Apple stores begin selling exterior door lock that can be unlocked by tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch

 A door lock for outside doors that can be opened by an Apple Watch or iPhone is now available for purchase in Apple stores in the United States. The first Home Key-compatible lock offered for sale at Apple shops is the $329 Level Lock+.

When the Level Lock+, manufactured by Level Home, is installed in a door, owners can utilize Apple Home Key, a function that makes use of NFC and secure tokens in Apple's software, to unlock and relock their houses with a tap. Keys can be sent through text message to pals or automatically when the door is locked.

It is a significant step forward for Apple in the creation of a much-anticipated feature that was first revealed in 2021. Apple continues to digitize items that are often kept in a physical wallet or pocket, such as cash and keys, as seen in the case of Home Key.

In recent years, Apple has added a lot of new software features targeted at increasing the value of the iPhone to consumers and preventing them from switching to rival phone makers. A consumer may be less likely to convert to an Android phone if their front door is closely integrated with their phone.

Some of Apple's most recent initiatives, particularly its goals for the smart home, depend heavily on third-party hardware or systems support. But these new integrations may take longer to become widely used than improvements in iOS releases where Apple controls the hardware and software.

Along with Home Key, Apple has also introduced Car Key, which unlocks compatible vehicles from manufacturers like BMW and Hyundai, and Room Key, which stores hotel keys from brands like Hyatt in the Wallet app. Apple's iPhone is extending its customers' access to financial services and deepening its integration with automobiles through CarPlay and Goldman Sachs.

In a market dominated by a few major, older lock manufacturers, Level has the chance to differentiate itself as a technology business by providing a software function that a core group of smart-home enthusiasts have been clamoring for.

Fans of smart homes may just be enthused by the new Home Key lock option. Since the release of Home Key in 2021, the Schlage Encode Plus has been the only supported lock model available for purchase in the United States. Over the past year, smart home enthusiasts have made extensive predictions on places like Reddit about which firms will release more Home Key devices.

Reporters and users were able to purchase or locate Level Lock+ at some Apple stores after they unintentionally went on sale early in some areas during the previous week, revealing the high level of Apple consumer desire for a new Home Key lock.

It will disappoint some forum users to learn that Level won't update the software on its old locks to support Home Key. Users will need the Level Lock+ available at Apple retail locations or online for Home Key support.