Auto-Unlock is a feature that automatically unlocks your door when you arrive home, without having to reach for your phone or your keys.
If you're an iOS user, please read the article below on "How to Use Auto-Unlock for iOS" for more information about the Auto-Unlock feature.
How it works?
Yale uses two states to enable Auto-Unlock to function: Home mode, and Away mode. These modes indicate where Auto-Unlock thinks you are: at home, or away from home respectively.
When you are at home (in Home mode), Auto-Unlock is not actively doing anything. It is waiting until you leave home.
When you approach your door, Auto-Unlock will unlock your door via Bluetooth. This means Auto-Unlock cannot operate your lock when you are away from home.
You are considered away from home when you leave your immediate neighborhood, which is about 200 meters, or a couple city blocks. It is only active when you return to your home area.
Tips for good Auto-Unlock performance
Leave Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned ON
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be enabled to use the Auto-Unlock feature. Your phone uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to determine your location. If your location is not accurate, Auto-Unlock will not work correctly or at all.
Leave location services ON
Auto-Unlock uses phone’s location to determine when you are close to Home. Location services must be enabled in order for Auto-Unlock to work correctly.
Location permission (Android 10 and higher)
Set location permission to "All the time".
Take advantage of the notifications.
Android 8 and above use notifications to communicate to you about Auto-Unlock. Notifications for previous versions of Android can be turned on in the settings.
Open and use the Yale Home App at least once a day.
This teaches the operating system that Yale Home App is a commonly used application.
Whitelist the Yale Home App for battery savings (Android 9).
Preserve battery life by whitelisting the Yale Home App. From your home screen, go to Settings > Apps > Yale Home > Battery > Optimize Battery Usage.
PLEASE NOTE: These steps may vary from model to model. The column on the right has more info on specific phones (How to Enable Auto-Unlock on Android Phones with Custom Vendor Optimisation that Terminates Background Tasks).
For best results: Enter and exit your home through the door where your Yale Home Smart Lock is installed.
If you enter through a door without Auto-Unlock enabled, the Auto-Unlock feature will still attempt to unlock the Smart Lock enabled door the next time it sees it. If you have a large house, this could be minutes or hours later.
If you plan to enter through a different door, you can cancel the Auto-Unlock through the notification that appears when you approach your home area.
Home and Away Modes Explained
1. Home Mode
Nothing happens automatically.
What does it mean?
You are assumed to be at home, and Auto-Unlock is not actively doing anything.
How is it activated?
Automatically - You are placed in Home mode after Auto-Unlock successfully unlocks your door when returning home.
2. Away Mode
Your phone will attempt to unlock your lock the next time you are near it. If you'd like to ensure your door is locked, please also set up Auto-Lock. Follow the instructions in "How to Enable Auto-Lock" article above.
What does it mean?
You are assumed to have left home, as well as your immediate neighbourhood.
How is it activated?
Automatically - You are placed in Away mode when your phone leaves the area around your home. This is typically about 200 meters away from your Yale Home Smart Lock, or a couple city blocks.
Manually - If you've suspended Auto-Unlock, you can re-enable it by simply opening the Yale Home App.