August and Yale smart locks now support remote biometric verification - Android

Guests will be able to use biometric verification too, although you will have to upgrade their Access Level to "Owner."

Update, March 18 (1:20 am ET): The biometric verification feature now works for Bluetooth operations as well.

What you need to know

• You can now unlock your August or Yale smart lock remotely through a fingerprint or face scan.
• The feature is available for all August Smart Locks and Yale Assure Locks and Levers with Wi-Fi.
• August has also rolled out a new "Hide Entry Codes" feature to allow users to hide keypad entry codes within the app.

If you own an August or Yale smart lock, you can now unlock your home as easily as you unlock your phone. August has rolled out a new feature for all August Smart Locks and Yale Assure Locks and Levers with Wi-Fi, which allows users to unlock their home remotely through a fingerprint or face scan.

The feature will utilize the authentication tools on your phone to prompt fingerprint or facial recognition whenever you lock or unlock your home remotely. However, if your phone doesn't support fingerprint or facial authentication, you will be prompted to use your PIN code instead.

Along with the biometric verification feature, August has also rolled out another new feature called "Hide Entry Codes." As clearly suggested by its name, the feature lets you hide keypad entry codes within the app. After you enable the feature, you will be able to view the codes only after passing phone authentication.

Both the new features are now available on the August Home and Yale Access apps for Android and iOS.

Update, March 18 (1:20am ET) ― You can now use biometric verification to lock or unlock Yale and August smart locks through Bluetooth

The biometric verification feature on August and Yale Access apps can now be used for operations done via Bluetooth. When the feature first launched last summer, it only applied to actions done via Wi-Fi or mobile data.

August Smart Lock

$179 at Amazon $200 at Walmart

If you want to upgrade to a smart lock without discarding your existing deadbolt, the August Smart Lock is definitely worth considering. While it doesn't support Apple HomeKit or Z-Wave Plus, you get pretty much all the smart features that other August smart locks offer, including automatic door locking and unlocking.