Kwikset delivered some of the earliest smart locks, including the sleek Kwikset Obsidian and one of the first touch-to-lock offerings, the 2016 Kevo. Kwikset has finally gotten into the biometrics game with the launch of the Halo Touch smart lock. No matter your style or color choice, the Halo Touch costs about $240 to $249 depending on where you buy it. Still, the Kwikset's fingerprint portion works really well, and some folks might like the option of a good old physical key. Kwikset Halo Touch doesn't work with HomeKit, but you can control the lock with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, once you've linked your Kwikset app login to your smart home assistant's app. If your finger or the lock itself is wet, the sensor will not work. At CES, the company announced its latest Wi-Fi lock, but this time there’s no keypad and no PIN combos. Halo Touch has Wi-Fi built-in that connects directly to your home Wi-Fi network and smartphone for a secure smart home that does not require a … There are ... Redefining technology news and reviews since 1982. 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A stylish lock, it comes in a sleek contemporary design (available in matte black or satin nickel) or a curved traditional design (in satin nickel or venetian bronze). It responded instantly to all lock and unlock requests in testing, and always adhered to user schedules. The Halo Touch fingerprint smart lock allows you to simply use your unique fingerprint to lock and unlock your door. A row of five LED indicators lights up when you lock or unlock the door via fingerprint, app or voice. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Here you can also enable Secure Mode, which temporarily disables the fingerprint scanner. That said, it doesn't offer fingerprint scanning, so if that and interoperability with other smart devices are a must, the $219.99 U-tec Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro (also an Editors’ Choice winner) is your best bet. The Kwikset Halo Touch Smart Lock lets you lock and unlock your door with your phone, voice, keys, and fingerprint. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Kwikset. It might be tedious, but I'm a fan of that extra security layer. It has a fingerprint sensor, a keyhole and an LED indicator bar. I'm sure I put it through more than the standard user, but based on this I'd expect most people to need to replace batteries at least once per year. The interior escutcheon measures 5.7 by 2.7 by 2.0 inches with the cover. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/kwikset-halo-touch-fingerprint-smart-lock, Multiple ways to lock and unlock, including fingerprint scanner. It’s a stylish lock that's easy to install and offers-whisper quiet operation. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. This isn't the best app out there. The exterior escutcheon measures 4.0 by 2.9 by 0.9 inches (HWD) and has a keyway, a fingerprint scanner, and an LED bar that glows green when the door is successfully unlocked, orange when locking, and red when an unsuccessful unlock occurs (with an unregistered fingerprint for example). You never know which hand is going to be full of groceries or kids or the dog's leash. I tapped Next and the lock was immediately recognized. Kwikset Halo Touch Fingerprint Smart Lock Review. More stories by PCMag. I like the approach Kwikset takes here. If you're looking for a keypad option where you'd enter user codes, this isn't the lock for you. Also, the Kwikset App can also be used to lock/unlock as well as manage users and access for the fingerprint door lock. Unlike the August Wi-Fi lock's CR123s, Kwikset uses a much more common AA battery, so that should be easy to arrange. Follow Add favorite Share Flip. It’s a full lock assembly that comes with interior and exterior escutcheons, a deadbolt latch and strike, a mounting plate and mounting hardware, four AA batteries, a pair of keys, and a quick start guide. Off to the upper right are battery level and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth indicators, and down below are People, History, and Settings buttons. Appropriately dubbed the Kwikset Halo Touch, you’ll unlock your door like you might your phone—with your fingerprints. With the Kwikset Halo Touch, you can lock and unlock your door with your phone, with Alexa or Google voice commands, with a fingerprint, or with a set of traditional keys. Review of the Kwikset Halo Smart Lock 2020 has been a great year for electronic deadbolt smart locks. Lights blink when the lock registers an error or an incorrect fingerprint. Tap the People button to add lock users with full-time access, or access limited by date with specific times of the day. Halo Touch has Wi-Fi built-in that connects directly to your home Wi-Fi network and smartphone for a secure smart home that does not require a … Kwikset has finally gotten into the biometrics game with the launch of the Halo Touch smart lock. The Kwikset Halo Wi-Fi Smart Lock offers multiple ways to lock and unlock your door, including using your voice, but it has limited third-party integration. A PIN is required for voice unlocking with both voice assistants. The rear portion of the Halo Touch presents a familiar large battery and thumb latch housing. