Hot take: smart locks are less secure than my old deadbolt

I put a smart lock on my front door 3 months ago because everyone said it was safer, but last week a neighbor casually mentioned he could pick it with a magnet from a toy. I tested it myself with a fridge magnet and it popped open in 10 seconds. Who else has found a simple trick that totally broke their so-called secure tech?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_west27d agoMost Upvoted

Picked it with a magnet from a toy" sounds like the beginning of a heist movie where the villain is an 8 year old. I replaced my deadbolt last year with a smart lock and it stopped working every time the temperature dropped below 50 degrees. Now I prop the door open with a rock because the lock freezes shut. At least with my old deadbolt I knew the only way to break in was with a crowbar, not the same technology that holds up a grocery list.

xena_bailey1827d ago

The smart lock freezing thing is a known issue with certain magnetic strike plates. I had the same problem with a Schlage model back in 2018. If you take the lock off and spray the solenoid with a silicone lubricant specifically for locks - not WD40, that makes it worse in cold - it usually fixes the temp sensitivity. Also check if your doorframe is slightly warped. Mine was, and when it got cold the gap would shrink just enough to bind the bolt. I filed down the strike plate by a millimeter and it works fine down to about 15 degrees now. The rock method is solid but a $5 doorstop wedge works better in wind.

the_susan27d ago

It's like everything now has extra features nobody asked for that actually make it worse. Smart locks, wifi fridges, app-controlled toasters... they all fail in ways a simple tool never would. Sometimes the old reliable thing is better just because it's too dumb to break.