Reached out to Level regarding the Touch possibly being the same hardware as the Plus and their reply is as follows: “…with Level Lock+, we advanced the technology in our world-class line of smart locks to ensure that it meets the standard for Apple home keys every time. It’s new hardware and software, and we’ve been able to keep the exact same footprint and design.”
So new hardware for the Level Lock+ which enables Home Key. Could possibly be the NFC in the existing Touch wasn’t to the spec Apple requires for Home Key to function reliably.
Thanks for your video! I just installed the Level Lock +. I’d like to add that it is likely they improved the hardware on the + as I have gone through 3 different Level Touch locks due to jamming and/or failure to lock and unlock (yes the locking mechanism works smoothly and without external friction when manually turned). I originally had a level bolt on the same door without issue. The new Level Lock + works without a mechanical issue. Although, I am having difficulty with Home Key but that’s so far unrelated to the hardware.
This is great! I've been trying to find the Schlage Encode Plus since May and it's been out of stock everywhere. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick this up.
I have the Level Touch and the Touch to Unlock feature has not worked for several weeks. I’ve reconfigured it a couple of times and despite the Level app accessing my location 24/7 and depleting my battery life, when I need the feature to work, it just doesn’t. I’ve reached out to Level a couple of times and nothing.
That is unfortunate, have you tried removing the lock from the app/home and setting up as new or allowing more time for the feature to be active? I’ve had the same issue occasionally but it certainly isn’t the norm.
I have the same issue touch to lock and home key are barely useable. I’ve tried removing home and re-adding without success. Pretty disappointed with the lack of customer service too.
I also have the same issue. Are you on iOS 16? If it does there seems to be some issue after the update which delays the lock responds. Removing and adding the level lock back to the HomeKit as well as restarting the router and HomeKit hub seems to have solved it.
I got it too, not happy so far. Maybe I have to wait a bit for it to update or something but HomeKit is pretty slow. Also, HomeKey doesn’t work for me at all. Not sure if I got a bad unit 😢
I have level lock touch installed and find that it often does not work. I have two property locations and it often defaults to the home location that is 90 miles away (I do have geolocation enabled). The touch stuff rarely works for me unfortunately (maybe 1 in 5 times) and have to fumble with my phone to open the app and then it works with the app. I do feel screwed that Level did not provide a firmware update for Home Key. It should be possible to do a FW update. The engineers that designed and produced the level lock are super smart and should have had the foresight to add whatever hardware was needed to support it from the beginning, or even a module upgrade to support it. I love the design but it needs to be reliable.
The Touch is capable of HomeKey-like functionality and let it slip in a previous firmware. They rapidly released a follow-up firmware update to remove it. I still have a Touch running that older firmware and can open the lock with my iPhone and AppleWatch. So the Touch is capable without any other hardware.
Well there you go thank you for confirming. I had pretty high confidence that this was possible. I had heard the designers were previously from Apple so would have had the foresight to do this. Just didn’t think they would be so corrupt as to withhold functionality in order to make more money. Honestly I feel scammed at this point. As much as I like the Level lock products I’m going to try to avoid using their products knowing that they have questionable business conduct. Anyway thank you for confirming
I did cover this in a separate video here: ua-cam.com/video/zLe5RVklolA/v-deo.html When I reached out to Level on Twitter they said they’d get back to me and just ghosted me and released the follow-up firmware that killed the functionality. 🥲
I have a level lock now . Not to sure the advantage. I say “ Siri open door or lock door”. It works perfect. Not to sure why I would replace my current level lock
The whole concept is great and very interesting, but the only pet peeve I see is that the battery is located inside the deadbolt and makes it a weak spot for force entry .
As @@M3FortiZay pointed out, the Level Lock+ does have a BHMA rating of AAA which is the highest rating a residential lock can achieve. Additionally, the battery adds density to the deadbolt. Your door jamb will give out before the deadbolt.
@@ReyG_HKSH there is a video review on Canada site level lock black under truly so fucked up 。。。。 Amazon From Canada Rob 1.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase No security, very cheap lock cylinders. Reviewed in Canada on October 10, 2022 00:17 I taught myself to pick simple locks in college. I hadn’t tried picking a lock in many years. I picked this lock in 10-15 seconds on my first attempt. Wow. I tried picking my old Weiser smart key deadbolt that I replaced and it was difficult and after 20 minutes I gave up. This lock is meant to let people in, not lock them out… I would not recommend this for your house. Maybe a shed.
It should notify you during setup that Home Key will be available in Wallet. Go to the Home app>home settings, there will be a list of users. Select your name and scroll to the bottom and select Locks. It will show a list of available locks and on the bottom will have Show Home Key in Wallet. Select that and it should open up in Wallet. Hope that helps.
Hi mate. You’re the only one that seems to mention how loud these locks are. Schlage encode and this. It’s an important factor for me as I live in an apartment complex and being discreet and respectful to my neighbours. I currently have a Schlage sense and it’s just too loud, I avoid locking it sometimes and sometimes even resort to a key.. My question to you is - between the new Schlage encode plus and the level lock plus which one is quieter? Thank you
How long does the battery last? I'm using a Nest Yale lock on one of my doors and I tend to only change the batteries in it maybe every 6 months or so. It does use multiple batteries so that could impact the battery life.
Battery life is rated at about year. I found for the Touch edition that it was mostly accurate give or take a month or two, heavily dependent on your settings and usage.
Well, for the third time in two days, I’m sitting in my living room watching TV and my Level Lock Touch on my front door just decides on its own to unlock! I feel really secure now.
