On February 26, 2026, the Connectivity Standards Alliance — the same group behind Matter — published the Aliro 1.0 specification. The pitch was simple: one open standard that lets any phone or smartwatch act as a house key, straight from its built-in wallet, with no lock-maker app in the middle. Apple, Google and Samsung all signed on.
Nine months later, certified Aliro locks are in stores, and some of them are very good. The locks are no longer the problem. The phones are. Whether tapping or simply walking up to your door works depends far more on which wallet app you carry than on which deadbolt you install.
This guide covers what Aliro actually does, where each phone platform stands, and which of the first Aliro locks are worth buying now: the Aqara U400, Schlage Sense Pro, ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro, and the Nuki Keypad 2 NFC.
What Aliro actually is (and what it isn’t)
Aliro is a credential standard. It defines how a phone or wearable proves to a lock — or an office door reader, or a hotel room — that it holds a valid key. It works over three radios:
- NFC — tap your phone or watch on the lock, exactly like paying at a checkout.
- Bluetooth LE — a fallback mode that still needs you to interact with your phone.
- Ultra-wideband (UWB) — the headline feature. The lock measures your phone’s distance and direction precisely enough to unlock as you approach, while your phone stays in your pocket.
Under the hood it uses asymmetric cryptography, so the lock can verify your key without your phone giving away anything that could be replayed or tracked. The CSA named 14 companies expected to certify first: Apple, Allegion (Schlage’s parent), Aqara, Google, HID, Kastle, Kwikset, Last Lock, Nordic Semiconductor, Nuki, NXP, Qorvo, Samsung and STMicroelectronics.
Two things Aliro is not:
- It isn’t a replacement for Matter. Matter is how your smart home app sees the lock, locks it remotely, runs automations and reports whether the door is bolted. Aliro only handles the moment your phone meets the door. The best new locks do both: Matter over Thread for the smart home side, Aliro for the key.
- It isn’t finished. Secure key sharing — sending a digital key to a dog walker or house guest — was deferred to a future version of the spec. For now, sharing still happens in each platform’s home app or the lock-maker’s app.
If you’ve read our earlier piece on Samsung’s Digital Home Key vs. Apple Home Key, Aliro is the attempt to end that fight: one key format that every wallet reads.
The wallet scorecard: the real bottleneck
A lock can be fully Aliro-certified and still do nothing when you tap your phone, because your phone’s wallet has to support it too. Here’s where the big three stand as of early November 2026.
Samsung: first to ship, UWB still pending
Samsung moved fastest. Digital Home Key in Samsung Wallet, built on Aliro, began rolling out to Galaxy phones in select regions in March 2026. NFC tap-to-unlock works today on certified locks like the Aqara U400.
The catch is UWB. Samsung originally pointed to April 2026 for hands-free unlocking, and Aqara said Q2. As of mid-2026, owners on the SmartThings community forum reported it still wasn’t switched on, with Samsung and Aqara each saying the next step was the other’s. If you’re buying a lock specifically for walk-up unlocking on a Galaxy, don’t pay extra for UWB until it’s confirmed working on your phone.
Apple: Home Key works great, Aliro-only locks are a question mark
iPhone owners have had Apple Home Key for years, and it now supports UWB hands-free unlocking on locks like the Aqara U400 and Schlage Sense Pro. It’s excellent: walk up with your iPhone or Apple Watch and the bolt retracts.
But Home Key is Apple’s own system, and it runs through Apple Home. Apple backs Aliro and is on the first-wave certification list, yet as of this writing we couldn’t find any Apple announcement that iPhone Wallet will accept keys from locks that are Aliro-certified but don’t also support Home Key. iOS 27’s Wallet updates focused on hotel keys and travel instead.
The practical rule for iPhone households: buy a lock that explicitly supports Apple Home Key. Aliro certification on top is a bonus for the Android users in your home, not a substitute.
Google: announced, still not shipped
Google announced Aliro support for NFC readers in Google Wallet way back in March 2025, and a Google spokesperson later told heise the company was working with OEM partners to bring it to Wallet. We still couldn’t find confirmation that Aliro home keys are live for Pixel owners. Until they are, Pixel and other non-Samsung Android phones get into an Aliro lock through the lock-maker’s own app, the same way they did before Aliro existed.
| Platform | NFC tap to unlock | UWB hands-free | What to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy | Yes (Digital Home Key, select regions) | Not yet enabled, per owner reports | Any Aliro-certified lock |
| iPhone / Apple Watch | Yes, via Apple Home Key | Yes, via Home Key on UWB locks | A lock with Apple Home Key |
| Google Pixel / other Android | No wallet support confirmed yet | No | Buy on the lock’s own merits |
The Aliro locks you can actually buy
Aqara Smart Lock U400 — the one to beat ($269.99)
The Aqara U400 was the first consumer lock to support UWB Apple Home Key, and it has since passed Aliro certification. It’s the only lock here confirmed to do both today: hands-free UWB on iPhone and Apple Watch, plus NFC tap through Samsung Wallet.
The rest of the spec sheet is just as full: a fingerprint reader (up to 50 prints stored locally), a PIN keypad, NFC cards, and Matter over Thread, so it works with Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant without an Aqara hub. Power comes from a 4,880 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion pack rated for up to six months, with a USB-C port outside for emergency power if you let it run flat.
List price is $269.99, and we’ve seen it on sale for $219.99. Samsung.com also sells a Deluxe Kit with a heavier zinc-alloy exterior, a metal thumbturn and a second battery, so one can charge while the other runs the lock. Aqara’s regional distributors carry it too — PFE Tech’s Aqara store, for example, lists the U400 kit.
