Aqara Smart Lock U50, Keyless Entry Door Lock with Apple Home Key, Bluetooth Deadbolt Lock, App Remote Control, Supports Apple HomeKit, Matter, Google Home, Alexa, IFTTT, Black

Decent Low Cost Alternative to HomeKit Schlage Encode Plus
So we are apple crazy and deep into the ecosystem. More HomeKit devices than I really want to admit.This review is lengthy, and specific to HomeKit installation and use, without an Aqara hub, App or other 3rd Party spy devices on your network. (If you are using another OS device, I advise you to research the TOS and understand the data transfer and vulnerability of your entire security or camera system if it’s not encrypted and certified.)We purchased this lock system because of the HomeKit certification. At the time it was 1/6th the price of a Schlage Encode Plus lock system at the Orange box.I’ll forego the Pros/Cons analysis and mention a few things that stand out for the $89 Black Friday price.The build quality and sturdiness of the device is very good. The housing is heavy aluminum alloy cast, and the key pad is of similar quality to other similar devices. Schlage style locks are notorious for being almost pick proof.A few things to keep in mind-Given that there are additional security risks to using NFID and RFID locks, as well as structural security features that are missing on Digital style locks, if you are willing to assume these risks in exchange for ease of use and the option of multiple codes and revocable “keys” for others, these products work well in the consumer segment. Most people have a digital lockpad on their garage doors, so this isn’t new in the world of “locks” in adding to the security vulnerabilities of your home.It’s Schlage compatible (not Kwikset/Defiant/Best Lock or other brands not on the 5 pin Schlage key design), however, the lock cylinder is *not* swappable with another Schlage cylinder – its slightly smaller and held in place with a bracket and two small screws instead of a single large flat surface screw attached to the body of the lock as in a Schlage (making it slightly more punch out vulnerable than a Schlage Deadbolt, IMO by about 10%-15%.)I rekeyed it myself with my rekey kit (you can search Amazon for pins, kits and necessary components you’ll need, as well as online instructional videos to accomplish rekeying a Schlage Deadbolt (same principle)).Odds are, most big box stores won’t rekey this, or even the digital locks they sell since they are not the standard style lock…I learned this the first time I bought one. At $35 a rekeying, a rekeying kit and a bit of learning curve was way cheaper than the fee for 4-5 locks.On this lock, there are backing screws as with other similar locks you install, but the internal parts are aluminum, not steel as in the double screw steel plate in a Schlage deadbolt. Also, the ‘deadbolt’ throw has a made of plastic in the center of the lock part, instead of steel as in a proper deadbolt.Keep in mind, a double-key dead-bolt option isn’t available on most of these style locks, so installing in a door with a glass insert of some sort isn’t advisable if total security is your goal: Anyone can defeat this lock by breaking the glass and reaching in and turning the knob.To dispel your worries, it will operate on HomeKit (*without* a HUB as mentioned in other reviews) with all needed options as any HomeKit device – Apple Wallet Key, 8-digit codes, Guest Registration…all the same things the Aqara users say they need the proprietary app to use. Auto-locking is available as a Scene/Automation in HomeKit – Try an automation that locks all doors at a specific time of day or night or when the last person leaves the house. Try a scene that turns on a light when the door is unlocked…the combinations are endless. (See tips later)My advice: You don’t need and should not install the Aquara App unless you’re OK with sharing your data, usage and location of your unlocked house with an unknown person that has access to that data via their network operations center. If you’ve already gone down the road of non-HomeKit certified devices in your home, it’s too late to plug all the data leaks unless you turn it all off…Installation:Aqara includes nothing in the package that will help you install the lock. You have to scan the QR code on the inside of the interior cover, search online or guess for the mechanical aspects of installation.The first glaring issue for me was understanding the battery compartment and interior plate (I must admit, it escaped me at first, and pulled off the weather guard and saw 6 screws and thought, “this can’t be how you replace the batteries or this thing is going back right now”.) There is a small indent that you use the provided easily lost tool to remove to expose the battery compartment. The unit uses 4 AA batteries (generic are supplied). I use rechargeable Li-Ion AA cells on the other 3 locks on the house, and keep a charged pack for easy replacement. The upside of a Schlage Encode Plus is the interior compartment above the knob easily lifts off and exposes a ‘pack’ that contains the 4 AA cells…you lift it out and replace it or replace the cells and off you go. This lock needs a tool (if you don’t want to use a wide blade screw driver or a large fingernail to pry off the cover), and the batteries are set in the lock as basically part of the door.The parts are made well enough to fit the pre-bored hole, deadbolt slide bore, and casing bore and trim of most doors. Whether it fits your door isn’t a factor of this lock, it’s more of what propriety door brand or casing you have. They