I just got the level bolt. So far it just jams. I have reached out this weekend to support, waiting for a response. Remember, lockpickinglawyer shows how poor the level lock security is. Better to change the core out if you can.
This totally seems to be a cash grab for Level as they could have easily updated the Level Lock Touch for HomeKey. Maybe not..maybe its a different NFC, but why the same FCC? Hopefully in the offical press release, they will say something about it, otherwise I'm going to belive that this is a cash grab on their previous Level Lock Touch owners like myself and I will never buy from them again. On another note, I didn't hear you say if this has Thread? Schlage Encode Plus has thread so if this lock is really a new lock (and not a cash grab), why doesn't it have Thread?
There is nothing in the documentation referencing Thread but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be enabled via firmware update. There is scant marketing for this from Level, I think we’ll learn more upon it’s official release. I think this was a early exclusive for Apple stores. The firmware on my Touch is 2.26.1 and this Plus is 2.27. Could the next firmware update enable Home Key? I’m hoping it will, but not expecting it. Thanks for watching! 🙏
@@mrleblanc That’s an old take. When they initially launched HomeKit that was the case, but they responded to the criticism and worked on software based authentication.
I’ve installed about 7 different smart locks (5 at my own home) and the next to last one was the encode plus only my wife and I are out of the family group and have to assign digital codes to our grown kids and guests. There’s no way to allow them to use Home Kit from their own devices. What is the method for allowing guest entry without a key card say to let in a dog walker or someone like that if they’re not a regular? It would be nice if you could send a code to make their device NFC compatible on a limited basis.
At this time, the only way to give guests (not residents) access is to provide them with a key code. Key sharing was supposed to come with iOS 16.1 but the jury’s still out whether that would include Home Key.
@@ReyG_HKSH But the Level Lock + doesn't have a keypad (unless you get the option just for guests). So that's an issue. But the size and design is really compact even more so than the August WiFi lock which is next most compact of the ones I've installed. Any other workarounds?
@@jfeiner1 Level does sell a keypad. Key cards and mini key cards (keychains) are also available on the Level website. You can enable/disable access for individual key cards in the Level app but there is no automated way to do that, it would need to be done manually.
I feel bad for customers like myself who bought the touch edition and see how they released this model with a home key feature. The touch edition should receive a firmware update to have this feature, especially since it’s compatible with Hone Kit already😢
If it’s possible for the Home Key feature to be enabled with just a firmware update I agree. Unfortunately, no one outside of Level would know definitively if that’s possible. Anything at this point is pure speculation. Thanks for watching! 🙏
May I ask you a question? If you add more than two home keys in Apple Home, I can see that Apple Wallet shows only one home key that works among all the locks. Then Is it available to give separate doorlock access to someone in my family? For instance, giving a main doorlock access to everyone and another lock access to someone who I want.
The Ring notifications are from the native app. I have a Ring Pro added to HomeKit via Homebridge. If you’re interested I have a Raspberry Pi HomeBridge video that explains how to do it. Thanks for watching! 🙏
Well done video. I’m looking to purchase a Level Lock and I think this video conformed that I want to buy the PLUS. I have a question and before I ask I have to start out by saying I have never used Apple Home. That being said will I be able to send a lock code to someone via a text message that will allow them access? I came across a UA-cam video a few weeks ago that showed that but I didn’t save the video so I’m not sure if the access I’m looking for is at the Level Lock Plus or the Home Access. Hopefully someone can answer me before I purchase my lock. Thanks again for a very well done video.
Thanks. For the Level Lock + specifically you will also need to purchase the Level Keypad so that a guest has the ability to punch in the code. You can distribute codes via the native Level app or Apple Home (HomeKit). For HomeKit you will need a Home hub, that can either be an Apple TV a HomePod. Hope this helps, thanks for watching! 🙏
Is there anything other than a magnet holding on the interior turning portion of the lock? It seems like something the little ones in the house may pull off and lose.
I wonder if a 3rd party lock set would still allow homekey to function. I’m guessing the plastic face allows the NFC to get through to the motor, though. Could you try it? I don’t really care about the touch functionality but would like to use it with a one piece handle set.
Contacted Level and they said the NFC is in the keyhole side, while the keyhole side need to be attached to the thumb turn to receive power. So we need to install all components for it to work. I’m now searching for a new door handle because my existing door (using August lock) has the handle attached to the keyhole plate, while deadbolt and thumb turn are separate component. Too bad I couldn’t use my existing hardware, but I’m willing to sacrifice for HomeKey. 😂
@@mattmo91 My current door hardware (which I bought for the purpose of using August Lock) is a tubular lock where the keyhole side is one piece with the handle, while the thumb turn is separated piece. So my hardware won’t be compatible with this as well. But HomeKey is something I longed for, I will be changing my handle rest to accommodate the use of this lock!
I'm curious why you'd want to touch your phone or watch to the lock when you can just use touch (assuming you're within the window of time allowed as set in the app)? I would think touch is much more convenient, but some comments here suggest it doesn't work reliably. For me, the phone key isn't very appealing because I usually have my hands full and digging my phone out of my pocket to touch the lock doesn't seem very convenient. I have a Schlage electronic lock currently and I'd honestly rather punch in a code than dig out my phone. It's like the difference between using a key fob for your car vs just touching to unlock. Does anyone prefer using the fob?
