The smart home experience has only gotten better over the past several years, but it still mostly feels like a collection of walled gardens. In the case of Samsung, its Samsung Wallet, up until now, has only cared about cards, passes, IDs, and car keys. That changes now.
Earlier today, Samsung announced the launch of its 'Digital Home Key,' which is essentially a standardized smart lock access protocol built on Aliro.
The new feature, which lives inside Samsung Wallet, will allow users to unlock compatible smart door locks using their smartphone, and is expected to release within the month. The development essentially brings most smart home controls under one roof, considering that smart lock controls are often locked behind the lock manufacturer's own app.
"Through close collaboration with our partners and in alignment with the Aliro standard, Digital Home Key brings the same level of security and ease Samsung Galaxy users expect from Samsung Wallet to their homes," said Woncheol Chai, Head of Digital Wallet Team at Samsung.
Users would need to set up their smart door lock through Samsung SmartThings using Matter to be able to add a Digital Home Key to Samsung Wallet 'as part of the door lock onboarding process.' Once added, users will be able to unlock said smart locks via NFC (by tapping their phone on the lock), with UWB (hands-free), or remotely through the app.
The secret sauce here is the Connectivity Standards Alliance's (the same folks behind Matter) Aliro. Plus, Samsung isn't going at it alone. The tech giant is already collaborating with smart lock brands to support Samsung Wallet Digital Home Key, including:
Additionally, Samsung is leaning heavily on its Knox infrastructure to mitigate safety concerns. According to the tech giant, digital lock keys are stored within Samsung Wallet on the device, meeting EAL6+ certification, which is essentially the standard for mobile security.
"With this level of protection, users maintain control over their Digital Home Key, even if a device is misplaced. Access can be remotely managed or removed using Samsung Find, while biometric or PIN authentication within Samsung Wallet ensures that only authorized users can manage and use their home keys," wrote the tech giant.
Digital Home Key support has begun rolling out and will be more widely visible to users alongside the launch timeline of compatible smart lock brands.
