Google Wallet home key lets Android phones open compatible smart locks
Google this week began rolling out a Google Wallet home key that lets Android phones open compatible smart locks set up in the Google Home app, either with a tap or hands-free as you walk up. The key runs on Aliro, a new open access standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance that Google says it helped develop.
How the home key works
You set up the lock and manage who lives in your home in the Google Home app, then add a digital home key to Google Wallet, where it sits next to payment cards and passes. Google lists four features at launch:
- Tap the lock. Hold the back of an NFC-enabled Android phone near the lock's reader to open the door. The key works even when the phone's screen is locked.
- Hands-free entry. With an Aliro Ultra-Wideband (UWB) phone and a UWB lock, the door opens automatically as you walk up. This is off by default, and you turn it on in Google Wallet.
- One key per home. The key is tied to your home in Google Home rather than to a single lock, so one key works with every compatible Aliro lock in that home.
- Household access. Members of your home in the Google Home app can add their own key to their Google Wallet. Keys sync across compatible Android phones signed in to the same Wallet account.
By default, a tap opens the door without waking the phone, as long as you got past the phone's lock screen within the last few hours. A setting in Google Wallet makes the phone ask for a screen lock or biometric check every time instead.
Supported locks and phones
Google names three locks that work at launch and says more are coming:
- Aqara U400, with UWB and NFC;
- Schlage Sense Pro, with NFC now and UWB to follow;
- Nuki Keypad 2 NFC.
Tapping works on NFC-enabled Android phones running Android 9 or later. Google says hands-free entry works on Aliro UWB-compatible Android phones, including the Pixel 10 Pro series and later. Its Wallet help page lists the Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold on Android 17 or later, and says hands-free entry works with up to 4 locks at once. Wear OS watches aren't supported at launch.
You also need a Matter-certified lock that supports Aliro and a Matter-enabled Google hub with a Thread border router. Google names the Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, Nest Wifi Pro and Google TV Streamer.
Availability
The home key is available first to people in the Public Preview program for the Google Home app. Google says it will reach everyone over the coming weeks. It needs the latest versions of the Google Home and Google Wallet apps on your Android phone.
When you set up a new Aliro lock in Google Home, the app offers to add the key to Wallet. You can also add it later in Google Home under Home settings, then Google Wallet key, or from the lock's device settings. Google doesn't say which countries the feature covers.
What it means for you
For now this is a narrow upgrade. It only helps if you own a supported Aliro lock and a Google hub with Thread, and the only phones Google names for hands-free entry are the Pixel 10 Pro series and newer. Tapping has broader support, since it needs only NFC and Android 9 or later. Many older Android phones qualify, but phones without NFC can't use it.
Because the feature is built on Aliro rather than a Google-only system, more locks should follow as manufacturers adopt the standard. If you're shopping for a smart lock, check for Aliro and Matter support. Google's Wallet help page also advises keeping your physical key as a backup.