@@Imsaved777 If you like using your key, then you're not the intended customer. Keys are becoming increasingly unnecessary to carry (I have a Tesla and my phone is my key). I thought my post was clear that digging anything out of my pockets is an inconvenience as I often have my hands full. That's part of the reason for buying a smart lock in the first place.
In the same way, some people, like myself always have their Apple Watch on or iPhone in hand when arriving home so using either to unlock the door is trivial. Touch doesn’t always work in my experience, so far Home Key hasn’t failed me.
Awesome. I do have a question. Can you use apple home keys at 2 different locations? Say I have Schlage encode plus at my main home and then the level lock plus at my vacation house, how would this work? Do you know if then home app would issue 2 different home keys for 2 different locations? And also if the iPhone would detect correct location for the given lock? Please if possible could you test that somehow. Since you have both locks at your disposal! Thanks
If you notice the Home Key has the address or home name at the top so two different properties would have separate Home Keys. Currently HomeKit uses geolocation when choosing between homes for the Home app. I think it would be safe to say that would apply to Home Keys as well. Thanks for watching! 🙏
Super helpful during my install. Thanks! I can get everything to work except hamekeys. I have the latest iPhone and an Apple Watch. How does Homekeys connect? Is it bluetooth? Wifi?
You should get a prompt to turn it on. If you haven’t enabled express mode, you will need to unlock your phone before using Home Key. You can enable express mode by tapping the info button when displaying your Home Key in Apple Wallet.
@@ReyG_HKSH I have done all of those things but it does not seem to work consistently. What really does not work well is voice commands. I had better success on that score with the August lock. That’s why I am wondering if Apple keys works with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. I have a three-story house with the Wi-Fi centralized on the second level and the front door lock at the very bottom, so I am wondering if coverage is an issue. I turned on the bluetooth boost, just to be safe. It is a nice feature, and it seems to replace the separate booster that August lock had.
@@ReyG_HKSH Well, my AppleTV is set up as my home hub. It is on the second floor. However, I did just get two HomePod minis and they are on the first floor. I have noticed that giving voice commands through Siri is the thing that takes the longest and I typically get a message such as “the lock is taking a long time to respond”
@@ernestintownandjackintheco1024 I do get the Siri thing occasionally but one thing I notice with that is the command goes through and the status changes to whatever I requested in the Home app eventually. Apple is readying a update to the Home architecture with 16.2 that is now in beta. I’m hoping that fixes some of the inconsistencies with Siri and HomeKit.
My question is how safe and reliable is this lock i feel like this won’t be strong enough for break ins not sure i would feel safe when going on vacations what do you think.
Add an Easilock E2 and a door latch (rated for 800 lbs) around waist height or Night Barricade (mounted on floor) at the mid point of the door. And replace your door jamb and hinge screws with #10 x 3.5" screws (easiest upgrade)...just be sure to predrill all the holes with a longer drill bit and wax the screws so they don't crack the wood when driving in.
Yes it still functions just like the touch. You or someone with a linked device will need to be present with the child upon arrival since the touch function is enabled via geolocation.
Pretty much the same except for the differences in feature sets. I recommend basing your decision on that. Any performance difference with common features is negligible but I have noticed the Schlage to be (very) slightly quicker to respond when accessing in the Home app.
Local Apple Store, they had low stock which means 3 or less, and I don’t think every Apple Store got them in stock. They should be available online next Friday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they sold out like the Schlage Encode Plus.
@@ReyG_HKSH I found out that my wife is the organizer for the household therefore I cant give access. So I have to reset the lock and everything in order to make her the master of the lock in order to have her allow everyone in the household to get access.
They should add a finger print sensor, that way you don't need your phone or keys, or if it works with Apple Watch that would be cool. A keypad is still useful if you want to give someone a temporary code such as house sitter or dog sitter or contractor. Maybe with Matter apple home key will work with locks that are Alexa or Ring Alarm compatible. The fact there's only two locks that work with HomeKit right now is pretty weak, just get Google Home or Amazon Alexa and with Matter you can use any lock or just use the native app for that lock.
@@metalmanexetreme Aqara’s offering really isn’t for the US home market. Hopefully Aqara will release something for this market, otherwise it is still just two currently.
@@ReyG_HKSH On it’s way! Was just announced at 2023 CES. I think it looks kind of ugly though and prefer the look of either the Level Plus or the Encode Plus.
Sorry, I don’t do Alexa but it works with Amazon Sidewalk so if that’s Alexa compatible then the answer is “yes.” BUT, the main reason to get this lock is Apple Home Key so if you’re not in the HomeKit ecosystem then you might want to give this one a pass.
They put a $0.10 NFC chip and hike the price by $100 and people go crazy 😂😂. Just buy a pack of NFC stickers and slap one inside your standard level lock and voila! You have a Level lock plus.
It’s the exact same price as the Level Touch and according to Level is made of new hardware and software to Apple’s spec for reliable Home Key functionality.
I've had a Level Touch since February (so, this is month 8) - would NOT recommend purchasing anything from this company!!! Awful (non-existent) support, no channel to provide dev feedback. The bluetooth feature of the touch (where it's supposed to unlock as you approach the door) works less than 10% of the time. The touch feature is so slow you may as well get out your keys. Under iOS 16.x it's had a bit of a lobotomy and thinks I'm on the other side of the door - so, 15-20 minutes after I'm home, it unlocks the door *sigh*. Only thing that works reliably is the auto lock (default 30 seconds) as well as HomeKit (using Siri or the Home app). Batter life is abysmal. Battery that shipped with it lasted a month. Second, brand new Duracell lasted 3 months. Just changed it again - so 3-4 months is the norm for us. We use the keys, as that's the fastest, most reliable way to unlock the door.
