On a Tuesday in mid-November, Google announced that its Wallet will begin holding digital home keys built on Aliro, a smart lock standard only recently finalized. It is a quiet but meaningful step in a long human habit: the house key, carried in a pocket for centuries, is slowly dissolving into the device many of us already reach for a dozen times a day. For Android owners with compatible locks, the phone can now take over that small, familiar task, though the ease it promises still rests on hardware, updated software, and a few trade-offs about trust, guests, and what happens when the phone i
Google Wallet Adds Digital Home Keys via Aliro, Bringing Phone-Based Smart Lock Access to Android
The door unlocked before the person reached it.
Mark
So what actually changed on Tuesday?
Mimi
Google said Google Wallet will offer home keys built on Aliro, a new smart lock standard. They've started reaching Public Preview users in Google Home.
Mark
And the headline trick is the door opening before you touch it?
Mimi
That's the UWB version. The reviewer's Schlage lock sensed approach, speed and trajectory, and unlocked by the time they arrived. It relocked about a minute later.
Luke
Worth saying that experience comes from testing Schlage's lock with Apple's keys. The Google version is described as offering similar tricks, but the article doesn't report testing it.
Mark
Fair. Do you need that fancy lock to use the keys at all?
Mimi
No. Google says NFC tap-to-unlock works too, and keys sync across devices and work on multiple locks.
Mark
What about guests?
Mimi
Here Google differs from Apple. Visitors get passcodes, not their own digital keys, whereas Apple offers temporary passes.
Luke
And the lost-phone answer is soft. Keypad codes work in most cases, but Schlage's lock has no key slot, which limits emergency options.
Mark
Is setup simple?
Mimi
The final step takes seconds, but you need an NFC Android phone on Android 9 or later and a Matter-enabled Google hub with Thread, like a Nest Hub Max.
Luke
Also, Google hasn't commented yet, and there's no timeline for wider rollout or for more locks beyond the three named.
El Pulso
- A lock that opens as you walk up to it, before your hand has even reached for anything, shifts the old ritual of fumbling for keys into something almost invisible.
- Aliro is new, and the lock makers and wallets that will carry it are still arriving, so the promise is running ahead of the market.
- Setup demands a chain of compatible parts: an NFC Android phone, a Matter and Thread hub, and current versions of the Wallet and Home apps.
- Guests will receive passcodes instead of keys of their own, and some UWB locks have no physical key slot, leaving emergency entry an open question.
- The rollout has begun with Public Preview users in Google Home, and its wider reach will depend on how quickly other manufacturers follow.
On a Tuesday in mid-November, Google announced that its Wallet will begin holding digital home keys built on Aliro, a smart lock standard only recently finalized. It is a quiet but meaningful step in a long human habit: the house key, carried in a pocket for centuries, is slowly dissolving into the device many of us already reach for a dozen times a day. For Android owners with compatible locks, the phone can now take over that small, familiar task, though the ease it promises still rests on hardware, updated software, and a few trade-offs about trust, guests, and what happens when the phone is lost.
On Tuesday, Google announced that Google Wallet will begin offering digital home keys built on Aliro, a smart lock standard that was only officially released early in 2026. For Android users with compatible locks, a phone can now do the work of a house key, and the feature has already started rolling out to Public Preview users in Google Home.
The most striking version comes from locks that use ultrawideband, or UWB. CNET's reviewer tested Schlage's Sense Pro and watched it sense an approaching key holder, judge their speed and direction, and unlock the door before they reached it. The lock could also tell someone heading for the door from someone simply walking past, which matters when your hands are full. An autolock secured it again about a minute later. No tap or wave was needed.
You don't need a UWB lock to use the keys. Google says home keys will also support NFC, so you can tap a phone to unlock without waking it first. A single key can work across several locks and sync between devices, and other household members can add their own. Guests, however, will get passcodes rather than digital keys.
Lost phones remain the obvious worry. Keypad codes can usually stand in for the wallet, but Schlage's lock has no physical key slot at all, a choice meant to deter lockpicking that also narrows emergency options.
Setup is more involved than the feature suggests. You need an NFC Android phone running Android 9 or later, a Matter-enabled Google hub with a Thread Border Router, and updated Wallet and Home apps. Keys can then be created during lock setup and removed as easily as a ticket. Google has not yet responded to CNET's request for comment, and the open questions are how fast other makers adopt Aliro and how guest access and emergency entry are handled as the preview grows.
On Tuesday, Google announced that Google Wallet will begin offering digital home keys built on Aliro, a smart lock standard that was only officially released early in 2026. For Android users with compatible locks, it means a phone can now do the work of a house key. The keys have already started rolling out to Public Preview users in Google Home.
The most striking version of this is what happens on a lock that uses ultrawideband, or UWB, technology. CNET's reviewer tested Schlage's Sense Pro, which pairs UWB with Apple Home Keys in Apple Wallet. UWB works something like an advanced Bluetooth, and the lock used it to sense a key holder approaching, judge the person's speed and trajectory, and unlock the door before they arrived. An autolock feature secured it again about a minute later. No NFC tap and no wave of the phone was required. The reviewer says Schlage had told them other brands were adopting Aliro to bring the same experience to more devices, and that moment has now arrived.
The lock could also tell the difference between someone heading for the door and someone simply walking past it, so it did not open at random. That matters when your hands are full or you are in the middle of a conversation and not reaching for your phone.
Three locks currently support UWB and the unlock-on-approach feature: the Schlage Sense Pro at $394.98, the Aqara u400 at $269.99, and the European brand Nuki's Keypad 2 NFC lock at $179. More are expected. CNET notes that Aliro is new, so broad adoption by both locks and digital wallets, especially for the more advanced abilities, will take time. The standard also includes encryption for security and battery-life savings, among other benefits.
You do not need a UWB lock to use the new keys. According to Google, home keys in Google Wallet will support NFC, so you can tap your phone to unlock the door without unlocking the phone first. The same key can be used across multiple locks and synced across your compatible devices. Others in the household can add their own home keys to their Wallets. Guests are handled differently from Apple's system, which offers temporary passes: Google says visitors will need passcodes rather than digital keys of their own.
Lost phones raise an obvious question. In most cases, keypad access codes can stand in for the wallet. But UWB locks sometimes skip a physical key slot altogether. Schlage says its lock has none, to reduce the risk of lockpicking, and that choice narrows the options for emergency entry.
Setup is more involved than the feature suggests. You need an NFC-enabled Android phone running Android 9 or later, such as the Google Pixel 10 Pro or Pixel Fold. You also need a Matter-enabled Google hub with a Thread Border Router, typically a separate Google device such as a Nest Hub Max, a Nest Wifi Pro system or a Google TV Streamer. With the phone, lock, Google Wallet app and Google Home app all updated, you should be prompted to create home keys during lock setup. It takes a few seconds, and keys can be deleted as easily as a concert ticket or credit card.
A Google representative did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment. What to watch next is how quickly more lock makers and wallets adopt Aliro, and how Google handles guest access and emergency entry as the preview widens.
Citas Notables
Guests and visitors will need passcodes instead of digital keys of their own.— Google, as reported by CNET
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