provide several options as part of the kit.Centering the lock and screwing the backplates on are similar to other locks. It comes with two sets of through the door machined screws of different lengths for different door thicknesses. The lock is attached to the door with the exterior lock system and a backing plate with these screws, similar to other digital locks. Then the interior knob and battery portion of the lock is installed to that backplate with smaller screws (difficult to maneuver since the holes are machined smaller than the recessed cone of metal that leads to where the screws attached).Programming:Don’t install or open the Aqara app. Also, don’t attempt to add the lock to HomeKit until it’s on your door. This is important as the lock will enter the “slide depth adjustment” phase and not properly determine how far it needs to throw the deadbolt to close it on your specific casing and door. The lock will unlock and flash red each time your lock it. (See how to fix this later)Just open HomeKit (See connection tips at the end), press the “+” Add accessory icon and do the HomeKit thing. I allowed my iPhone to search a bit (very irritating that Apple HomeKit doesn’t display the script or status of this as it’s running on it’s software like “Establishing connection, connected to wifi, sharing password…etc.”). After a bit, I pressed the “HomeKit” button on the locks interior face panel, and “Connected” appeared, and the lock started the same process as all other HomeKit devices…Name, Room, etc. It’s a preference for me to add all exterior devices into a room named for that, rather than where it’s located…it’s easier to check to see at once if all the doors, gates, drawbridges, etc. are closed/locked, drawn…If you have installed other digital wallet NFID devices like this lock, those codes, guest lists, wallet access key and most non-proprietary settings will be copied to the HomeKit App settings of this lock.*IF* you have an issue with the device locking itself after you locked it, you probably powered it up before you installed it. The fix is easy. Take out the batteries. Install the lock. Unlock the door. Install the batteries. Reset the lock (yeah, by pressing “reset” on the lock) to default. Start the HomeKit add process again. This was the case for me, because I wanted to ensure it would work with HomeKit as advertised so I added it, and played with it on the counter for all the features I wanted before I went through the trouble of installing it. You don’t have to contact customer service, you don’t need another lock as some reviews have stated.Aqara, just like and similar to other companies that datamine you through there software and network access to your home, want you to install their app for additional “features”. This is notable voice prompt when you first power up the lock. Ignore it. It doesn’t come back. Their cameras, like other brands, remove features on HomeKit they offer only if you install their app and agree to their terms of service. The solution is obvious, but I don’t think the masses will stick together to reject that.All in all, I’ve placed two of these Aqara locks on back doors on the deck, which receive less traffic and are less likely to be used as often as the front door, pantry door or garage side door that have Schlage Encode Plus locks…Value for the money over time is the key, ease of use to get in your own house is amazing with these type of locks. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been outside walking around the house without my keys and want to get in a side door…locked your keys in the house? No problem. Want to give the cat sitter a code that lasts only as long as they are there, no problem. Just wearing your watch with no phone or keys, no problem.Like others, this lock has NFID (near field identification) that allows you to just bring your phone or watch near it, and the lock exchanges a signal that prompts your iPhone to open your wallet (faceID, fingerprint or code) and select the HomeKit key that is created when you install your first digital exterior door lock.All in all, the lock performs the basic functions while offering above par security with its Schlage format lockset. The voice prompts and inital request to install the Aqara app is annoying, and perhaps all that talking the lock will do if unlocked within the app is pleasant to some, I prefer my blender be a blender, and not remind me daily that it’s a blender and it’s blending things I want blended.HomeKit Automation: (Tips?)Within HomeKit, there is complete functionality of this lock as in the Aqare app, in regards to as much one would need without features that add no more safety or user functions. I’ll not bore you too much here with how HomeKit works, search apple for how to program basic functions like add users, keys, etc to this…as they are not lock specific and not something this lock has in it’s manufacturers app vs HomeKit.Here are a few things people seem to think the Aqara app advertises that HomeKit offers as well:To add a time of day locking:-Select the ‘Accessory Settings” for the device.-Under the ‘Automations’ section, select “+ Add Automation”.-Select “A Time Of Day Occurs” from the “Events” section. A “When” section is displayed, with the option of “Sunrise”, “Sunset”, “Time of Day” and a time.-Select “Time of Day”, then just under that, the time showing, and edit it to the time of day you want your device to perform a function. Select each day in the “Repeat” section you wish this to happen (they are circled in red by default for the whole week).