Yes! This IS a CASH GRAB by Level! Earlier this year I purchased the Level lock touch for my HomeKit setup. Now they come out with HomeKey support FOR WHAT IS THE SAME LOCK, and instead of simply doing a software update to the lock, they simply add the software to the lock, rename it, and sell it, and say to the previous owners of the same lock, SORRY, you’ll have to spend ANOTHER $330 to have HomeKit functionality! WTF! I will NEVER buy another product from this company! They could easily have provided a software update for current owners while also selling the new product to new customers, similar to how Tesla does!
Bring your UA-cam video Back Down and do some more editing on it. It does show your street address in your house number. It didn't say your city or state or zip code. But just by having our home house number and street name there are ways to figure out where you are located. So for your family's privacy blur out that information during your videos.
Oh yeah beta 16 screwed up all my HomePods they wouldn’t turn my lights on when they all still had iOS 15. Stay on same version number and it seems to be fine
Are you sure it’s the Plus and not the Touch. I don’t have a link for the Plus as it’s not available anywhere online, the link below is for the Touch but will update it when/if available on Amazon. Price is steep though. 💸
Reached out to Level regarding the Touch possibly being the same hardware as the Plus and their reply is as follows: “…with Level Lock+, we advanced the technology in our world-class line of smart locks to ensure that it meets the standard for Apple home keys every time. It’s new hardware and software, and we’ve been able to keep the exact same footprint and design.”
So new hardware for the Level Lock+ which enables Home Key. Could possibly be the NFC in the existing Touch wasn’t to the spec Apple requires for Home Key to function reliably.
Thanks for your video! I just installed the Level Lock +. I’d like to add that it is likely they improved the hardware on the + as I have gone through 3 different Level Touch locks due to jamming and/or failure to lock and unlock (yes the locking mechanism works smoothly and without external friction when manually turned). I originally had a level bolt on the same door without issue. The new Level Lock + works without a mechanical issue. Although, I am having difficulty with Home Key but that’s so far unrelated to the hardware.
@@ReyG_HKSH sounds plausible to me. Level Lock is passing the “Apple Tax” onto the consumer.
This is great! I've been trying to find the Schlage Encode Plus since May and it's been out of stock everywhere. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick this up.
Lowe’s has plenty in stock
Now available on Apple’s website in 2 colors.
I have the Level Touch and the Touch to Unlock feature has not worked for several weeks. I’ve reconfigured it a couple of times and despite the Level app accessing my location 24/7 and depleting my battery life, when I need the feature to work, it just doesn’t. I’ve reached out to Level a couple of times and nothing.
That is unfortunate, have you tried removing the lock from the app/home and setting up as new or allowing more time for the feature to be active? I’ve had the same issue occasionally but it certainly isn’t the norm.
Check that your home base is in range. Also Try adjust the level lock power settings.
I have the same issue touch to lock and home key are barely useable. I’ve tried removing home and re-adding without success. Pretty disappointed with the lack of customer service too.
I also have the same issue. Are you on iOS 16? If it does there seems to be some issue after the update which delays the lock responds. Removing and adding the level lock back to the HomeKit as well as restarting the router and HomeKit hub seems to have solved it.
Level lock plus on Bluetooth or Schlage encode plus with thread support which is better ..? Does thread support make locking quicker
Schlage Encode Plus is a bit quicker to respond when accessing via the Home app. Home Key access is equal.
How happy are you with the lock? Is HomeKite reliable? How long is the delay?
Very happy with the lock. It solved an issue for me for that particular door. Thanks for watching! 🙏
I got it too, not happy so far. Maybe I have to wait a bit for it to update or something but HomeKit is pretty slow. Also, HomeKey doesn’t work for me at all. Not sure if I got a bad unit 😢
If Home Key doesn’t work at all then you might want to return it and exchange it for a new one. Could be faulty. Contact Level.
Thank you sir 🙌
I have level lock touch installed and find that it often does not work. I have two property locations and it often defaults to the home location that is 90 miles away (I do have geolocation enabled). The touch stuff rarely works for me unfortunately (maybe 1 in 5 times) and have to fumble with my phone to open the app and then it works with the app. I do feel screwed that Level did not provide a firmware update for Home Key. It should be possible to do a FW update. The engineers that designed and produced the level lock are super smart and should have had the foresight to add whatever hardware was needed to support it from the beginning, or even a module upgrade to support it. I love the design but it needs to be reliable.
The Touch is capable of HomeKey-like functionality and let it slip in a previous firmware. They rapidly released a follow-up firmware update to remove it. I still have a Touch running that older firmware and can open the lock with my iPhone and AppleWatch. So the Touch is capable without any other hardware.
Well there you go thank you for confirming. I had pretty high confidence that this was possible. I had heard the designers were previously from Apple so would have had the foresight to do this. Just didn’t think they would be so corrupt as to withhold functionality in order to make more money. Honestly I feel scammed at this point. As much as I like the Level lock products I’m going to try to avoid using their products knowing that they have questionable business conduct. Anyway thank you for confirming
I did cover this in a separate video here:
ua-cam.com/video/zLe5RVklolA/v-deo.html
When I reached out to Level on Twitter they said they’d get back to me and just ghosted me and released the follow-up firmware that killed the functionality. 🥲
Very helpful. It was good that you showed the workaround for connecting it to Homekit.
