Seriously. That dude. Calls from the porch, “Hey cuz! Surprise!” while I’m elbow deep in dishwater forty minutes away. Used to mean a frantic drive home, or hiding the spare key under that really obvious fake rock by the azaleas (even Jake found it once). Total hassle. But then? Got one of those internet-connected doofus locks. A Wifi Door Lock thing? Or maybe it was bluetooth? Honestly don’t remember the difference most days. Tech stuff.
The idea seems bonkers at first. Like, my door lock is chatting with my router? While I’m buying milk? Feels like inviting Skynet over for coffee. But the remote unlock bit? That’s the magic beans, right? Pulled up the app on my phone – which was having one of its “I only work when I want to” moods – and somehow, miraculously, tapped a button. Poof. Door unlocked for Jake. Didn’t have to give him the secret knock, the weird keypad code I always forget, or risk leaving a key somewhere stupid. He was inside, probably raiding my fridge, before I even finished checkout. That part? Golden. No frantic driving, no panicked calls to the neighbor with the spare key who was at bingo.
You know who else it kinda rules for? Dog walkers. Mrs. Henderson, god bless her, keeps LOSING the physical key I gave her. Probably buried under cat toys in her purse. Now? She gets a temporary code that only works Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1 and 3 PM. And I get notified when the code’s used! So I know Fluffy got his walkies. Pretty snazzy. Unless the Wi-Fi goes out. Then Mrs. Henderson texts me panicking while Fluffy dances the pee-pee jig on the rug. Technology giveth, and technology taketh away. Murphy’s Law reigns supreme.
Letting in the cleaner? Easy peasy. Temporary code scheduled. Even theoretically letting in a pizza guy? Though why you’d let pizza near the lock mechanism seems risky. Grease! But remote unlock means you don’t need to buzz anyone in if you’re upstairs or something. Handy! Until the app needs an update and bricks itself. Or your phone dies. Suddenly, that backup physical key under the fake rock doesn’t seem so dumb, does it?
And then there’s the nagging voice: Security. Is this Wifi Door Lock really secure? Or is some bored teenager halfway across the world just poking around network vulnerabilities finding my front door easier to open than a candy wrapper? Makes me miss the reassuring clunk of a heavy deadbolt. No signal to hack, just good ol’ fashioned metal. But… convenience! Seeing if the door’s actually locked from bed? Priceless for my compulsive “Did I lock the door?” anxiety at 2 AM. Not needing keys AT ALL some days? Amazing. Unless the battery dies. Which it always does when you least expect it. Usually during a blizzard.
So yeah. Is it perfect? Heck no. Relies on Wi-Fi, apps, battery tech (always suspect), and companies not getting hacked. Feels flimsier than the Fort Knox lock my grandpa used. But for letting your forgetful cousin in, or making sure the dog walker isn’t locked out? That remote access magic? Pure, unadulterated convenience. Even if it does require occasionally performing a tech-exorcism on your Wifi Door Lock when it gets moody and refuses to talk to the phone. Worth it? Most days, weirdly, yes. Still kinda miss the clunk though. And probably shouldn’t have banned Jake for eating my last slice of pie. Anyway… gotta run, think my thermostat just tried to declare independence.