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Kwikset 99390-002 Halo Wi-Fi Smart Lock Keyless Entry Electronic Touchscreen Deadbolt Featuring SmartKey Security, Venetian Bronze at Amazon.com. I paired the lock to the app, gave it a name, and selected my home Wi-Fi SSID from the list. Forget using an app or security code to access your smart lock -- Kwikset's new Halo Touch smart lock is fingerprint-enabled. The lock suffers from typical fingerprint sensor issues. There are other small annoyances, too: I experienced quite a bit of lag between the door locking and the app updating to show the status. While the original Kwikset Halo was a garish monstrosity, the Halo Touch is decidedly demure. Yale, Schlage and Kwikset now have electronic locks that have overcome past limitations and should be around for a long time to come. Once connected, the lock was automatically added to my Alexa device list. La serrure intelligente Kwikset Halo Touch vous permet de verrouiller et de déverrouiller votre porte avec votre téléphone, la voix, les touches et l'empreinte digitale As a Contributing Editor for PCMag, John Delaney has been testing and reviewing monitors, TVs, PCs, networking and smart home gear, and other assorted hardware and peripherals for almost 20 years. I tested the contemporary style. Instead, there’s a small fingerprint scanner above a standard keyhole, all placed into a … The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. I removed the sliding cover from the interior escutcheon and pressed and held the A button for three seconds, until the lock beeped and the LED began flashing blue. The Halo Touch does a great job of offering a high-tech fingerprint option as well as traditional keyway access. Additionally, the lock always adhered to my temporary user schedules. Yes, you'll still need that clunky box on the interior side of your door, but the outward-facing portion of the lock is compact and sleek. I registered my fingerprint when prompted, tapped Done, and the installation was complete. Multiple ways to lock and unlock, including fingerprint scanner Built-in Wi-Fi Supports Alexa and Google voice commands Easy installation Stylish design The Halo Touch works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, but it lacks support for Apple HomeKit and doesn't work with IFTTT applets that allow it to interact with other smart home devices. Lock and unlock operations were smooth and quiet, and the fingerprint reader never failed to unlock the door. I plugged the data cable into the port on the interior escutcheon, attached the escutcheon to the mounting plate, and installed the four AA batteries. Prior to joining Ziff Davis, John spent six years in retail operations for Federated Stores, Inc. before accepting a purchasing position with Morris Decision Systems, one of New York's first value-added resellers of the original IBM PC. After the lock performed an automatic handing process, I secured the escutcheon cover and tapped the plus icon in the upper right corner of the app to add the lock to it. For the next five years, he was responsible for buying and configuring IBM PC, XT and AT desktops for many of New York's financial institutions. It has a thumb turn knob, a status LED, and a removable black panel that gives you access to the removable battery caddy, two setup buttons, and a programming button. PCMag Digital Group. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Kwikset Halo Touch Contemporary Square Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock No Hub Required featuring SmartKey Security in Satin Nickel (99590-003) at Amazon.com. For that you should consider our Editors’ Choice winner, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, which also works with Apple HomeKit. More versatile than your average smart lock. It opens to a My Home screen that displays the name of the lock and when it was last updated. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. Kwikset’s new $249 Halo Touch fingerprint-enabled smart lock is now available to buy. The lights are otherwise off when they're not in use. Kwikset. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. And if you need to change your Wi-Fi information, you'll need to factory-reset the lock. I have more than two fingerprints enabled on my phone, just in case I need the option, and I think when it comes to doors that's even more true. I can't recommend it over other options like the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock or Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt. He then worked for the now defunct ComputerLand chain of PC dealers before joining PC Magazine in 1987. You could work around this by adding each hand as a separate user, and that's likely what I'd do if I purchased this lock. I entered my Wi-Fi password and waited a few seconds for the lock to connect to my LAN and to a remote server. In addition to the shape of the lock frame, the Halo Touch is also available in two different finishes, satin nickel and matte black. Final Verdict: Kwikset Halo Review To sum it up, Halo Touch Smart Lock is a tremendous addition to smart lock technology in 2020. It’s a sleek-looking lock that's easy to install