Smart locks have made our homes more secure and easy to access in recent years. For a long time, the market felt stagnant, but in the past few years, we’ve seen a few vendors hop on board in a major way. The Ultraloq Bolt is a great option with Apple HomeKit integration, built-in Wi-Fi, and versatile ways to lock and unlock your door. Whether you’re looking for advanced features like fingerprint ID or simple convenience with Siri voice control, the Ultraloq Bolt delivers it all (almost).
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
HomeKit, but no Home Key
The Ultraloq Bolt’s integration with Apple HomeKit is my major selling point. Being able to lock or unlock your door using the Home app or Siri is awesome for those who are entirely into the Apple system. HomeKit automations are great—unlock your door, your lights can turn on, your thermostat can adjust, or your favorite playlist can start playing on your HomePod.
That said, there’s one feature missing for me: Apple Home Key support. The ability to simply tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock the door would’ve taken this lock to the next level, in terms of my opinion. It’s not a dealbreaker, but if you’re used to the convenience of Home Key on other smart locks, its absence here feels noticeable here. Hopefully, the vendor will consider it for future updates or models because, with Home Key, this lock could go from great to nearly perfect. I underestimated how much I would enjoy the pin code unlock for letting guests in, though.
The lock also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and other ecosystems, giving you flexibility regardless of your preferred smart home platform or what it might change to in the future With built-in Wi-Fi support (other locks often rely fully on Bluetooth), you don’t need an extra hub to control it remotely or share access codes with family and friends if you aren’t using HomeKit.
Installation and adding to HomeKit
I’ve installed enough smart deadbolts in the past few years to know what I’m doing. It takes only a few minutes to remove your old deadbolt and remount the new one. No wiring or drilling is required. All you’ll need is a Philips head screwdriver. You’ll also need to replace the strike plate on your door.
The HomeKit Code is on the inside of the interior piece, and you’ll scan it to onboard it to your HomeKit environment. Once you put it in a room, you can control your lock using the Home app. You can lock, unlock, or add it to automation/scenes so HomeKit actions can be triggered together. Common ones are your lights coming on when it’s unlocked, etc.
Wrap up on ULTRALOQ Bolt
Overall, the Ultraloq Bolt is a solid choice for anyone who doesn’t require Home Key support. The fingerprint unlock feature will likely become your go-to option for day-to-day use—it certainly was for me. Installation is straightforward, the build quality feels premium with its zinc construction, and including physical keys adds a backup way to unlock if HomeKit fails to work, etc.
Beyond the basics, the Ultraloq Bolt is IP65 weather-resistant rating means it’s built to handle water, dust, heat, and cold, making it reliable in any almost environment. It uses 8 AA batteries, and it’s generally rated to last a year, depending on usage. Add in HomeKit support that works exactly as you’d expect, and it’s a great option for upgrading your home security. If Home Key isn’t a must-have for you, the Ultraloq Bolt is a great smart lock.
You can buy the ULTRALOQ Bolt with Fingerprint from Amazon.
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