- The Wyze Lock Bolt came onto the scene this year
as the brand's second smart lock.
It boasts of fingerprint scanner,
Bluetooth connectivity,
and a backlit keypad.
And while it's not technically a smart lock,
it's got quite a few clever features.
Today, I'll show you how to install the Wyze Lock Bolt
and share a few pros and cons from my time
with one of Wyze's newest devices.
And be sure to like and subscribe
to catch more from us every week.
We'll be covering more smart locks in the near future.
Let's get into it.
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The Wyze Lock Bolt uses Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi
to connect to your phone.
So it's technically not a smart lock
like the Wyze's original.
But that's not the only thing that sets it apart.
Along with ditching Wi-Fi,
this Wyze lock dropped the key latch, brushed nickel finish,
and its ability to connect with other smart home gear.
For smart home lovers, this might be an immediate turnoff.
But without a keyhole or Wi-Fi involved,
this is a tougher lock to crack
for any would-be hackers or intruders.
That said, it's a trade off.
With only Bluetooth connecting
the Wyze Lock Bolt to your phone,
it's a bit of an island in your smart home ecosystem.
It won't work with smart home speakers
or any other Wyze gear in home automations.
But for its price, the Wyze Lock Bolt is shockingly tough.
It can withstand a huge range of outdoor temperatures,
and it's packed with features.
And once it's fully installed,
you can lock and unlock it three different ways.
The Wyze app via Bluetooth,
your fingerprints,
and a keypad PIN.
You can share access with others within the app,
create a one time passcode,
or store up to 50 fingerprints in the lock's memory.
So installing this thing must take a professional, right?
Wrong.
It doesn't take a locksmith or an engineer
to figure out how to install the Wyze Lock Bolt.
I was able to install it within half an hour
and with only one really silly user error
that counted against me.
But let's start from the beginning.
In the box, you'll get a quick start guide, a template,
four rechargeable batteries,
the keypad, the thumbturn,
screws, and a new deadbolt.
The quick start guide is really easy to follow
with lots of big diagrams and step-by-step instructions.
It was so easy that I proudly tossed it aside
before realizing that I skipped a step.
And if you're starting from scratch,
that template can help you figure out
where to drill a hole into your door.
But in this case, I simply replaced my deadbolt,
which made things much easier.
So, let's start from there.
Begin by removing your old deadbolt.
You'll unscrew the thumbturn and faceplate
leaving you with a hole in your door like this one.
Next, slide in the new deadbolt from Wyze.
There should be one already in the box.
So there's no need for adapters or a second guessing.
Just make sure that it's the right size
and avoid any gaps between the face plate and the door.
Then secure it to the door.
Next, slide the keypad through the holes in the deadbolt
and feed the keypad cable underneath.
That cable will slide
through the rectangular piece on the back plate.
Then screw the back plate onto the deadbolt.
Connect the cable to the thumbturn, or inside piece,
ensuring the keypad gets power.
This felt a little intimidating,
but Wyze makes the connection super easy.
There's a red line marking where to connect everything.
Match that line up,
then screw the thumb turn into the back plate.
This is where I skipped a step
and forgot to secure the thumbturn.
Oops!
Once the thumb turn is secured,
test the lock to make sure it glides smoothly.
Then add the batteries and press the power button.
You should hear a beep
to let you know that it's getting juice.
Now you can add your lock to the Wyze app.
The whole process took me around half an hour,
and I learned a valuable lesson from it.
Never be too proud to read the instructions.
So, now that you're
a smart lock installation expert like myself,
let's get into the pros and cons of the Wyze Lock Bolt.
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For just under $80,
I wouldn't expect a smart lock
to be all that smart or sturdy,
but the Wyze Lock proved me wrong.
Not only is it super durable,
it's got three modes of entry
and a bunch of cool features packed inside.
For example,
this little lock can remember up to 50 fingerprints.
Afraid someone's looking over your shoulder
to steal your PIN code?
