If you own a compatible smart lock, your Android phone can now be the key. Google has put home keys into Wallet, so a tap on the lock opens the door, and on newer hardware the door opens as you walk up to it.
The catch is the hardware. Google says it works only with Matter locks that carry Aliro, an open access standard published by the Connectivity Standards Alliance. At launch that means three models: the Aqara U400, which handles both NFC and UWB; the Schlage Sense Pro, with NFC now and UWB to follow; and the Nuki Keypad 2 NFC, which does NFC alone. Google began the rollout on 11 November for testers enrolled in Google Home’s preview program and expects to widen it over the coming weeks.
Your phone and your home network matter too, according to Google’s announcement. For a tap, any Android phone with NFC on Android 9 or newer will do. The hands-free version needs UWB: Google names the Pixel 10 Pro and later models, including XL and Fold, plus selected Samsung Galaxy phones. At home you also need a Google hub that speaks Matter and acts as a Thread border router. Google lists four: the second-generation Nest Hub, the Nest Hub Max, Nest Wifi Pro and the Google TV Streamer.
Because the key is tied to the home you set up in Google Home rather than to one lock, one Wallet key covers every Aliro lock in that home. Google’s safeguard is a time limit: the phone must have been unlocked some time in the last few hours, so a found phone stays useless at your door once that lapses. Anyone who wants stricter control can make Wallet demand a fingerprint, face or PIN at every tap.
Walk-up unlocking is switched off until you turn it on, so passing your own door will not open it. A new Matter and Aliro lock set up in Google Home will offer to add the key to Wallet. For a lock that is already installed, open Google Home, go to Home settings, and choose Google Wallet key.
