Yale’s Google Home smart lock is finally available – here’s what to expect

Back in April, Google announced that it would be discontinuing its Nest x Yale Smart Lock. But there wasn’t too much time to be disappointed by this news, as Yale quickly announced that it would be making a new smart lock with Matter designed for Google Home and Nest video doorbells.

Now, the new Yale Smart Lock with Matter is finally available to buy in the US. When the lock was announced in April, the price was expected to be around $169.99, but on launch day, the lock has had a $20 increase, which is mainly due to the impact of tariffs.

Aside from the price change, the Yale Smart Lock with Matter has the same features it was rumoured to have when it was announced earlier this year. This includes Matter-over-Thread connectivity which allows the smart lock to work with multiple platforms and ecosystems, including Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings.

The Yale Smart Lock with Matter has many unlocking options, including remote unlocking using the Google Home app, other Matter supported apps, and voice controls. It can also be unlocked with unique codes via the accompanying keypad and a back-up key is also available.

What’s different about the Yale Smart Lock with Matter, though, is that it doesn’t have an auto-unlock feature which other smart lock brands have been favouring recently. While it will auto-lock, auto-unlocking isn’t available as the Yale team found that users preferred button and key options.

Another thing the Yale Smart Lock with Matter is ‘missing’ is that it doesn’t yet integrate with any security system. This may change after launch, but it’s a marked difference from the pre-existing Nest x Yale smart lock that could disarm Google Nest Secure.

But aside from that, the Yale Smart Lock with Matter looks like an appealing smart lock. Users can create and edit codes for the lock, set schedules, view activity, and receive notifications. If you have a Google Nest doorbell, you can also integrate the lock with it to view your live feed from the doorbell, itself – plus it has 12 months of battery life.

Available in black and white, the Yale Smart Lock with Matter is available to buy now for $189.99 at Yale and Amazon. As of writing, UK availability and pricing has yet to be announced.