Key by Amazon will let all the right people have access to your property

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When Amazon announced its Key service, the keyless entry service for delivery people, dog walkers and other service providers, I was pretty skeptical as to how long the experiment would last for. It appears that the end isn’t in sight, as a houseful of Amazon Key-enabled devices and expanded capability just got announced at CES 2019.

Everything from Wi-Fi deadbolt locks, to compatibility with the Ring doorbell and a smart fob to make your delivery person’s life just a little bit easier just received Key by Amazon support.

While keyless in-home delivery for your precious Amazon Prime packages was the original Key by Amazon service, now that’s been expanded to let you manage your front door wherever and for whatever purpose.

Away on holiday and need to let the neighbor in to walk the dog and water the plants? Key can manage that. Need to let a family member in to borrow something while you’re at work, or maybe to let in a plumber to fix that leak? Key can also manage that.

All you need is an Amazon Cloud Cam (Key edition) and a Key by Amazon-compatible smart lock.

New tricks with Key by Amazon

Now you can use Key by Amazon to create permanent secure and keyless access for anyone you wish. No more leaving a spare key under the mat for dog walkers, cleaners, friends and family. No more having to chase spare keys down if you change service providers, you just change up the access codes instead.

Using one of the compatible Key by Amazon smart cams, you can also monitor your home entry points with live video, two-way audio and the ability to save clips just in case. You don’t even need to pay attention to it all the time, as the service will send you notifications if anyone unlocks or locks the door, including information on who they are if possible.

There’s also a new Alexa skill, so the erstwhile voice assistant can unlock or lock your home for you, or tell you the current status of connected locks.

New devices

All the new software tricks in the world won’t do any good without devices to run it on. New devices announced at CES 2019 included a new Wi-Fi Deadbolt from Schlage, Amazon Key for Garage with myQ-connected garage door opener Wi-Fi bridges and hubs, Ring video doorbell compatibility, and Key for Business, which is a smart fob for drivers that deliver Amazon packages to buildings with controlled access systems.

Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt

This Wi-Fi connected deadbolt makes adding keyless entry to your home painless. The Encode lock just needs to be mounted where your existing deadbolt was. It connects directly to your Wi-Fi network so you don’t need extra hubs or bridges, and it’s Key by Amazon compatible so it works in the Key app.

The lock itself supports up to 100 access codes, all of which can be changed at any time. You can also schedule times and dates, nice for your peace of mind. Key by Amazon delivery is supported if you live in an area that has the service. The Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi deadbolt starts shipping March 5th and costs $249.

Key for Garage

It might sound like a bad genre of music, but this is pretty good for those who don’t like the thought of opening their front door to strangers.

If you have a myQ-connected garage door opener, the Key by Amazon app will let you control and monitor your garage. If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll also be able to use it to get deliveries put in the garage. Key for Garage will be available in the second quarter, and you can sign up for email updates here.

Open for Ring

Adding Key by Amazon compatibility with the Ring doorbell range seems like a no-brainer. After all, Amazon does own the company.

Now, when paired with a compatible smart lock from Yale, Kwikset, or Schlage, Ring customers will be able to view the live feed from their doorbell and press a button in the Ring app to unlock their home. This functionality is available now.

Key for Business

One key to rule them all? Key for Business is available now and provides a fob for Amazon delivery drivers to get into secured buildings to make their deliveries, without having to get the building’s staff to let them in. Building management will be able to set delivery hours and monitor driver entries, without having to eat up manhours allowing entrance to delivery personnel.

It’s a smart world and new products and integrations like this are but another step in connecting everything from our smartphones, to our toilets, to our homes.

What do you think? Are these features something you’re interested in? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.