Hope it helped. Thanks for watching! 🙏
I have a level lock now . Not to sure the advantage. I say “ Siri open door or lock door”. It works perfect. Not to sure why I would replace my current level lock
If you don’t really need/want Home Key, then all the other HomeKit compatible smart locks are more than adequate. 👍
The whole concept is great and very interesting, but the only pet peeve I see is that the battery is located inside the deadbolt and makes it a weak spot for force entry .
oh my finally someone pointed this CONCENRT IN MY HEAD BEEN WHILE！！！🤝
Surprisingly it’s not, most deadbolts are hollow. This lock actually has a high rating.
As @@M3FortiZay pointed out, the Level Lock+ does have a BHMA rating of AAA which is the highest rating a residential lock can achieve. Additionally, the battery adds density to the deadbolt. Your door jamb will give out before the deadbolt.
@@ReyG_HKSH there is a video review on Canada site level lock black under truly so fucked up 。。。。
Amazon
From Canada
Rob
1.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
No security, very cheap lock cylinders.
Reviewed in Canada on October 10, 2022
00:17
I taught myself to pick simple locks in college. I hadn’t tried picking a lock in many years. I picked this lock in 10-15 seconds on my first attempt. Wow. I tried picking my old Weiser smart key deadbolt that I replaced and it was difficult and after 20 minutes I gave up. This lock is meant to let people in, not lock them out… I would not recommend this for your house. Maybe a shed.
Still going to wait for an UWB lock tbh. I want truly handsfree unlocking that's reliable (unlike Bluetooth.)
doesn't the new Shlage Encode Plus have UWB?
@@j0404t No. Just NFC.
@@HigherQualityUploads Thanks, now i'm even deeper in this smart lock rabbit hole. I can't decide!!
@@j0404t Yeah there's no UWB locks yet. Samsung said they were working with Assa Abloy (Yale, August) on one.
With all of your experience, how do you feel this compares to encode Schlage plus? Is the Schlage encode plus faster? More reliable?
same question
Reliability is about the same. Speed using Home Key to unlock is the same. Speed using the Home app to lock/unlock, slight edge goes to Encode Plus.
@@ReyG_HKSH were you experiencing any issue using Home Key?
@@bavon6873 None so far. Home Key has been very reliable at accessing the lock.
Hey rey how to add home key to my apple wallet? I watch your video to set up my level lock plus. Thank you…
It should notify you during setup that Home Key will be available in Wallet. Go to the Home app>home settings, there will be a list of users. Select your name and scroll to the bottom and select Locks. It will show a list of available locks and on the bottom will have Show Home Key in Wallet. Select that and it should open up in Wallet. Hope that helps.
Hi mate. You’re the only one that seems to mention how loud these locks are. Schlage encode and this. It’s an important factor for me as I live in an apartment complex and being discreet and respectful to my neighbours. I currently have a Schlage sense and it’s just too loud, I avoid locking it sometimes and sometimes even resort to a key..
My question to you is - between the new Schlage encode plus and the level lock plus which one is quieter?
Thank you
Schlage Encode Plus is quieter than the Level Lock+.
How long does the battery last? I'm using a Nest Yale lock on one of my doors and I tend to only change the batteries in it maybe every 6 months or so. It does use multiple batteries so that could impact the battery life.
Battery life is rated at about year. I found for the Touch edition that it was mostly accurate give or take a month or two, heavily dependent on your settings and usage.
Hi Rey! Thanks for this vid it was very helpful. But how can I give access to my hubby and son using the home key?
If you’re all part of the same HomeKit Home, they should have received prompts or notifications to use HomeKey automatically.
Well, for the third time in two days, I’m sitting in my living room watching TV and my Level Lock Touch on my front door just decides on its own to unlock! I feel really secure now.
Hello, does it detect whether the door is left open? or it just if the lock is in locked position?
Good question. I know August locks have Doorsense that is designed for these situations.
This does not have a door sensor. You can add one and create an automation in HomeKit if needed.
I just got the level bolt. So far it just jams. I have reached out this weekend to support, waiting for a response.
Remember, lockpickinglawyer shows how poor the level lock security is. Better to change the core out if you can.
This totally seems to be a cash grab for Level as they could have easily updated the Level Lock Touch for HomeKey. Maybe not..maybe its a different NFC, but why the same FCC? Hopefully in the offical press release, they will say something about it, otherwise I'm going to belive that this is a cash grab on their previous Level Lock Touch owners like myself and I will never buy from them again. On another note, I didn't hear you say if this has Thread? Schlage Encode Plus has thread so if this lock is really a new lock (and not a cash grab), why doesn't it have Thread?
There is nothing in the documentation referencing Thread but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be enabled via firmware update. There is scant marketing for this from Level, I think we’ll learn more upon it’s official release. I think this was a early exclusive for Apple stores. The firmware on my Touch is 2.26.1 and this Plus is 2.27. Could the next firmware update enable Home Key? I’m hoping it will, but not expecting it. Thanks for watching! 🙏
This is probably an Apple Limitation. They love to require special hardware chip in the device
@@mrleblanc That’s an old take. When they initially launched HomeKit that was the case, but they responded to the criticism and worked on software based authentication.
@@SimonLYW homekey is an Apple Wallet (NFC) feature and not technically part of HomeKit
@@mrleblanc and which special hardware chip have they historically required for Apple Wallet?
I’m going to install a smart lock, which one do u recommend with Apple home kit ?
