Getting digital with Kwikset's Kevo electronic door lock (pictures)
With your smartphone in your pocket, a touch on your door lock opens or closes your home.
Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds.
Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Arriving this summer, Kwikset's Kevo lock electronically opens and closes your front door's deadbolt.
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Your house key is you
With an app on your smartphone and a bare finger on the lock, you touch the metal housing to start the process. Don't worry, traditional mechanical keys still work, too.
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You're in!
LED lights flash green when you're in.
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Boarded up
A yellow ring means the deadbolt's engaged.
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The app controlling it all
A smartphone app in your pocket manages permissions and can monitor who's coming and going.
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Phone control
You'll need to have the phone within about four feet of the door for the touch system to work, much like keyless car entry when you've got a fob in your pocket.
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The key to Kevo? Blueooth
Bluetooth pairing is the technology behind the Kevo product. You'll remove the plastic back plate to pair your first, and master, phone. After that, the owner can designate varying degrees of administrative control. A spouse might have all the admin's rights, for instance, while kids are basic users without the right to prank parents or siblings by deleting their key permissions.
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How tricky is installation?
Kevo uses a total of six screws to keep the unit in place, compared with four for the average Kwikset deadbolt. Installation should take only a few minutes.
