New Yale Smart Lock Arrives with Matter, Google Home Focus – and a Higher Price
Yale has officially launched its new Matter-over-Thread smart lock, designed with Google Home users in mind. While promising seamless integration with Google’s smart home ecosystem, this modern lock also offers compatibility with other major platforms like Apple Home and Amazon Alexa thanks to the versatile Matter standard. Set to hit the market today, June 24th, the lock arrives with a price tag of $189.99, a $20 increase from its initial announcement earlier this year. Yale attributes this higher cost primarily to the impact of tariffs and overall product expenses.
This new offering effectively replaces the previous Nest x Yale lock, a product of Yale’s earlier collaboration with Google. It aims to provide a forward-looking solution leveraging the latest smart home connectivity standards.
Connectivity and Compatibility: The Power of Matter-over-Thread
At the heart of the new Yale Smart Lock is Matter-over-Thread connectivity. This modern protocol is increasingly favored in the smart home space for its potential benefits, including improved speed and responsiveness compared to older wireless methods like Wi-Fi or standard Bluetooth, and significantly better battery efficiency, often allowing devices to run for a year or more on standard batteries. Smart home experts frequently highlight Matter-over-Thread locks as offering faster response times and potentially double the battery life of comparable Wi-Fi-only models.
Beyond performance, Matter is designed to simplify the smart home, enabling devices to work across different platforms. While this Yale lock is built for Google Home, its Matter-over-Thread foundation means it can readily connect with other Matter controllers and platforms, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant, without needing multiple brand-specific apps for core functions.
Designed for the Google Home Ecosystem
Yale explicitly designed this new smart lock to complement Google Home and specifically Google Nest video doorbells. Jesse Stroh, product manager at Google Home and Nest, highlighted the lock’s “best in class integration with the Google Home platform,” noting it takes “full advantage of the Matter features Google Home supports.”
For Google Home users, this means simplified setup, which can be done directly within the Google Home app, bypassing the need for the separate Yale app for initial configuration and basic control. Google Home integration currently allows for features such as creating and managing user and guest entry codes with schedules, viewing lock activity in the Home app’s feed, and receiving lock and unlock notifications. The lock can also integrate with current Google Nest doorbells, allowing users to control the lock directly from the doorbell’s live feed view. Google Assistant now also supports unlocking Matter locks using a required voice PIN code for added security.
Understanding the Price Increase
The decision to launch the lock at $189.99, rather than the $169.99 announced in March, stems from what Yale describes as the impact of “tariff costs and overall product costs.” While the price is higher than initially expected, the company states all other features remain the same as previously announced.
Key Features and Design Considerations
The Yale Smart Lock with Matter offers multiple ways to control access to your home:
Push-Button Keypad: Features a backlit keypad for entering 6-digit codes.
Physical Key: Includes a traditional keyway for backup access, a feature absent on the discontinued Nest x Yale lock but often preferred by users according to Yale’s research.
App Control: Lock and unlock remotely or manage settings via the Google Home app or other compatible Matter apps.
Voice Control: Use voice assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple’s Siri.
Battery life is estimated at 12 months using four AA batteries, largely thanks to the efficiency of Matter-over-Thread. This places it in line with typical battery expectations for Thread-based locks, which often outperform Wi-Fi locks in longevity.
Design-wise, the lock comes in white, black, and a gray option arriving this fall. These colors are chosen to match Google’s Nest doorbells, though users upgrading from the Nest x Yale might miss the previous model’s options for traditional hardware finishes like rubbed bronze or satin nickel.
Comparing to Past Models and the Competition
As the replacement for the Nest x Yale lock, the new model brings significant changes. Notably, it includes a physical keyway, and at launch, it will not integrate with any security systems, which is surprising given Yale’s and Google’s close relationship with home security company ADT.
One feature present on other Yale locks, like the Assure 2 line, that is not included here is auto-unlock based on your phone’s proximity. This lock only offers an auto-lock function that can be set to engage after a period of inactivity. While some competitors like the Kwikset Halo Select are praised for highly reliable auto-unlock features, the inclusion and performance of this feature vary widely across smart lock brands and can be affected by connectivity choices like Matter, which currently has limitations on supporting such features across all platforms.
The Yale Smart Lock joins a growing market of full-deadbolt replacement locks utilizing Matter-over-Thread, including models from Kwikset, Level, Eufy, and Aqara. Each offers a different combination of features, such as fingerprint readers (Aqara U100/U300, Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch), Apple Home Key support (Level Lock Plus, Schlage Encode Plus, Aqara U100/U300), or integrated video (Eufy FamiLock S3 Max). This variety highlights that consumers can find a Matter lock tailored to specific needs, though some advanced features may still rely on manufacturer-specific apps or connectivity methods outside of Matter.
Setup and Connectivity Options
A key benefit of the new Yale lock is the ability to set it up directly through the Google Home app or other Matter apps, streamlining the process. However, because it is a Matter-over-Thread device, it requires a Matter controller and a Thread border router to function fully within your smart home network. If you intend to use it primarily within the Google Home app, your Matter hub typically needs to be a Google device.
Without a Matter/Thread setup, the lock can still be controlled locally via Bluetooth using the Yale Home app when you are within range, offering a basic non-remote function that some other Matter-over-Thread locks might lack. For remote control without a Matter setup, Yale offers an optional $90 Wi-Fi Connect bridge. However, some experts suggest that for similar cost, purchasing a device like a Google TV Streamer could provide the necessary Thread connectivity, Google Home Matter hub, and additional streaming functionality, offering better value.
The Yale Smart Lock with Matter is available now on Amazon and Yale’s website. A full review is planned in the near future.
