As someone who loves technology, it's easy to get excited about new things. I like to connect with the latest gadgets, but I know for those who do not deal with it, this seems like a nightmare. My wife is not excited about the new technology. As long as it makes her life easier, she is happy. She wants to work. Immediately after Christmas 2019, we purchased the third generation August Smart Lock Pro. Since then I have loved absolutely every aspect. A few weeks ago, I decided to upgrade to Wi-Fi Smart Lock, 4th generation. Read on to learn more about smart Wi-Fi blocking in August and why it's worth upgrading to the latest generation.

Weekly HomeKit is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks and everything to do with Apple's smart home frame.

After hearing about smart locks for years, I was reluctant to buy one because I was worried that the installation was complicated and would require me to change the entire door handle. Once I started to take a closer look at August's products, I realized that all I had to do was replace the inside of the lock. The 3rd generation product was a breeze to install and so was the last generation. Even for someone who is not so handy, I was able to go from unboxing to setting up the final touches in about half an hour.

The installation process

August did an excellent job of building a short video for every step of the way. The first step is to use tape for painters to ensure that the outer mortal does not fall. Second, remove the inside of the jam. It then walks you through using the supplied adapters to connect August Lock to your dead lock. In total, the hardware installation took ten minutes. You will need a Philips head screwdriver, but other than that, all the necessary products are in the box.

In my situation, I was deleting an existing lock for August, so I had to lift the tabs on the side to unlock the actual August lock, then I removed the mounting bracket. Then I worked back with the 4th generation Wi-Fi Smart Lock products from August. I screwed on the mounting bracket, added the locking adapter, and then mounted the new lock. Since I already installed the Door Sense sensor, I was only able to leave it as it was in the previous installation.

Once the hardware was set up, I went to work on setting up the software. Software setup is another place where August did an excellent job of making it easy. He walked me through the calibration process, sharing it with my wife over the August app, then adding it to the HomeKit. Once this was done, I removed the old lock by doing a factory reset.

The total period from disconnection to operation was about thirty minutes. For someone like that hates Home projects with passion, it was painless. If you have maintained a smart lock due to perceived complexity, you will safely choose a smart Wi-Fi lock August,

Daily use of smart Wi-Fi lock August

My house includes a two-car garage that I used quite often before I got the lock. One day, you may have grown five times. Now, only the first thing is used in the morning and we park on the alley until we get home at night. We put less wear on the garage door, thanks to the August Smart Lock Pro.

HomeKit support with Smart Wi-Fi Lock August

We set it up where it unlocks automatically as we make our way home, so we don't have to agree to find our keys while trying to bring our kids home. As we leave, it locks automatically. We also set it to lock automatically when we get home after five minutes. It's a perfect example of how smart home products should work. We don't have to think about that. It blends in perfectly with our lifestyle and works behind the scenes.

Thanks to its HomeKit support, I can always connect to Siri to make sure my door is locked. I can also set it to work with other automations. At the moment, I need to set the automatic lock by HomeKit automation when our "Night" mode continues. If the door is still unlocked, I know HomeKit will lock it.

Which makes the 4th generation lock different

If you have a previous August crash, you may be wondering what makes the 4th generation crash different and whether it's worth upgrading. The first thing you will notice is that it is dramatically smaller. August claims it is 45% smaller and I believe them. The previous locks were not massive, but they were much larger than a normal lock. The August 4 look of the generation blends much more with your door. The second reason to upgrade is to avoid needing the Connect Bridge. Previously, if you wanted to access the August lock site and didn't have HomeKit, you'll need the Connect Bridge. Otherwise, the lock would only work with Bluetooth. With the 4th generation lock, Wi-Fi is built into the lock itself, so no bridge is needed.

Since I was able to sell my old lock for about 1/3 of the cost of the new lock, it was a worthy upgrade. The 45% lower form factor is just worth the upgrade for me.

Wrap on the August Wi-Fi smart lock

August Lock Wi-Fi Smart Lock Pro is my favorite HomeKit product. I like being able to unlock the door as we walk home. It blends in nicely with the rest of our door hardware. It was extremely handy while we were on vacation a few weeks ago, as we rebuilt our floors due to the tornado damage in April. I was able to unlock my front doors every morning before he arrived and lock it again when they left in the evening.

The smart Wi-Fi lock in August allows us to avoid key fumes when transporting food, trying to bring the children while also trying to prevent the dog from coming out. As we speak, the door authenticates to our phone and unlocks automatically. A few minutes later, it automatically locks back. No doubt, if you only have one smart home product, make it the new August Wi-Fi lock.

The 4th generation solves all the complaints we had about the previous version, so it's a great time to buy one.

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