Customer Ratings & Reviews

This Yale Approach retrofit smart lock kit is a great way to add smart features to your existing deadbolt making it perfect for rentals where you need to keep the original lock in place. With this kit you are able to add a smart lock by replacing just the interior locking mechanism and replacing it with this smart lock. Setup is simple and intuitive, there is a QR code that you can scan and it will walk you through the process of installing and setting up the lock. Install is very simple requiring only a screwdriver with the setup process talking you through how to remove your interior lock and replacing it with the Yale lock kit. The app is fairly intuitive with some really nice features for adding and removing people who can have access with essentially two types of access either keypad access or fingerprint/keypad access. Unfortunately, fingerprint access requires having the Yale app installed for the person who you are giving access to. Integration with Alexa and Google Home only gives you the ability to use voice controls, all control and setup for this lock is done through the Yale app meaning it is only partially integrated with your smart home. My only real complaint with this lock is I wish it was more fully integrated with other smart home systems such as Google Home or Apple HomeKit allowing the use of virtual keys that these systems allow without requiring the use of Yale's app. I am never a fan of adding apps for controlling parts of my smart home as I prefer to have one area to control all of my devices and not needing to use multiple apps for every individual item that I need to control.

Yale - Approach - Smart Lock Wi_Fi Retrofit Dead bolt is a great lock itself. Hardware - Lock itself and install on the existing deadbolt is really good and feels solid. Feels sturdy and I like that it fits on my existing deadlock.As far as the lock goes I give it Kudos as it is genius to say the least. Phone app - Another great thing about this product. The App was easy to install and had step by step instructions how to install this lock. I really liked the ease to install the dead lock and the keypad. So why only 3 stars. KeyPad - Here is where the system falls short. I have two other locks similar to this product. When I press the keypad, the numbers are easy to press and feels like a solid venture. Not so much on this one. As a matter of fact due to the rubbery padding which sticks or can be installed on a surface is spongy which I believe is the reason its hard to press they buttons to place the code. Also when you try using your fingerprint it also gives a bit which makes it difficult to open. This is being used on my backdoor and I will use my phone to unlock this lock so I can enter the backdoor when needed. I find the keypad is a pain from my perspective.

Very simple and easy to set up and activate out of the box, though, I do suggest pulling up the video as the instructions and documentation provided leave something to be desired if you are not handy inclined so to speak. It is pretty simple though. Just take off the back/inside part of the deadbolt and install the plate over the existing lock. That part is easy. Install the app, install the keypad close to the door. The one thing that gave me a little trouble was the wi-fi bridge connection. It needs to be placed in an outlet close to the door and keypad so it can connect via bluetooth and also needs a wi-fi connection nearby to complete the connection. All that can be completed in like 10 minutes. Now all you need to do is set up the key pad with your personalized codes for access, you can also use your phone as a key or your fingerprint on the keypad. Pretty slick and lots of options for transforming my door into keyless entry for me and anyone I choose! As long as you have an outlet and wi-fi somewhere near, you are good to go. I have placed this on a storage door that we use somewhat frequently, yet not every day. This allows me to get into this space without my keys. Since this is a storage space it uses different keys that I don't carry all the time, so this makes it more convenient for me and others who use this space.

I have used Yale Smart Locks for my home and wanted to help out my dad get a smart lock on his home, so I went ahead and tried this Yale Smart Lock Retrofit so that I could use his original lock without having to completely replace the one he already had. Like all the other Yale Smart Locks I own, this one worked just as expected and love the quality consistency that Yale puts in the different variances of its locks. I do recommend this smart retrofit lock and here is a quick breakdown of what I like about it: Quality Design – 5/5 – I own 3 Yale smart locks and this retrofit one I installed on my dad's home, and I keep going with Yale because of the quality and the clean look both inside and outside the house. Metal touches with durable plastic helps me feel confident that it will stand the test of time. Set Up – 5/5 – having set up previous Yale locks, this was pretty straightforward for me, and honestly if this is your first one, it’s not hard at all. Just follow the instructions or if you’re more a visual learner, Yale does have a video online as a reference. I was able to install this within 25 minutes. Yale App – 5/5 – my dad is not the most tech saavy person, but the app is easy enough to navigate that he feels comfortable going in there to use it. Appreciate that it’s not complicated because it doesn’t have to be. All in all, I highly recommend this for anyone who doesn’t want to go to the extra trouble of removing your lock because it works just as the other locks I have. My dad is loving his! He finally has a smart lock!

First and foremost, if you have a Medeco deadbolt, this will not work with it. I initially planned to install this on my interior garage door but couldn’t after finding out it wasn’t compatible with a Medeco deadbolt. It wasn’t clear at first and my only complaint about Yale, is they should have a list of what brands this won’t work with. So after discovering this, I decided to install this on a rental property that’s used as a short term rental as we have mainstream brand locks on the property. I’ve tried other smart locks but didn’t like having a mismatch of keys, so I always just went back to a regular deadbolt. That was the biggest draw for me with the Yale Approach as I could keep consistency with the keys, yet have Smart Control. Setting up the lock is as simple as a regular deadbolt save for the time connecting it to your network. And even doing that it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. When using the app to lock and unlock the door, it connected each and every time, which to me is important when using smart devices such as this. And getting notifications to know how the door was unlocked or locked and who it was done by is nice. Also being able to check and make sure a door is locked is a huge sense of security for a rental property. The Yale Approach gives you multiple ways to open your door with Smart Control from the app to a keypad with biometrics without the inconvenience of different keys.