Samsung just made losing your house keys a lot less stressful. The company launched Digital Home Key for its Wallet app, letting Galaxy owners unlock compatible deadbolts with their phones. Misplace the device? You can kill the key remotely.
The feature started rolling out this month. It works with NFC for a simple tap and will support hands-free UWB access starting in April. The system uses the Aliro protocol, an industry standard for digital locks. Samsung hasn’t detailed the full list of supported countries or phone models yet, so you’ll want to check its site for compatibility.
Lose your phone? You can kill the digital key remotely
That remote kill switch is the real safety net. Left your phone at a bar? Log into Samsung Find and remove the key.
Samsung stores these keys in Wallet and protects them with Knox, its security platform. The company designed the system to meet EAL6+ certification standards, meaning it can withstand serious hacking attempts. Even with the phone in hand, someone needs your face, fingerprint, or PIN to get through the door. The Aliro standard underneath means it should work with locks from multiple brands like Aqara, Nuki, Schlage, and Ultraloq.
Tap or walk up: how the key actually works
You get two ways to use it. The first is simple. Hold your Galaxy phone near the lock, and NFC handles the tap. That works now on select devices. The second option is smoother but requires patience. Starting in April, you can walk up and have it unlock automatically using ultra wideband.
To set it up, you need a compatible deadbolt that works with SmartThings and supports Matter. The key gets added to Wallet during the lock’s onboarding process. The company says it’s working with leading lock brands, so you won’t be stuck buying a specific model.
When you can try it and what you’ll need
The feature is live now in select regions, but the full experience rolls out in phases. If you want the hands-free UWB trick, that arrives in April. The first compatible locks will hit the market on each brand’s own schedule, and no firm dates exist yet.
You need a few things lined up. A Galaxy phone with Samsung Wallet. A lock that supports Aliro and connects through SmartThings using Matter. Once you have those, adding the key happens during setup. For anyone deep in the Samsung ecosystem, this is another reason to keep using Wallet. For everyone else, it’s a solid sign that digital keys are finally becoming normal. The real test will be how many lock makers actually show up this year.
