Aqara U400 Smart Lock Review | Hands-Free Unlock with Apple HomeKit
This is the Aqara U400 smart lock. I bought it specifically for hands-free unlocking with Ultra Wideband and for Apple HomeKit support using Matter over Thread.
For the better part of a decade I used the Nest x Yale lock. It served me well, but it was showing its age: it needed the separate Nest Connect hub for Wi-Fi, it was confusing to need both the Nest and Google Home apps, and I had to fully reset it a couple of times in the last year.
The U400 has the two features I wanted most: hands-free Ultra Wideband access and full HomeKit integration without a third-party app. That means skipping a couple of features, like the fingerprint sensor, which needs the Aqara app. I’m OK with that; I want to keep things simple for myself and my family.
The deluxe kit
Mine is the deluxe kit, sold only at Apple. It comes with two batteries instead of one, so you can always have a charged spare. (Without it, there’s a USB-C port on the front and back of the lock to hang a USB-C battery from to charge.) I believe the deluxe front faceplate is all metal, where the others may be more plastic.
In the box: the inside unit with the thumb turn and the smarts, the outside unit with the keypad (slide the front panel down and there’s a physical key slot as a backup), screws and bolts, a mounting plate, the bolt, a strike plate, two keys, and a template in case you need to modify your door.
Installation
If your existing lock uses the oval-with-flat-sides design, installation should be simple:
- Remove the old lock, insert and screw in the new bolt.
- Feed the outside unit’s cable under the bolt through the door, and line its posts up with the holes in the bolt.
- On the inside, put the cables under the mounting plate, level it, and screw it in.
- Connect the cables to the inside unit. This takes a little finger jiu-jitsu. The trickiest part for me was realizing you have to push the excess cable into the door so the inside unit sits flush.
- Secure the inside unit to the plate.
Setup in Apple Home
Insert the battery and press the setup button. In the Home app, add an accessory and scan the bottom code (the top one is for the Aqara app). While Home configures it, calibrate the lock from outside with the door closed by pressing the lock button.
Then pick a room and a name, and Home creates an Apple Home Key in your Wallet: an encrypted digital key on your iPhone and other devices. Turn on Express Mode, which is the hands-free Ultra Wideband unlock. Set a backup access code in case your phone doesn’t work. Home even offered a firmware update, so I don’t need another app for that.
Living with it
When I walk up to the door, it senses me and unlocks automatically. Coming in from the rain or the dark, you’re not fumbling for your phone or keys. Home Key syncs to your Apple Watch too, so you can leave your phone at home, go for a walk, and it unlocks when you get back (I think Series 6 or later, with Ultra Wideband). If UWB isn’t set up, you can tap your phone or watch to the lock like Apple Pay.
In the Home app, it’s a quick flick to lock or unlock, usually fast, though I’ve seen a few-second delay a couple of times. Siri works too.
In settings, you’ll find battery level and charging status, approach direction (straight on, left, or right; disable one if it ever unlocks while you’re walking around the house), auto-lock after 30 seconds, five minutes, 30 minutes, or whatever, and user access. People already in your home get a prompt to set up their own Home Key. You can invite someone as a resident (access to everything) or a guest (choose what they can access and when). Or just create a PIN code for someone without inviting them.
It’s been a couple of weeks since we replaced the Nest lock, and I’ve been pretty happy with it. My family is content too. Everybody uses hands-free Ultra Wideband, we’ve tested it with friends and family, and it’s been very smooth. I love that everything is configured in the Home app, so my wife can do it without downloading apps from Google or Aqara, and that will make things easier when we have house guests.
Links
In this video
- 00:00 Introduction & Why I Upgraded
- 00:33 Aqara U400 Features Overview
- 00:46 Fingerprint Sensor & App Requirements
- 01:08 Battery Design & Charging
- 01:52 Installation Process
- 03:16 Setup & Pairing
- 04:00 Apple HomeKey Configuration
- 05:00 Ultra Wideband Hands-Free Unlock Test
- 06:30 Daily Use & Performance
- 07:40 Pros & Cons
- 08:10 Final Verdict
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.
