
Yes, this expensive lock's actual lock cylinder was designed and implemented very poorly. Take a hair pin or similar thing (cut up a coke can, etc.) and rake it up and down the keyway while applying slight turning pressure. Within seconds you can open this lock without a key and without power. You assume the lock is secure and will be hard to open without a lockpick; sadly you are mistaken.
How do you share key with others with out adding to home?
It’s likely just an option in the home or level app. Apple stuff is typically pretty simple.
Our contractor threw away the box and all of the codes. I tried the code on the body of the lock and it still opens using bluetooth. It would be much better if you could unlock using wifi from any location. Not impressed with the Level lock until they allow remote locking/unlocking
You can open remotely but if requires a hub
What if my phone get stolen, is there any security feature that they have to turn this around?
You should be able to require a touch or face ID in order to open your wallet?
I promised myself I wasn't going to buy new smart home things that aren't thread / matter supported, or will be later. Is there any word on that? I just recently picked up my first few thread light bulbs and its actually a huge improvement in stability and responsiveness. I have the August lock right now, and it works 90% of the time with auto-unlock feature, but there's enough lag / unresponsiveness there that I would really love to see the benefits I've seen with thread applied here.
This will be thread and matter supported soon with update.
Dont buy it its shit the actual lock is wors than anything u find at home depo
@@stevenbauer3958 if you want to be critical, provide some actual facts. Otherwise, you come across like a 12 -year old.
Is this an Apple Store exclusive?
yup!
And what about the missing lock pin?
It can be opened with the most simple lock pick kit from amazon.
Cudos to lockpickinglawyer
I read in a forum that it connects to the HomePod only via Bluetooth, is that true? My HomePods are far from my front door :(
Yeah, all HomeKit door locks are Bluetooth at the moment. If you want a HomeKit door lock, it is going to be Bluetooth. As long as any Home Hub is nearby, it will work. That includes Apple TV. The range is quite long, like 100 feet I think?
@@AppleInsider lol, you forgot about the Schlage Encode Plus!
Almost everything here seems great. But the fact that it doesn't seem to work with Thread is ridiculous. Everyone knows that Bluetooth is bad when it comes to smart home. You'll have to be in close range, and it's really slow. The good thing is that (as far as i know) you don't rely on Bluetooth when using Apple Home Keys, but still, if you're using the app to make sure you locked your door, I assume either your phone or some other smart home thing like your HomePod does have to connect to it via Bluetooth. And on top of this, the price is really stiff..
Curious to see if Thread and Matter come as updates to these locks. I really want one but thread would make it even better (and need a gold one to match the ugly locks and handles of our doors). Curious too how hard it is to get these keyed to match other doors on the house
Thread and matter are coming in software updates. The lock has hidden thread antenna that aren’t enabled yet.
Does it incorporate Matter?
Me: Hey Siri unlock my door
Siri: Sorry I’m not sure I understand 💀
Do you get locked out of your house if the battery dies?
Not at all! You can still use a key like any regular lock. I always recommend keeping a spare handy -- or on your car keys -- in case you ever have to use it.
Not at all! You can always take some random item like a hair pin and rake it up and down the lock's key cylinder while applying slight turning pressure and you'll open the lock in no time! Look what convenience you're getting for the high price!
You use a lock and they use a hammer to go after the window 😂
This would be awesome except for the physical key - if they offered a keyless option, this would be perfect.
would this work for android too?
No Thread, No Thank you. FYI: It's not that hard to find Schlage Encode Plus anymore!
Who has them for sale?
@@robertmiller7849 build is taking preorders with a ship date months away that seemed more of a guess. Lowe’s has been out of stock for months (I check regularly and am subscribed to be notified if they’re ever available)
@@robertmiller7849 most people want Century, myself included. 🤷♂️ but tbh you’re right, if you’re desperate enough Camelot is always an option
@@robertmiller7849 found it at Builds, thanks. Lowe’s sold out
@@Travisrogers87 Those other ones pop up too, but you gotta be fast and check mutiple times per day. BTW: the notications for both lowes and home depot don't work. I've signed up and never got a notfication, although I've seen in all of them online and in-store in the last two weeks.
Its very easy to pick. i wouldnt have it even for free
Can I use Alexa voice command to lock/unlock? Does anyone know?
My experience so far with level is short battery life. 1-2 mos max.
More frequent use means shorter life. Maybe you can find higher end batteries and use them?
Anything Apple is outrageous prices. Yeah, I have an iPhone but all the goody products are bookoo $ because they can which really holds back more market share
I came to see a demonstration of Express Mode in use. You didn’t show that.
Can you change the key core?
I believe it can be rekeyed to Schlage keys
IMHO doing so is an imperative with this lock, the out-of-the-box core is quite poor in resisting even basic lock picking attacks.
What’s the internal difference why can’t the old lock be updated?
NFC internals that make home key function.
Weather proof ??
Can the lock be rekeyed? I don’t want a new key
This exactly my question too!
Believe it can be re-keyed to Schlage keys?
@@AppleInsider the other level lock version without the home key allowed the buyer to use their knobs. Can you do that here?
@@AppleInsider meaning you didn’t need to rekey it because you use the same keyhole, only the bolt changed.
What about the door knob?
I think this smart lock is way overpriced at $330 compared to the competition on Amazon for $130. You did a great job on stating all its features that aren't obvious from looking at it.
Show me a smart lock that supports apple home key for $130.00... It doesn't exist. so therefore not direct competition.
This smart lock is a joke. Two locksmiths under the handle of LockPickingLawyer and McNallyOfficial demonstrated that this lock is less secure than even the $10 locks one would find as the cheapest locks at Home Depot.
One can pick this lock without any skills at all.
Can you make copies of the 🔑??
The physical key looks like a typical Schlage SC1 key