Why The igloohome Smart Digital Lock Is Smarter Than The Rest

The igloohome smart digital lock is not your usual smart lock.

It can do what those from the big brands can do - provide keyless access, go into security lock-out mode etc. But we wanted to make it even better.

So we added new features on the lock and the accompanying mobile app, designed to provide you with greater control over your home. All this was done without losing sight of the main function of the lock, which is to enhance the security of your home.

We also made the lock simple to use, because nobody has the time for complicated how-to's.

Here, we present the highlights of the igloohome smart digital lock:

3 Modes of Entry

PIN code

The igloohome smart digital lock comes with an LED touchscreen, and can be unlocked when you tap in a 8-digit PIN code.

There is a master PIN code for each lock, which is meant for the home owners' use and is always active (ie. accepted by the lock). It can be changed if necessary, and can be viewed by the home owner from our igloohome mobile app.

Temporary PIN codes can be created from our mobile app at any time, and from anywhere. You can set how long these PIN codes are active for (from the time that they are first used) - from 10 minutes to 180 days. If you wish, you can set it to be a one-time access PIN code. This will be useful if you need to let the cleaner in for the day, or for the delivery man to drop off your online shopping parcels in your house while you are out. Watch how it works here.

All this can be done even though our lock does not require connection to the internet - you may wish to read this blog post to understand more about how it works.

Once the PIN codes expire, they no longer are accepted by the lock and so your property remains secure.

Bluetooth

An alternative mode of entry is by bluetooth key. This means you can enter your home with just your smartphone.

If you are in close distance of the lock (eg. within an approx 1-2m radius), you can easily tap 'Unlock' from the igloohome mobile app, tap the touchscreen of the lock to activate it, and the igloohome smart lock will unlock accordingly. The little boy in our video shows how it's done. Bid farewell to the times when you were locked out of your home because you forgot to bring your keys out!

We now also have an 'Easy Unlock' feature on our app. When this feature is switched on (with bluetooth on your smartphone on), you no longer need to tap 'Unlock' on the igloohome app anymore. Just walk up to your lock, tap the touchscreen of the lock to wake it up, and it will unlock*.

Feel free to send a bluetooth key to a guest you want to welcome into your house. Similar to the PIN code, you can set how long the bluetooth key is active for. The difference is that you set the exact time and date at which the bluetooth key becomes active (eg. 9.00am on 1 April 2016) and when it expires (9.00pm on 1 April 2016). For the PIN code, you set how long it is valid for from the time that the guest first uses it (eg. 3 hours).

Access logs for bluetooth keys are also now available! View the history of the exact dates and times during when a bluetooth key was used - greater visibility means greater peace of mind.

Other upcoming features on our app include access alerts. You can soon be alerted whenever a loved one or visitor enters your home using a bluetooth key. Our product team is constantly making improvements to our app and rolling out new features, so look out for them!

*The igloohome app must be open and running front-end. If the app is running in the background, reliability of this feature will be decreased.

Physical key

You may not even need to use this option at all, but it is retained as a mode of entry for emergency situations (eg. if you are unable to change the batteries of the lock before they run out of power). This is the conventional lock and key method, in which you insert a physical key and turn it to unlock the lock.

It is the back-up plan, to provide you reassurance that you will be able to enter your home no matter what.

Automate check-in for Airbnb guests

Airbnb hosts, rejoice! We have partnered Airbnb to synchronize your reservations with access to your home or property, so that you would not have to worry about check-in and check-out of guests again.

When a guest's accommodation booking is confirmed, we send a unique PIN code to the guest. They will use it to enter your property throughout their stay. At the end of the stay, the guest's PIN code expires. When the next accommodation booking is confirmed, a new PIN code is generated for the next guest.

The constant changing of PIN codes heightens security of the property, so you have peace of mind.

While we normally charge USD$4.99 a month for this service, we are currently running a free trial for Airbnb hosts in Singapore until 1 November 2016.

Read more about what our customers in Australia have to say about their experience with our igloohome smart lock here.

So there we have it! This is why the igloohome smart digital lock is smarter than the rest.