One thing to sort out first: you need a Thread border router for full smart home control. If you’re not sure you have one, our Thread border router guide covers it. And as Gizmodo’s reviewer noted, a phone buried deep in a bag can delay hands-free unlocking. UWB is good, but it can’t read your mind.
Schlage Sense Pro — premium build, Aliro still pending ($399)
Schlage launched the Sense Pro on June 29, 2026, through Amazon, Lowe’s, The Home Depot and Schlage’s own store. It’s Schlage’s first Matter-over-Thread lock and its first with UWB, and it does hands-free Apple Home Key unlocking from an iPhone or Apple Watch.
On Aliro, it’s not there yet: Schlage said at launch that it expected certification later in 2026. Once certification lands and Samsung and Google switch on wallet support, UWB-equipped Android phones should get hands-free unlocking too. Android phones without UWB would fall back to NFC tap.
Is it worth roughly $130 more than the U400? If you want the Schlage name, its reputation for tough hardware and big-box availability, maybe. On features alone, the Aqara does at least as much for less — and its Aliro badge is already in hand rather than promised.
ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro ($269.99) and Latch 5 Pro ($249.99) — certified, no UWB
ULTRALOQ was quick to certify. The Bolt Pro deadbolt and the lever-style Latch 5 Pro are both Aliro-certified Matter locks. ULTRALOQ says both put keys in Apple Wallet and Samsung Wallet, and lists Apple Home, Google Home and SmartThings support. Both are sold through ULTRALOQ and Amazon, and at The Home Depot from October 2026.
The newer Bolt Mission ($299.99) adds UWB alongside Matter, but ULTRALOQ’s announcements only claimed Aliro certification for the Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro. Check the box before you assume the Mission has it.
The ULTRALOQ pair suits Galaxy households that want NFC tap-to-unlock now without paying for UWB that Samsung hasn’t switched on. The Latch 5 Pro also covers the lever-handle doors that deadbolt-only locks don’t fit.
Nuki Keypad 2 NFC — the European retrofit route ($179)
Nuki takes a different approach. Its smart locks retrofit onto the inside of your existing lock, which makes them popular in Europe and with renters, and the Keypad 2 NFC is the Aliro-certified part. Mount it outside and you can tap a phone to unlock, along with the usual code and fingerprint options.
It costs $179 on its own or $289 bundled with a lock. You need a Matter-enabled Nuki Smart Lock and a Matter hub, and the Nuki app’s own NFC access fills in for phones whose wallet doesn’t support Aliro yet. If you can’t swap your deadbolt, this is the cleanest way into Aliro. Our smart home for renters guide has more no-rewire ideas.
At a glance
| Lock | Price | Aliro certified | UWB hands-free | Matter | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqara U400 | $269.99 | Yes | Yes (Apple now; Samsung pending) | Thread | Most people, mixed iPhone/Galaxy homes |
| Schlage Sense Pro | $399 | Expected later 2026 | Yes (Apple) | Thread | Brand loyalists, big-box buyers |
| ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro | $269.99 | Yes | No | Yes | Galaxy owners who want NFC tap now |
| ULTRALOQ Latch 5 Pro | $249.99 | Yes | No | Yes | Lever-handle doors |
| Nuki Keypad 2 NFC | $179 ($289 with lock) | Yes (keypad) | No | Via Nuki lock | Renters, European cylinder doors |
What about Kwikset, Yale and the rest?
Kwikset is on the CSA’s first-wave certification list and has said it will support Aliro, but we couldn’t find a certified Kwikset lock on shelves yet. If you’re shopping a brand that says “Aliro-ready” or “Aliro support coming via update”, treat that as a promise, not a feature. Firmware roadmaps slip — the U400’s Samsung UWB delay shows how easily — and smart locks are long-lived purchases. Our piece on smart home support periods and expiry dates explains how to check a maker’s update commitments before you buy.
Biometrics are a separate question. If you’d rather unlock with your face or palm than your phone, see our biometric smart lock showdown. None of those locks rely on Aliro.
Who should buy what
iPhone-only households: Buy the Aqara U400. Hands-free Home Key works today, it’s $130 cheaper than the Schlage, and its Aliro certification protects you if an Android user ever joins the house. Pick the Sense Pro only if Schlage hardware matters to you.
Samsung Galaxy households: Any Aliro-certified lock gives you tap-to-unlock in Samsung Wallet now. The ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro saves you from paying for UWB you can’t use yet; the U400 is the bet that Samsung’s hands-free update eventually lands.
Pixel and other Android households: Aliro doesn’t help you yet. Choose a lock on its other strengths — Matter support, fingerprint, battery life — and treat wallet support as a free upgrade if Google ships it.
Mixed iPhone and Android households: This is the home Aliro was built for. The U400 is the safest pick: a native wallet key for both iPhone and Galaxy users, plus hands-free UWB on iPhone. Pair it with Matter multi-admin so every platform can see and control the same lock.
Renters and European cylinder doors: Nuki Smart Lock plus Keypad 2 NFC.
The bottom line
Aliro is real, certified and in stores, and it’s the most consumer-friendly thing the CSA has shipped since Matter. But the standard only covers the lock. Until Apple confirms Aliro beyond Home Key, Google ships its long-promised Wallet support, and Samsung switches on UWB, the universal phone key is universal only on paper.
For now, buy a lock that works with your current phone today — for most people that’s the Aqara U400 — and treat Aliro certification as insurance for later. In a couple of years, when every wallet speaks it, you’ll be glad you bought the lock that was ready first.