You can outsmart them with an anti-peeping feature.
This lets you sandwich your real code
in between numerical gibberish.
Here's an example.
Say your code is 1069,
but you don't want anyone to know that.
Add a string of random numbers,
then the real code, then more numbers.
The lock will still recognize that 1069
as long as it's in order.
So you can get inside,
and those peepers won't have a clue what the real code is.
From house sitters to maintenance workers,
sometimes we need to let new people into our homes.
The Wyze Lock Bolt creates
randomly generated temporary codes
that you can share with anyone who needs to get in.
These codes work up to a certain time
then expire and won't work again.
Just be sure you trust whoever you're giving the code to.
Something that always made me a little nervous
about smart locks is battery power.
If the lock itself dies, are you locked out of your house?
Thankfully, the Wyze Lock Bolt
has a low battery indicator on the bottom of the keypad
and a USB-C port below for its easy recharging.
According to Wyze,
the four AA batteries included with the kit
can last up to a year,
which is pretty impressive.
When the batteries get low, the light will go off,
and you plug the USB cable into the port
and wait for the batteries to recharge.
It's way easier than changing them out all together.
Forget to lock the door? Not this time.
The auto-lock feature is just what it sounds like.
You can set a timer in the Wyze app
to lock the door automatically if it's left unlocked.
Choose anywhere between 15 seconds to 15 minutes
of unlocked time
before the keypad automatically locks the door for you.
And because this uses fingerprints, codes, and Bluetooth,
you won't have to worry
about being locked out without your key.
All these features are great.
And I would say that the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
But there are a few drawbacks to the Wyze Lock Bolt
that I found in my tests.
(soft music)
I mentioned before that the Wyze Lock Bolt
isn't technically a smart lock.
Instead of Wi-Fi, it's Bluetooth enabled.
And this comes with its own perks and drawbacks.
Bluetooth drops the price of the lock itself
and makes it harder to hack.
But without that internet connection,
it doesn't play well with other smart devices.
You can't add it into rules and automations,
like other Wyze lights or your Wyze security system.
And it won't connect to your Google or Amazon speaker
like the original Wyze Lock does.
So while it's a secure lock for your front door,
it will be isolated from the rest of your smart home stuff.
In the Wyze app, you can share your lock with other users.
Whether it's your spouse and neighbor or trusted friend,
this lets them set their own codes and more.
But that's about it.
These permissions are limited and aren't great
for any other admin privileges.
So it's not the best choice for anyone you live with
who might want to change the settings on their own.
In our household,
we just use the same Wyze account on our phone.
So if my partner needed to make any changes,
he's got free range to do so.
Like the Bluetooth situation, this has its uses.
If you're sharing your Wyze Lock with someone you live with
but want to retain total control over the device,
this is a good way to go about it.
(soft music)
All in all, I would say the Wyze Lock Bolt
is an awesome product for the price,
especially compared to other smart locks on the market.
It's cheaper, has the same features,
and looks great with most exteriors.
While it's designed to be harder to hack
and near impossible to pick,
the Bluetooth connectivity comes
with its own share of pros and cons.
Harder to hack but harder to connect with other stuff.
If you've been curious
about adding a smart-ish lock to your home,
the Wyze Lock Bolt is a great low-risk option.
It's cheap, effective, and flexible.
But if you're wanting a smart lock
that plays well with your other devices,
you might wanna consider other options,
like the original Wyze smart lock.
That's it for me this week.
Like and subscribe if you found this video helpful
and stick around
as we cover more smart locks in the coming weeks.
You can learn more
about the Wyze Lock Bolt in the description
where we've linked it to Amazon.
We've also dropped a list
of our favorite smart locks in the description
if you want to see more.
Thanks for watching and stay safe.
Thanks for watching.
And if you want more safety, head over to safewise.com,
then you can find reviews
and our lineups of best home security systems,
best wireless cameras, and more.
Stay safe.
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