and offers quiet operation, but it lacks the third-party integrations that you get with our Editors’ Choice winner, the identically priced August Wi-Fi Smart Lock. If the app accurately depicts battery life, I used up 10% of the four AA batteries in my roughly three weeks of testing. In the center of the screen is a circle with a lock icon in the middle. Kwikset Halo review: One-touch convenience and old school options Kwikset's Halo Touch is a simple smart lock held back by an underwhelming … Kwikset Halo Touch review: This smart lock jettisons the keypad and adds a fingerprint reader Even better news: A revamped exterior design corrects Kwikset’s most glaring flaw. The most trait of this smart lock is its toughness. At almost $250, Kwikset's Halo is a bit pricey, now that the market has $100 offerings like the Wyze Lock and the SimpliSafe lock. The Halo Touch worked well in testing. You can't use the Google Home app to tap something to lock or unlock your door the way you can with smart locks like August. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Kwikset, one of the largest lock manufacturers, is all in on smart lock tech. Mi n d you, it’s not just a version of the Halo with a fingerprint reader added, this is a lock of a considerably different design—at least on the outside of the house. When the lock is locked, the circle is red and the lock icon is locked, and when the lock is unlocked, the circle is green and the icon is unlocked. Just make sure that when you load up all 22 bags of groceries as you head into your house, you keep the one-digit that separates you from relief available for a … Alexa voice commands to lock and unlock the door worked without a hitch, as did the auto lock feature. There’s no dearth of smart locks in the market right now, but the all-new Kwikset Halo Touch smart lock stands out with its robust feature set. If you're less interested in smart home routines and more interested in fingerprint locking for multiple users, the Halo Touch is a good option. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. The Halo is kick-proof, fire resistant for up to 20 minutes, pick resistant, and hardened against drills or saws. Wrong code. The lock responded quickly to app commands, and always generated a push alert when the lock was engaged. Kwikset's Halo Touch is a simple smart lock held back by an underwhelming app and limited smart home integration. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Tap the circle to lock and unlock the door. © 1996-2021 Ziff Davis, LLC. I then installed the latch assembly and the strike plate, fed the data cable through the bottom of the mounting plate, and attached the exterior escutcheon to the mounting plate. The $249 Kwikset Halo Touch is one of the few; it supports Alexa and Google voice commands, has built-in Wi-Fi and a mobile app, and is equipped with a fingerprint scanner that lets you unlock your door quickly with one touch. The History button takes you to a screen where you can see a daily log of lock events and how they were implemented (voice control, app control, auto lock, fingerprint scan). Right now, it's the smarts that didn't add up for me. The full screen is now revealed. It supports up to 250 user codes and access, codes, lock status, and monitoring can all be done from your smart phone. Kwikset has finally gotten into the biometrics game with the launch of the Halo Touch smart lock. I chose the thumb and index finger of my dominant hand, but I wish I could've added more. The Halo Touch uses the same Kwikset mobile app (for Android and iOS) as the Halo Wi-Fi Smart Lock. Read more: Best smart locks of 2020: August, Yale, Schlage and more models compared. Kwikset Halo smart deadbolt review: Wi-Fi in, attractive design out Kwikset’s smart lock gains in connectivity, but loses out in the looks department. Your subscription has been confirmed. JBL debuts new Charge 5 Bluetooth speaker for $180, Discuss: Kwikset Halo review: One-touch convenience and old school options, Second stimulus check arriving in 2 phases, Best smart locks of 2020: August, Yale, Schlage and more models compared. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. That's all you really need to know about what's going on with your smart lock. Touch both to continue. I selected the Halo Touch from the product list, chose the interactive installation guide (you can also download an installation PDF), and followed the on-screen instructions to measure the door holes to make sure the lock would fit. Under the hood is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and a Bluetooth radio. 11 Xbox Series X, Series S Tips to Customize Your Console. Unforunately, I encountered enough frustration with Kwikset's limited, laggy app to discourage me from recommending it as part of a well-oiled smart home. Enter the access code to … The Kwikset Halo Smart Lock is a feature rich smart lock. However, there are limitations. MSRP $229.00 $203.84 at Amazon To start over, touch the lock button to lock the door. © 2021 CNET, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Smart locks are the logical next step in the product timeline for many traditional lock companies. 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