August, the company behind the popular August Smart Lock, today announced a second-generation product that includes support for Apple's HomeKit home automation platform. The new HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock lets customers use voice commands to lock, unlock, and check the status of their door.

The August Smart Lock can be used with other HomeKit products to create scenes that might unlock the door while also turning on the lights inside the house. August has also revamped the design of its Smart Lock, adding a new magnetic faceplate to improve the grip and rotation of the lock, and an indicator at the top so users can visually tell whether the door is locked or unlocked.


Along with the new HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock, August is also debuting the August Smart Keypad and the August Doorbell Cam. The August Smart Keypad works alongside the August Smart Lock, allowing for entry without a smartphone. Unique one-time use access codes can be generated for friends and family.


The August Doorbell Cam also works with the August Smart Lock, letting users see and speak with visitors at their door from anywhere. It has a one-way 140 degree HD video camera and two-way audio. Motion detection capabilities capture movement even when the bell is not rung, sending a notification, and a livestream of activity can be viewed using the August app.


All three products connect to the August Access platform, which is available today in beta form. It's designed to offer secure home access to the August products for trusted partner companies like Sears, Postmates, Pro.com, Handy, Fetch, Shyp, BloomNation, Envoy, Rinse, HelloAlfred, Wag!, Pillow, and Doorman. Customers will be able to allow these trusted partners to enter their homes with the August Smart Lock, alleviating the need to be home for deliveries.

The HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock, priced at $229, is available for pre-order from the August website. The Smart Keypad is priced at $79 and the Doorbell Cam is priced at $199.

Top Rated Comments

Zorn Avatar
127 months ago
Disappointing. Yet another company who promised to support HomeKit when talking about their original product, only to backtrack and require a purchase of the "next generation". At least Philips offered some type of discount trade in on their Hue hub, looks like August is giving their loyal customers who counted on getting HomeKit the middle finger.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
playaproved Avatar
127 months ago
I hope they offer some upgrade or trade in for existing users. I really don't feel like shoving out another $200 for a smart lock I really don't need.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nalmond92 Avatar
127 months ago
And when my iPhone battery dies I have a physical key to let me in?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
okboy Avatar
127 months ago
It's ugly.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdlink Avatar
127 months ago
I'm only half-disappointed mainly b/c I still haven't found a use for home kit. No company, especially Apple has shown me the way.

I was an early adopter of the August. I also gave the Lockitron a try. Kevo was a no-go from the start because my house is Schlage and I'm not change every lock. Schlage's locks were a no-go because the backside looks like it belongs in a hotel.
Anyway I mostly love the August now that the early bugs are gone. As far as aesthetics, no, not perfect, but better than the other smart locks. I can't live w/o a smart lock now anymore than I could live w/o keyless entry on my car.
Early bugs gone? Not hardly. After setting up my August lock to use Automatic Unlock I was lying in bed one night and thought I heard my lock automatically unlock randomly. I reached over and picked up my phone, and sure enough my front door was unlocked. After some back and forth with August, and a couple more instances of this very disturbing bug I disabled the feature. Fast forward 10 months, and I moved to a different house. Decided that they'd had enough time to fix the issue, and turned the feature back on. Lo and behold the first time I come home the automatic lock feature won't work, because the lock doesn't realize I had been gone. So I had to use the app to manually unlock it. But the feature worked fine about a half hour later, when I was sitting in bed. In fact it worked twice. No thanks. Turned it off again, never to turn it back on.

I can't get the thing to recognize I'm standing right outside my door about 70% of the time. I walk out of my door, and try to lock the door with my app before I leave to go to work. My app won't connect, and the door usually locks itself before the connection ever happens.

Their support is slow to respond.

I know that looks are subjective, and I know the Schlage is not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it sure as heck looks better than the August, IMO. Sure can't work any worse.

I agree on Kevo. I would never trust my security to a Kwikset lock.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheRealTVGuy Avatar
127 months ago
Maybe these guys will be first to offer the AppleWatch solution I'm looking for. I just want to be able to go for a run with nothing but my AppleWatch, and be able to lock/unlock my front door using nothing but the watch, standalone, without being connected to my iPhone. It should be as easy as when I use ApplePay at a payment terminal on my watch, while my iPhone is someplace else.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...