It's a typical day,
and you get a notification on your phone.
Your home security camera just caught a clip of a stranger
opening your garage door
and leaving a giant Amazon package inside.
Don't panic, that's just Amazon Key.
Love it or hate it,
Amazon knows a thing or two about deliveries.
And while its Key service is nothing new,
we can't help but wonder,
what is Amazon Key?
And is it safe?
Today we're talking about
Amazon's in-garage delivery service:
what it is, how to set it up, and whether
or not it's worth trusting.
But, before we get
into it, like and subscribe for more reviews,
how-tos and videos like this from us every week.
Alright, let's get into it.
From porch pirates to bad weather,
our deliveries go through a lot to get to our doorstep.
But Amazon's got a solution
that could defend your stuff from both.
Amazon Key was created in 2017
and originally gave drivers access to your front door
via smart lock.
But it's since evolved
into a garage-only delivery drop-off system.
Key gives drivers in select areas
one-time access to open your garage door,
drop off the package, and then
close the door before moving on to their next delivery.
Like a lot of these Amazon services too,
there are a lot of pros and cons with Key.
Amazon Key's whole thing is keeping your package
and you safe with contact-free delivery.
By hiding your stuff in the garage,
your parcels stay clear from bad weather
and out of sight from porch pirates.
Plus, it's a free service
for Amazon Prime members.
But it requires giving strangers access
to your garage and only works for Amazon.
So, other packages from other delivery services
like UPS, USPS, or FedEx will have to stay outside.
Amazon Key only needs a few ingredients to work.
A Prime subscription, your permission,
and a myQ Smart Garage Hub.
The myQ costs around $20 and is super easy to set up.
You don't have to know anything about garage doors to do it.
Just plug it in, download the app,
and walk through the setup.
Then, mount the hub to your garage.
Just be sure that your garage door is compatible with myQ.
You'll need a garage door with a motor made after 1993.
We've dropped their compatibility finder in the description
if you're curious.
Once your garage door hub is all set up,
you can link your Amazon account through the myQ app
or Amazon Key app.
Then, the next time you shop on Amazon,
you can select "Key Delivery" at checkout.
You can also set up cameras like the Amazon Cloud Cam
to work with the system to send you clips of deliveries
as they happen.
So with all that said, there's still the big question.
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From what I have seen from reviewers, and Amazon policies,
and other research I did for this video,
Amazon Key seems pretty safe.
But the decision is really up to you.
The good news is that the stranger in your garage
with the Amazon package is just doing their job.
While researching for this video,
I didn't see any negative reviews
on the drivers or the service itself.
One Washington Post reporter,
who tested the service back in 2017,
said that, even then, delivery drivers seem
to know how potentially creepy this whole thing could be.
And they were extra careful not to intrude.
Amazon does yearly background and driving record checks
for its delivery employees,
and Key is easy to cancel at any time.
Or you can keep the service
and just use it for big purchases.
For me, the real concern isn't rogue delivery drivers,
but Amazon trying its hardest to sneak its way
into our everyday lives.
If we left you with more questions,
drop them in the comments below.
We make Ask SafeWise videos every week,
and we would love to hear what's on your mind.
Tag those comments with the hashtag #AskSafewise,
and we might feature your questions on a future episode.
Thanks for watching and stay safe.
(soft jazz music)