Congratulations to specific Google Pixel owners: Google announced this week it has finally added support for hands-free unlocking with compatible smart locks and Android phones. Google says the feature is available now in the Google Home app public beta and will be “rolling out to everyone over the coming weeks.”
This “Unlock on Approach” feature uses your Android phone’s UWB radio and a relatively new smart lock standard called Aliro. It does what it says: with the right combo of smart home devices and smartphone, your smart lock will automatically unlock as you approach it, as long as you have an Aliro UWB-compatible device on your person. The standard was developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, which created the universal smart home standard Matter, which Google is a part of. You can check out my experiences using it in my reviews of the U400 and the Schlage Sense Pro, but to summarize: it kicks ass, and I never want to go back.
To use Unlock on Approach, you’ll need a compatible smart lock, an “Aliro Ultra-Wideband (UWB) compatible Android phone,” and a Thread border router such as Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, Nest Wifi Pro, or Google TV Streamer. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve updated the Google Home and Google Wallet apps.