Either of the two Home Key compatible locks. Schlage Encode Plus or Level Lock +
I’ve installed about 7 different smart locks (5 at my own home) and the next to last one was the encode plus only my wife and I are out of the family group and have to assign digital codes to our grown kids and guests. There’s no way to allow them to use Home Kit from their own devices.
What is the method for allowing guest entry without a key card say to let in a dog walker or someone like that if they’re not a regular? It would be nice if you could send a code to make their device NFC compatible on a limited basis.
At this time, the only way to give guests (not residents) access is to provide them with a key code. Key sharing was supposed to come with iOS 16.1 but the jury’s still out whether that would include Home Key.
@@ReyG_HKSH But the Level Lock + doesn't have a keypad (unless you get the option just for guests). So that's an issue. But the size and design is really compact even more so than the August WiFi lock which is next most compact of the ones I've installed. Any other workarounds?
@@jfeiner1 Level does sell a keypad. Key cards and mini key cards (keychains) are also available on the Level website. You can enable/disable access for individual key cards in the Level app but there is no automated way to do that, it would need to be done manually.
Thank you.
I feel bad for customers like myself who bought the touch edition and see how they released this model with a home key feature. The touch edition should receive a firmware update to have this feature, especially since it’s compatible with Hone Kit already😢
If it’s possible for the Home Key feature to be enabled with just a firmware update I agree. Unfortunately, no one outside of Level would know definitively if that’s possible. Anything at this point is pure speculation. Thanks for watching! 🙏
May I ask you a question?
If you add more than two home keys in Apple Home, I can see that Apple Wallet shows only one home key that works among all the locks.
Then Is it available to give separate doorlock access to someone in my family? For instance, giving a main doorlock access to everyone and another lock access to someone who I want.
All Home Key locks will be available to everyone in the home with just one Home Key present in the wallet.
Can u share your wallpaper that’s in the HomeKit app
I seen ring pop up on your Apple Watch does this let you use HomeKit and still work with ring? Does it turn off your ring security as well?
The Ring notifications are from the native app. I have a Ring Pro added to HomeKit via Homebridge. If you’re interested I have a Raspberry Pi HomeBridge video that explains how to do it. Thanks for watching! 🙏
Well done video.
I’m looking to purchase a Level Lock and I think this video conformed that I want to buy the PLUS. I have a question and before I ask I have to start out by saying I have never used Apple Home. That being said will I be able to send a lock code to someone via a text message that will allow them access? I came across a UA-cam video a few weeks ago that showed that but I didn’t save the video so I’m not sure if the access I’m looking for is at the Level Lock Plus or the Home Access.
Hopefully someone can answer me before I purchase my lock.
Thanks again for a very well done video.
Thanks. For the Level Lock + specifically you will also need to purchase the Level Keypad so that a guest has the ability to punch in the code. You can distribute codes via the native Level app or Apple Home (HomeKit). For HomeKit you will need a Home hub, that can either be an Apple TV a HomePod. Hope this helps, thanks for watching! 🙏
Hello, Yesterday my level lock touch was updated to 2.27.1, will this update let me use homekey?
According to Level, the Level Lock+ has new hardware enabling Home Key, so I don’t believe a firmware update will enable it for the Touch.
Can I use just the deadbolt lock with my existing key?
Sure, you will just be missing the “smart” features.
@@ReyG_HKSH all I care about is the Apple Key access. Will that still work?
Is there anything other than a magnet holding on the interior turning portion of the lock? It seems like something the little ones in the house may pull off and lose.
You’ll need to insert a clip, sim tool or similar inside a pinhole opening to unlock the thumb turn, it is not just held on by magnets.
Love this.
Thank you for watching 🙏
I wonder if a 3rd party lock set would still allow homekey to function. I’m guessing the plastic face allows the NFC to get through to the motor, though. Could you try it? I don’t really care about the touch functionality but would like to use it with a one piece handle set.
Contacted Level and they said the NFC is in the keyhole side, while the keyhole side need to be attached to the thumb turn to receive power. So we need to install all components for it to work. I’m now searching for a new door handle because my existing door (using August lock) has the handle attached to the keyhole plate, while deadbolt and thumb turn are separate component. Too bad I couldn’t use my existing hardware, but I’m willing to sacrifice for HomeKey. 😂
@@hermanleong9233 thanks for the reply! I kind of figured as much ☹️ The level lockset just doesn’t match the rest of my hardware
@@mattmo91 My current door hardware (which I bought for the purpose of using August Lock) is a tubular lock where the keyhole side is one piece with the handle, while the thumb turn is separated piece. So my hardware won’t be compatible with this as well. But HomeKey is something I longed for, I will be changing my handle rest to accommodate the use of this lock!
I'm curious why you'd want to touch your phone or watch to the lock when you can just use touch (assuming you're within the window of time allowed as set in the app)? I would think touch is much more convenient, but some comments here suggest it doesn't work reliably. For me, the phone key isn't very appealing because I usually have my hands full and digging my phone out of my pocket to touch the lock doesn't seem very convenient. I have a Schlage electronic lock currently and I'd honestly rather punch in a code than dig out my phone. It's like the difference between using a key fob for your car vs just touching to unlock. Does anyone prefer using the fob?
Why not just use the 🔑 key
@@Imsaved777 If you like using your key, then you're not the intended customer. Keys are becoming increasingly unnecessary to carry (I have a Tesla and my phone is my key). I thought my post was clear that digging anything out of my pockets is an inconvenience as I often have my hands full. That's part of the reason for buying a smart lock in the first place.