-Under the “People” section, edit that to your desire…(off, when someone is home, when I am home, etc). –At the top of the screen, select “Next”.-Slide the switch to “Enable this Automation” (on by default), the next section displays the time, order in gray…you can edit this to anything you want by selecting it and choosing to add something like “Lock the Front Door at 11:00PM” as an automation title.-Under the “Select Accessories and Scenes”, you can enhance the function of this automation by adding additonal scenes you’ve already set up, perhaps like “‘Play AC/DC Back in Black’ on all HomePodMini’s, flash the kitchen lights and turn on my lava lamp in the living room”…(not what I have for a scene)…-Under “Accessories”, the device(s) activated by this automation will be grayed out, in the state you want them to be when the automation takes place…in this case, if it shows “lock”, that is the state it will be when the automation happens. If it’s “unlock” you want, then press the device icon on this screen and change it.-Be sure to select “Done” if shown at the top right of the screen.To add a “when the last person leaves the house” automation:-Select the ‘Accessory Settings” for the device.-Under the ‘Automations’ section, select “+ Add Automation”.-Select “People Leave” from the “Events” section.-The “When” section allows you to be selective of who (select the circle ‘i’ icon to see who), or choose “The Last Person Leaves” for anyone listed in your home that has a device they take with them when they leave. Careful: Sometimes more than one device listed as your personal item, such as two apple watches, an iPad and iPhone has caused issues in the past…unless you took all of these things, HomeKit still showed you at home.-You can automate when and which home that this will take place in the additional sections…follow the prompts and be sure to select “Next”.-Be sure to select “Done” if shown at the top right of the screen.For additional help in setting up subsequent automations for your HomeKit devices and how to program scenes got to apple’s website and search HomeKit…(“Siri, it’s too hot in the house” to change your temperature to a preset lower limit, or “Siri, it’s TV time” to set certain lights to dim, turn on an appleTV and turn off other lights, or “Siri, it’s Bedtime” to lock all the doors, close the entrance gate, shut off the lights in the rest of the house and turn on the porch lights if they aren’t already on…)Connection to WiFi:#1 most important thing. Before you attempt to add *any* 2.4 ghz device with your iPhone in your home, keep these things in mind:-If you have more than one SSID broadcast (5.0 ghz and 2.4 ghz, or have your router set to combine these SSiDs to one based on signal strength, you *must* ensure your iPhone is operating on the 2.4 ghz band *first*. This may require steps I won’t include here, check your router/online to see how to split out the channels if your HomeKit devices fail to activate. Most (not all) devices for HomeKit need the 2.4ghz band. If your phone is on the 5.0 ghz side, you’ll never connect to the device easily.-Turn *off* cellular. If your cell connection is stronger than your wifi at any given place in your house where this device is to be installed, your iPhone will try to use cellular to connect to your home through your HomeKit ‘HomePod’ (a HomePod, iPad, AppleTV, etc)…you’ll never connect to the device easily.-Most homes use consumer grade routers for wifi or modems that are wifi enabled. These are not designed for device connection in most cases past 20 simultaneously connected devices. If you are using an iPhone, it uses two channels…most apple devices do. So if you have 3-4 iPhones, a MacBook, AppleTV on wifi, and a few HomeKit devices, your router is in all likelihood already maxed out and will play the merry-go-round connection scenario, which is to wait for the device to ping your network to maintain a connection in order to operate. If your network is busy on all the channels, your device will wait…and wait…and wait…and eventually time out to the “No Response” frustration status. Even if you have the most expensive gaming router out there, odds are it’s not more than 30-50 channels available for devices.*Much* more expensive Commercial routers can handle many many more channels of communication with devices, such as those used in offices, hotels and the like, that have upwards of 100-500 to 1000’s of available channels. The more channels, the more $’s.If your home has 70-90 devices and your current expensive home router can handle 60 channels (most are 20!), you’re likely to see only mild resistance to connections occasionally. If you are likely to continue to add more and more home automation (like we have, gate openers, temperature sensors, cameras, locks, switches, relays, humidity control, sprinkler control, ventilation control, etc.), you are advised to purchase a low to mid end commercial system with zoned access points like an Aruba Networks or other similar system.If you are experiencing issues with connectivity or other problems with your locks, video feeds, etc, it is in all likelihood your network and your connection to the internet, not the product. Placing additional accesspoints or even Nano stations to broadcast to distant devices (like a basement lock or gate camera) is worth the investment if you haven’t already loaded up your home with devices your router can chat with simultaneously.Hope this review helps answer some questions and gives you a good idea how this lock compares to others with the HomeKit seal.

