INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Back in March, Nest and Yale teamed up to release a smart door lock to complement Nest then brand-new video doorbell
It a solid piece of hardware, but it had a curious quirk for something made under Google watch: it didn''t work with Google Home or Google
Assistant.
That&ll change later this week.
On August 29th, the lock will be getting an update that adds Google Assistant and Home support to
bring a handful of voice-powered tricks into the mix
Things like:
Locking the door with a &Hey Google& command
Asking Google Assistant whether or not the door is locked
Add locking the door to
part of a custom, multi-step routine, like a &Goodnight& routine that shuts off the lights, turns off the TV and bolts the doors.
You&ll be
able to lock the door by voice — but, it worth noting, not unlock it… because, you know, security
If some rando can shout to lock your door, it an annoyance — but if they can stand outside the door and unlock it just by shouting loud
enough, that a whole different story
Google Assistant has tech to identify users by their voice, but it not quite up to the task of playing bouncer at your front door
So no unlocking by voice at this point.
Alas, no word on support for any other voice-powered assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Siri (by
While some of Yale other smart locks support other voice assistants, they&ve yet to make any promises with this one.
