If you are asking what is the most popular trend in home security, we would say it is keyless entry. With the development of home automation, more and more people prefer home automation to normal home entry, as it is more flexible and more convenient for you to enter the home. Normally keyless door locks, access control keypads, video door phones,and some other smart home devices are used in keyless entry systems.  

What does keyless entry mean?

When we talk about keyless entry, it is easy to understand that “keyless” means “no keys”, it is “no keys” to entry. Traditionally the keys are used to lock or unlock doors, but for keyless entry, the keys are not required. Keyless entry is developing with the trends of home automation and smart home, it includes keyless door locks and other smart devices that are compatible with each other, which makes a perfect home automation to secure your houses. Let’s take a simple example, many people may experience that they go out to throw rubbish without taking any keys, but unexpectedly the door shuts by the wind. In such a case, what will you do to reenter your home with a traditional lock that has to unlock by keys? Your choices are asking your family member back home to open the door,  trying to find a spare key that is hidden in your flowerpot, or calling a locksmith. Any of these choices cause inconvenience in your life. Meanwhile, if you are using a keyless door lock, you may open the lock easily and quickly, with your fingerprint or facial recognition, by pin code or access card, moreover, using the app on your cellphone is also a good solution.

How many types of Keyless door locks and how to open them?

Different from traditional door locks, keyless entry door locks don’t require physical keys to open, they can be opened in various ways, the commonly used ways like a fingerprint, key card or key fob, and password, and some are with other high technology such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or app on cellphone. Recently there are many different models of keyless entry door locks used in the door entry system, many of the keyless door lock models use high technology, and some of the locks have keyless entry functions, but they also keep manual opening functions to avoid unworking of keyless entry.

Biometric lock

Biometric lock is a type of keyless door lock which relies on a fingerprint, it combines a keypad lock with the technology of a fingerprint reader, we also call it fingerprint lock. These locks have a small touchpad to scan your fingerprint, register your fingerprint to the lock first, after setting up, put your finger on the small touchpad, once your fingerprint is recognized the lock will be unlocked, so you can get access to enter your home. A keypad is normally used as a backup, if don’t want some fingerprints registered in the lock’s system, a pin code can be shared to open the lock as well. With the fast development of technology, some locks are starting to use facial recognition technology instead of a fingerprint, facial recognition technology is used to have a scanner to read your face instead of a fingerprint touchpad, similarly, facial recognition is also paired with a keypad backup. Biometric locks are a good choice for a keyless entry system as they are more secure as they read and register your own biometric characteristics, which is difficult for others to replicate, therefore the lock will only give access to you.

Smart lock

The smart lock is a high-technology keyless door lock, these locks are usually unlocked by an app, which relies on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology to transfer information to the lock. To use the smart lock, you need to do is to download the app of the smart lock to the phone, share your Bluetooth with the lock, and connect with your home’s Wi-Fi system, then you are able to control the smart lock whenever and wherever via the app on your phone. With the development of internet technology, we find more and more internet technology is used on smart locks to secure your home. It is an ideal product that when you go out and not at home, the app allows you to give access to who would be able to enter your home, it provides great convenience to the smart home system. Smart lock’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology is definitely a great development in keyless entry systems, while the weak point is also obvious in its stable connectivity and the possibility of being hacked. Though internet security is becoming much safer by improving the protection of information, hackers also have more methods to hack Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology, it will be very dangerous if the intruders unlock the lock by hacking your internet, therefore, the smart lock is not only using high technology but also thinking of the protection on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology.       

Electronic lock

Electronic locks can be a kind of keyless entry door locks. There are many different types of electronic locks, such as some electric locks with digital keypads, which will make the lock open with a pin code. Some electronic locks with a touchscreen keypad, are the same as digital locks in that it is also opened by pin code, but the difference is the keypad, and normally these touchscreen keypad locks are also paired with a reader so that key fobs and key cards can be opening the way for these locks. Motorized rim locks are a kind of electronic lock that fulfill keyless entry, they can be opened by key fobs and key cards, moreover, a radar sensor is an option when people are walking close to the radar motorized rim lock at a certain distance, the lock will be opened automatically. Since electronic locks are the locking device that locks and unlock by electric current, a more popular way of keyless entry for the electronic lock is to integrate the lock with other electronic devices, such as an access control keypad, intercom, video door phone, and exit button. Connect the electronic locks with these devices, they will be a whole access control system controlled by low voltage electric pulse, this is a common method for many house owners to fulfill keyless entry systems, also the cost of using an electronic lock is lower than biometric lock and smart lock.  

Any weak points in the keyless door lock?

As we mentioned the three types of keyless door locks, we are getting important information that the keyless door locks rely on the power supply (electricity). Since the power supply is the most important factor in the start-up of the keyless door locks, when power is off, the locks will not work. If your keyless door lock has an extra manual opening function, you are still able to open it even if no power on the lock, but if your keyless door lock doesn’t have this function, it will be a big problem for your entry. Some biometric locks and smart locks may have backup batteries to power the lock, but some Bluetooth locks need to connect to your Wi-Fi system, even if the lock has backup batteries inside if power is lost, the Wi-Fi system will not work, the lock is still affected by lacking Wi-Fi connection. Therefore when you are considering using a keyless door lock, you have to think carefully about the power outage problem.

Toplock – electronic door lock manufacturer

Being engaged in electronic locks for more than 17 years, Toplock is a professional and experienced manufacturer in this industry. Our main products are magnetic lock, electric rim lock, motorized rim lock, and electric bolt lock, other products like power supply, access control keypad, RFID card, keyfob, and remote control are optional. These electronic locks are applied to the doors and gates in houses, offices, residential, factories, schools, commercial areas, and the public. They are good match products in keyless entry systems, building intercom systems, door entry systems., etc.

Below is a video of Toplock’s magnetic lock work in the keyless entry system. The working method of electric rim lock, motorized rim lock, and electric bolt lock is similar to magnetic lock, therefore you can consider choosing any of these locks to fit your doors, it is easy to integrate electronic locks with your intercom, doorbell, and door phone.

Due to the popularity of keyless entry door locks, more and more people choose keyless door locks to fit their doors, biometric locks, smart locks, or electronic locks are good choices for you. If you have more questions about these locks or the system, Toplock is pleased to share more information with you.