App destroys usability
I’ll have to admit that I’m very frustrated right now, but it’s true what the others have said. The app is absolute garbage, ESPECIALLY for Android users. It will pair but it disconnects Bluetooth immediately. I have tried to restart this three times, only to end up with the same result. I’m trying so hard to work around this. Here are the methods I’m currently using:I used the Homekit feature on my wife’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, so she can use her phone to unlock the door. The rest of us in the family are using the PIN, because I couldn’t set up the app on my Android phone on day one. Having said that, I felt my last workaround would be using my self-hosted Home Assistant would give me some relief due to this device having Matter, but NOOOOO. Of course Aqara goes against the standard and requires that you buy their stupid hub in order to fully utilize the Matter feature.This lock is fast and responsive, and it’s a shame that the app is garbage.The other issue I’ve been having is visibility. This is actually two issues in one paragraph. It’s bad enough that I have to WAKE THE LOCK before I can even input my PIN, but as someone who is severely hard-of-hearing, sometimes I can’t hear the beep to know the lock is awake, and to make matters worse, it’s hard to see the backlight activate during daylight; thereby, it makes it very difficult to know if the lock is awake or not.Finally, the last issue I’ve had with this lock: my technophobic mother-in-law could not get through our front door to drop something off when we were away from home. I don’t know why, since Homekit is new to me, we couldn’t remotely unlock the door for her, which made things more frustrating as she struggled to unlock the door and even set off the alarm (…lol funny now that I think of it).In this case, I would have set up a fob for her so that she wouldn’t have to deal with this, but I can’t set up a fob IF I CAN’T USE THE APP.So, everyone reading this, maybe you’ll be able to get by on using the PIN and your Apple phones, but otherwise… Don’t bother with this product. The hardware is great (except for visibility during bright days), but the app severely severely severely hampers the usability of this “smart lock”.

Modern features, great price
None of the NFC cards or stickers I had at home worked with this lock. It responds to them when in normal mode, but completely ignores them when pairing.I’ve ordered Aqara NFC tags and the Aqara E1 hub from ali. The tags are good and do work with the lock. Not sure what makes the difference, I did try other NFC tags that are Mifare Classic 1k, ISO 14443-4, etc. Maybe we can figure this out as a community. IsoDep?It didn’t go too well with the Aqara E1 hub, it was locked to Mainland China.This is all very saddening, my wife can tap her iPhone on the lock and open it, and me, with my Google Pixel phone just can’t. Aqara NFC tags don’t fit into my wallet and look stupid when glued to the back of my phone. The whole point of getting a smart lock was to go away from having to carry keys on a keychain, so I guess it’s back to the stone ages of having to punch in the key code every time or firing up the phone app to unlock over BT. So close…

Auto lock when the door closes is unreliable. A third of the time doesn’t lock so have to be always on the lookout if door lock is triggered or not. Other than that it’s been good.

Been using this lock for more than a week. Homekey is very reliable with iPhone 12, 15 and Apple Watch SE. Installation is fairly straight forward. Build quality is very solid. I wish the battery door is easier to open – it need a pry tool and I am sure I will misplace the tool.App has a Homekit standalone mode which allows setting up the lock without an Aqara account. It pairs the lock with Homekit no problem. However, firmware update kept failing in this mode. I had to create an Aqara account to use the full feature of the app, then I was able to update firmware successfully.My HomePod mini is pretty far away from the lock at the back of the house, so querying lock status or unlocking from Home app take a few seconds. This is expected. I am actually surprised that it works over this long distance.