Wyze has announced a new version of its electronic door lock that features Wi-Fi, allowing it to be controlled remotely from anywhere using a mobile app or voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The original Wyze Lock Bolt is currently featured in our smart lock buyer’s guide as the “best budget smart(ish) lock,” but with only Bluetooth connectivity, its functionality is limited. With the addition of Wi-Fi, the new Wyze Lock Bolt v2 offers more flexibility and peace of mind as you can make sure it’s locked when away from home or monitor who’s coming and going. It’s priced the same as the original, at $79.98, and is now available through the company’s online store.
The Wyze Lock Bolt v2 carries forward an integrated fingerprint reader, which the company says can identify users and open the door in about half a second, while biometric data is stored locally on the device for added security. The original’s keypad buttons have been replaced with an illuminated touchpad covered in a scratch- and smudge-resistant layer of tempered glass. The lock can store up to 50 unique access codes and create single-use passcodes for guests that expire after a preset time, and you can obfuscate the code by tapping a series of extra digits right before and after the lock.
Battery life maxes out at eight months, which is slightly less than Wyze’s original Lock Bolt, which can last up to a year. It has a USB-C emergency port that can be used to temporarily power the lock and gain entry if the battery dies while you’re away, and Wyze includes an option to use a physical key to unlock it if you don’t have a power bank and USB cable.
There is a customizable alarm that will sound if someone attempts to tamper with the Lock Bolt v2 or if there have been multiple unsuccessful attempts to unlock it. If you also have a Wyze Video Doorbell, you can integrate the two devices and unlock your door directly from the doorbell’s livestream.