In the same way, some people, like myself always have their Apple Watch on or iPhone in hand when arriving home so using either to unlock the door is trivial. Touch doesn’t always work in my experience, so far Home Key hasn’t failed me.
Awesome. I do have a question. Can you use apple home keys at 2 different locations? Say I have Schlage encode plus at my main home and then the level lock plus at my vacation house, how would this work? Do you know if then home app would issue 2 different home keys for 2 different locations? And also if the iPhone would detect correct location for the given lock? Please if possible could you test that somehow. Since you have both locks at your disposal! Thanks
If you notice the Home Key has the address or home name at the top so two different properties would have separate Home Keys. Currently HomeKit uses geolocation when choosing between homes for the Home app. I think it would be safe to say that would apply to Home Keys as well. Thanks for watching! 🙏
How strong is a hollow deadbolt? I love the form factor but concerned about that part.
The battery adds density; the door jamb will give out before the deadbolt.
do you have a battery life experience you can share?
Battery when I first installed hasn’t died yet but it’s close I think. That would put it at about 5 months so far.
Sadly nothing for European doors. I run the Nuki. But they’ll not supporting Home Keys
Hopefully a manufacturer releases a Home Key compatible lock for your region soon!
Super helpful during my install. Thanks! I can get everything to work except hamekeys. I have the latest iPhone and an Apple Watch. How does Homekeys connect? Is it bluetooth? Wifi?
You should get a prompt to turn it on. If you haven’t enabled express mode, you will need to unlock your phone before using Home Key. You can enable express mode by tapping the info button when displaying your Home Key in Apple Wallet.
@@ReyG_HKSH I have done all of those things but it does not seem to work consistently. What really does not work well is voice commands. I had better success on that score with the August lock. That’s why I am wondering if Apple keys works with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. I have a three-story house with the Wi-Fi centralized on the second level and the front door lock at the very bottom, so I am wondering if coverage is an issue. I turned on the bluetooth boost, just to be safe. It is a nice feature, and it seems to replace the separate booster that August lock had.
@@ernestintownandjackintheco1024 The lock is Bluetooth but Home Key is essentially NFC. Do you have a home hub near the lock?
@@ReyG_HKSH Well, my AppleTV is set up as my home hub. It is on the second floor. However, I did just get two HomePod minis and they are on the first floor. I have noticed that giving voice commands through Siri is the thing that takes the longest and I typically get a message such as “the lock is taking a long time to respond”
@@ernestintownandjackintheco1024 I do get the Siri thing occasionally but one thing I notice with that is the command goes through and the status changes to whatever I requested in the Home app eventually. Apple is readying a update to the Home architecture with 16.2 that is now in beta. I’m hoping that fixes some of the inconsistencies with Siri and HomeKit.
This is very nice
Stuck between this or the August lock
Both are good locks. If your budget allows, I’d personally go with the Level + over any of August’s current offerings.
My question is how safe and reliable is this lock i feel like this won’t be strong enough for break ins not sure i would feel safe when going on vacations what do you think.
The Level Lock+ has the highest rating for residential locks. I personally don’t feel unsafe with this lock on my door.
Add an Easilock E2 and a door latch (rated for 800 lbs) around waist height or Night Barricade (mounted on floor) at the mid point of the door. And replace your door jamb and hinge screws with #10 x 3.5" screws (easiest upgrade)...just be sure to predrill all the holes with a longer drill bit and wax the screws so they don't crack the wood when driving in.
Does it still do fingerprint entry like the touch? Need a way for a child without a phone to get in and they will def lose the keycard
Yes it still functions just like the touch. You or someone with a linked device will need to be present with the child upon arrival since the touch function is enabled via geolocation.
How do you compare it to the encode plus ?
Pretty much the same except for the differences in feature sets. I recommend basing your decision on that. Any performance difference with common features is negligible but I have noticed the Schlage to be (very) slightly quicker to respond when accessing in the Home app.
@@ReyG_HKSH what range of weather will it work ? Do you see any issues in the winter ?
Does it have a door sensor biult in ?
None.
Nice. I went to the Apple store yesterday and they didn't have it in 2 stores I went too. How and where did u get your hands on it?
Local Apple Store, they had low stock which means 3 or less, and I don’t think every Apple Store got them in stock. They should be available online next Friday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they sold out like the Schlage Encode Plus.
@@ReyG_HKSH amazon shows them in stock right now.
So no Thread support?
Not out of the box.
Does anyone know how to add Apple home keys to your family members phone?
If they are part of your household they should receive a prompt in the Home app for compatible devices.
@@ReyG_HKSH I found out that my wife is the organizer for the household therefore I cant give access. So I have to reset the lock and everything in order to make her the master of the lock in order to have her allow everyone in the household to get access.
How does the lock connect to HomeKit? WiFi?
Bluetooth
Hold up! Their deadbolt is hollow???
No, it’s filled with battery.
Can I buy this lock in the UK?
Not sure if it’s available in your market, we should know more next week. Thanks for watching! 🙏
They should add a finger print sensor, that way you don't need your phone or keys, or if it works with Apple Watch that would be cool. A keypad is still useful if you want to give someone a temporary code such as house sitter or dog sitter or contractor. Maybe with Matter apple home key will work with locks that are Alexa or Ring Alarm compatible. The fact there's only two locks that work with HomeKit right now is pretty weak, just get Google Home or Amazon Alexa and with Matter you can use any lock or just use the native app for that lock.
Just to clarify, there are numerous smart locks on the market that work with HomeKit, BUT only two currently that offer Home Key. More are on the way.
