August Wi-Fi Smart Lock Review: Still Worth It in 2025?

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock has been a bestseller in the smart lock category for years. August pioneered the retrofit approach — attaching a smart motor to your existing deadbolt rather than replacing the whole thing — and the fourth-generation model refines that formula with built-in Wi-Fi and improved auto-unlock. But in 2025, with newer options like Schlage Encode Plus and Matter-enabled competitors, is the August still worth buying?

We've been testing the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock in a real home environment for several months. Here's our detailed verdict.

Design & Installation

The August's defining characteristic is its installation experience. You remove your existing interior thumb turn, attach a metal adapter plate, and snap the August onto it. That's essentially it. The whole process takes under 15 minutes and requires only a screwdriver. Your exterior door hardware stays unchanged — same keyhole, same appearance from outside.

The lock itself is a rounded cylinder about the size of a hockey puck. It's available in silver, matte black, and champagne finishes. It's not exactly discreet — anyone inside the home will immediately know you have a smart lock — but it's well-designed and feels premium. The August branding is tasteful and minimal.

One consideration: because the August is a retrofit, it doesn't include a keypad. If you want keypad access, you'll need to purchase the August Smart Keypad separately, which adds to the cost. For many households, this is actually fine — you keep your physical keys and add smartphone access on top.

Features

Auto-Lock

Auto-lock is configurable in the app. You set a timer — anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes after the door is closed — and the August locks itself. This is reassuring for anyone who's ever left the house and wondered if they remembered to lock up.

Auto-Unlock

Auto-unlock uses your phone's GPS to detect when you're approaching home and unlocks the door automatically. In testing, this works well about 85% of the time. Occasionally it triggers too early (while you're still in the car) or fails to trigger when you approach from an unusual direction. It's convenient but not perfectly reliable — don't rely on it exclusively.

DoorSense

DoorSense is August's best feature. A small magnetic sensor attaches to your door frame and tells the app whether the door is physically open or closed — not just locked or unlocked. This distinction matters: a locked door that's not fully closed isn't secure. DoorSense catches this and alerts you. It's a genuinely useful safety feature that most competitors lack.

Access Management

You can grant access to guests or family members via the August app. Access can be permanent, time-limited, or scheduled (e.g., only on weekdays between 8am–6pm). The access log shows a timestamped history of who unlocked the door and when. For Airbnb hosts or anyone with housekeepers, this is invaluable.

App & Smart Home Integrations

The August app is well-designed and responsive. Setup is guided clearly, and day-to-day use is straightforward. You can see lock status at a glance, lock/unlock remotely, and manage guest access all from the main screen.

Integration support is excellent. The August works with:

• Amazon Alexa (voice control)
• Google Assistant
• Apple HomeKit
• Samsung SmartThings
• Home Assistant (via HomeKit or the August integration)

HomeKit integration is particularly strong — you can use the lock in automations, share access via the Home app, and view status in Apple's Home app. For Home Assistant users, the local HomeKit bridge approach works well and gives you reliable status updates without relying on August's cloud.

Performance

Day-to-day, the August is reliable. The motor is quiet and smooth. Locking and unlocking via the app typically takes 1–2 seconds over Wi-Fi. Bluetooth response when you're close is near-instant. We experienced no lockouts or connectivity failures during our testing period.

The Wi-Fi connection is stable on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. Unlike some smart locks that struggle when your router is far from the door, the August held a solid connection throughout testing.

Battery Life

The August uses four AA batteries and shows battery level in the app. In our testing, batteries lasted approximately 3–4 months with normal use (several locks/unlocks per day, Wi-Fi active). This is shorter than some competitors, largely because of the always-on Wi-Fi radio. You'll get notified well in advance of batteries running low, so it's not a surprise, just something to stay on top of.

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