X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Any lock's a smart lock with the Kwikset Kevo Convert

Kwikset's newest smart lock is a renter-friendly retrofit option that clamps onto the dumb deadbolt you've already got.

Ryan_Crist2.jpg
Ryan_Crist2.jpg
Ry Crist
kevoconvertlock-2.jpg
1 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

This is the Kwikset Kevo Convert, a renter-friendly retrofit smart lock that attaches to your existing deadbolt. Click through to see more about it.

kevoconvertlock-5.jpg
2 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

App-enabled entry

With the Kevo Convert, you'll be able to lock and unlock your door remotely, using the Kevo app for Android and iOS devices.

kevo-app-ekeys.jpg
3 of 16 Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

Shared access

The Kevo app makes it easy to share time-restricted "eKeys" with others. Kwikset isn't charging fees for those eKeys anymore, either.

kevo-app-history.png
4 of 16 Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET

Comings and goings

The app's history section lets you see all of the action at the lock, including timestamps. It only logs activity if someone locks or unlocks the door using the app, though.

kevo-app-ifttt-nest.jpg
5 of 16 Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

Third-party integrations

The Kevo Convert borrows the original Kevo's integrations with IFTTT and Nest.

lock-compatibility-kwikset-kevo-convert.jpg
6 of 16 Kwikset

Check your door

The Kevo Convert will only work with standard deadbolts, so you'll want to double-check that your door is compatible before buying one.

install-2.jpg
7 of 16 Ry Crist/CNET

Cross compatibility

The Kevo Convert comes with three sets of parts designed to ensure compatibility with deadbolts from a variety of popular manufacturers. The app will help you figure out which set to use for your lock.

kevo-adapter.jpg
8 of 16 Ry Crist/CNET

Adapter

Each set of parts comes with a little adapter to help connect the Convert to the specific kind of deadbolt in your door.

install-1.jpg
9 of 16 Ry Crist/CNET

Getting started

To install the Kevo Convert, you'll need to start by removing the interior part of your deadbolt.

install-3.jpg
10 of 16 Ry Crist/CNET

Pretty simple

From there, you'll replace the interior of the lock with the Kevo Convert. All you really need is a screwdriver and about 10 minutes.

kevo-batteries.jpg
11 of 16 Ry Crist/CNET

Batteries included

The Kevo Convert runs off of four AA batteries, which come included. The lock will warn you if the batteries are starting to run low -- and if they ever die on you, you can still just get in by using your key.

kevoconvertlock-3.jpg
12 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

All finished

Once installation is finished, you'll connect with the lock via Bluetooth on your Android or iOS device.

kevo-out-of-range.png
13 of 16 Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET

Bluetooth range

That Bluetooth connection comes with an obvious range limitation. You won't be able to connect to it from more than 100 feet away.

kevoconvertlock-6.jpg
14 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

Profile shot

Here's how the installed look looks from the side. It's definitely bigger than the average deadbolt interior, but it's slightly smaller than a lot of competing smart locks.

kevoconvertlock-1.jpg
15 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

Finish

It also comes in two choices of finishes. This is darker of the two -- the other is a light-toned aluminum finish.

kevoconvertlock-4.jpg
16 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

Price point

The Kwikset Kevo Convert costs $150, which is slightly less expensive than most other smart locks, which typically retail for $200 or more. Check out our full review to see if we think it's worth it.

More Galleries

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work

21 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
yamaha01.jpg

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)

16 Photos
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)
dia-de-los-muertos-3318-001.jpg

CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)

9 Photos