Three, Aqara also has a homekey compatible lock, but uses a locking system other then deadbolt
@@metalmanexetreme Aqara’s offering really isn’t for the US home market. Hopefully Aqara will release something for this market, otherwise it is still just two currently.
@@ReyG_HKSH On it’s way! Was just announced at 2023 CES. I think it looks kind of ugly though and prefer the look of either the Level Plus or the Encode Plus.
Schlage encode plus or this level lock?
Do you have more than one door? Why not both! 😉
Matter devices is the future
Hopefully this gets Matter compatibility in a future firmware update. We should know more this coming week.
Does it work with Alexa too?
Sorry, I don’t do Alexa but it works with Amazon Sidewalk so if that’s Alexa compatible then the answer is “yes.” BUT, the main reason to get this lock is Apple Home Key so if you’re not in the HomeKit ecosystem then you might want to give this one a pass.
I love how theres people on eBay already selling it for double retail price. lol
Really?! Great lock but I wouldn’t pay more than retail for it. Any buyer’s will regret that decision in a week.
It requires nfc to do Home key I would bet the touch doesn’t have the nfc hardware
Touch does have nfc, they even give you two ncf key cards to use
They put a $0.10 NFC chip and hike the price by $100 and people go crazy 😂😂. Just buy a pack of NFC stickers and slap one inside your standard level lock and voila! You have a Level lock plus.
It’s the exact same price as the Level Touch and according to Level is made of new hardware and software to Apple’s spec for reliable Home Key functionality.
battery life?
Level locks use CR2 batteries and are estimated to last 1 year. Depending on usage, I’ve found that to be fairly accurate.
Dude I bailed at 4:00. Get to it.
Not sure I really trust a lock where the slide bolt is hollow and encases a battery.
You might be surprised but quite a few dead bolts on residential locks are hollow.
@@ReyG_HKSH That’s not reassuring to me. Think that really bad design flaw then. I’ll stick with my Schlage Smart Lock.
I've had a Level Touch since February (so, this is month 8) - would NOT recommend purchasing anything from this company!!! Awful (non-existent) support, no channel to provide dev feedback. The bluetooth feature of the touch (where it's supposed to unlock as you approach the door) works less than 10% of the time. The touch feature is so slow you may as well get out your keys. Under iOS 16.x it's had a bit of a lobotomy and thinks I'm on the other side of the door - so, 15-20 minutes after I'm home, it unlocks the door *sigh*. Only thing that works reliably is the auto lock (default 30 seconds) as well as HomeKit (using Siri or the Home app). Batter life is abysmal. Battery that shipped with it lasted a month. Second, brand new Duracell lasted 3 months. Just changed it again - so 3-4 months is the norm for us. We use the keys, as that's the fastest, most reliable way to unlock the door.
No thread?! The lock would respond a lot quicker if they put thread in it. This makes me mad..
Thread could be added via firmware at a later date but no, it is not available out-of-the-box.
Thread IS included on this lock. They just don’t advertise it for some strange reason.
Yes! This IS a CASH GRAB by Level! Earlier this year I purchased the Level lock touch for my HomeKit setup. Now they come out with HomeKey support FOR WHAT IS THE SAME LOCK, and instead of simply doing a software update to the lock, they simply add the software to the lock, rename it, and sell it, and say to the previous owners of the same lock, SORRY, you’ll have to spend ANOTHER $330 to have HomeKit functionality! WTF! I will NEVER buy another product from this company! They could easily have provided a software update for current owners while also selling the new product to new customers, similar to how Tesla does!
Bring your UA-cam video Back Down and do some more editing on it. It does show your street address in your house number. It didn't say your city or state or zip code. But just by having our home house number and street name there are ways to figure out where you are located. So for your family's privacy blur out that information during your videos.
Sincerely, THANK YOU for the concern, it is very much appreciated. 🙏 No worries though as the address is an easter egg of sorts 😉
Please blur out your address asap 🙏🏾
Thanks for the heads up, it’s really much appreciated but it’s all good. It’s actually a bit of an easter egg 😉
I certainly smiled when I saw it!
@@ReyG_HKSH 🤣 ok thanks for the clarification 🙏🏾
No worries, just call Saul
Lol this shit gets picked im seconds
How much is a replacement keycard?
The sell a pack of four keycards or mini key cards that can fit on a keychain for $20 on their website.
@@ReyG_HKSH oh cool. If I get that lock, I might pick up a pack or keycards as well. Thx👍
Oh yeah beta 16 screwed up all my HomePods they wouldn’t turn my lights on when they all still had iOS 15. Stay on same version number and it seems to be fine
Could possibly have been the beta OS on my iPhone. When I double checked with my wife’s iPhone (no beta OS), it didn’t show the issues I had.
They probably need to update the app. The website doesn't even mention the new lock
I wish they would unlock faster
They actually unlock pretty quick with Home Key.
@Eugen N pretty sure this is true with almost every smart lock, likely to prevent wear on the motor over time.
It should know you have your phone with you and unlock when you touch it just like cars do
It does have that functionality as does the Level Touch, but it’s only active for a specific time that the user can set. I set mine for 3 minutes.
HOLY BALLS it’s $685 in Canada on Amazon hahahahahha no way
Are you sure it’s the Plus and not the Touch. I don’t have a link for the Plus as it’s not available anywhere online, the link below is for the Touch but will update it when/if available on Amazon. Price is steep though. 💸
@@ReyG_HKSH yeah it’s not the plus I realized after. Not sure why Amazon so expensive it’s cheaper on their website.