Yale’s new smart lock can match your Google Nest doorbell
Following the news that Google is discontinuing its Nest x Yale Lock, Yale has announced a new smart lock that fits into the Google Home ecosystem and is designed to complement Google’s Nest video doorbells.
However, thanks to Matter-over-Thread compatibility, the Yale Smart Lock with Matter will also work with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and any other Matter-enabled smart home platform. It’s an interesting approach for Google, and a sign it’s embracing the openness of the newer standard.
The new Yale lock is a full-deadbolt replacement featuring a keypad and keyway for access. It comes in gray and white to match some of the doorbell’s available finishes, as well as black. It will launch this summer for $170.
According to Yale, the lock will work with the Yale Access app over Bluetooth, and the Google Home app, or any other Matter-certified smart home app, via a compatible Matter controller and Thread border router. Yale says it has up to 12 months of battery life on four AA batteries.
The built-in Matter-over-Thread connectivity doesn’t use the swappable modules found on other Yale locks. There is also no built-in Wi-Fi, but the company says you can purchase a Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge for Wi-Fi connectivity, which you might need if you don’t have a Thread border router.
Through Matter, the lock can work with Google Home to manage passcodes, schedule guest access, set up auto-lock, and provide battery life alerts and notifications for lock events. It will also allow you to view a history of lock activity.
The lock can also work with any other Matter app, but the full feature set will depend on what features the ecosystem offers. Interestingly, there don’t appear to be proprietary features that would make the lock work better in Google Home than other Matter smart home platforms.
This is Yale’s second Matter-enabled smart lock. It launched the Yale Assure SL with Matter-over-Thread last year. It has also said its new Yale Approach retrofit smart lock will be upgraded to work with Matter-over-Thread at some point. However, the company has not yet followed through on its promise to release a Matter-over-Thread connectivity module for its flagship Assure 2 products.
Both companies have confirmed they will no longer manufacture the Nest x Yale Lock, which was first launched in 2018. They say the device will continue working as expected and receive software and security updates.