For me in particular, no amount of convenience would ever make me comfortable with the loss of privacy. I don't want anyone to have that amount of information about me, and that most certainly...
For me in particular, no amount of convenience would ever make me comfortable with the loss of privacy. I don't want anyone to have that amount of information about me, and that most certainly includes my landlord. That is absolutely a dealbreaker for me. A timestamp and a picture every time I or anyone in my household enter or leave in the hands of my landlord? That's a big nope for me. This article felt like a horror story. I would literally have to put a mask or a bag over my head whenever I entered or left my apartment. That is how awful that would be to me.
My apartment building put in something similar in without tenant consent about a year ago. I and a few other tenants voiced similar concerns as in the article, but we're basically told not to be...
My apartment building put in something similar in without tenant consent about a year ago. I and a few other tenants voiced similar concerns as in the article, but we're basically told not to be worried and it was happening regardless.
On one hand it has been great because I can't lock myself out, and when I go on vacation it's a seamless way to leave a way of entry for the cat sitters. I'm also in a better spot because I can use a fob for entry to my building (but not my unit) and I still have a phone buzzer rcode for guest entry.
All that being said I'm not sure I'd choose this option. I am concerned about the security. The company that installed the lock did a bad job on my door and sometimes the app or lock has issues. I'm responsible for the battery too. The worst part is the lack of choice, and frankly I don't have much trust in the rental company OR the lock company to have my best interests in mind.
I was in an apartment with Latch locks for a while. To make matters worse, the elevator also needed to be unlocked with latch before the floor buttons would work (except for the lobby). 75% of the...
I was in an apartment with Latch locks for a while. To make matters worse, the elevator also needed to be unlocked with latch before the floor buttons would work (except for the lobby). 75% of the time when I got into an elevator, I would be whisked away to another floor before I could get the app working, and I'd get a look of mutual commiseration from whoever called the elevator once the door opened.
Absolutely a prime example of technology being put in places it doesn't need to be.
That feels like a safety hazard. What if emergency services need to enter? Does the lobby have a permanent doorman who can use Latch to unlock the elevator?
That feels like a safety hazard. What if emergency services need to enter? Does the lobby have a permanent doorman who can use Latch to unlock the elevator?
This subscription thing needs to stop. What happens if the payment glitches, you can't get into your house? I haven't seen anything yet that makes me comfortable with smart locks. It's good that...
The Latch device on my door retails for $750 and requires a $5-per-month subscription.
This subscription thing needs to stop. What happens if the payment glitches, you can't get into your house?
I haven't seen anything yet that makes me comfortable with smart locks. It's good that they have backup physical keys, it never even occurred to me those wouldn't be available to the people who need them.
For the most part, door locks are a polite request to stay out of someone else's house. Forget lockpicking, windows are the easy way in if someone is determined. It should never be more difficult for the tenant or owner to get in than it is for any random person determined to get in.
These locks can also be opened with normal keys. By the end of the article the author says he's getting one. It seems that the landlord chose to not give keys to everyone.
These locks can also be opened with normal keys. By the end of the article the author says he's getting one. It seems that the landlord chose to not give keys to everyone.
This article is an exploration of the author's experience living in an apartment with an app-only smart lock, a trend that is increasing in popularity and fraught with usability issues and privacy...
This article is an exploration of the author's experience living in an apartment with an app-only smart lock, a trend that is increasing in popularity and fraught with usability issues and privacy concerns.
As a Latch user I strongly echo the complaints in this article. The app itself is buggy and the hardware is surprisingly even buggier. I’ve been forced to hop a fence (multiple times) into my own...
As a Latch user I strongly echo the complaints in this article. The app itself is buggy and the hardware is surprisingly even buggier. I’ve been forced to hop a fence (multiple times) into my own apartment complex because I couldn’t get it to do the one thing it’s designed to do.
Imagine the possibilities for nefarious actors that have identified vulnerabilities. Right now, if someone wants in my place through the door, they've got to pick the lock or bust down the door....
Imagine the possibilities for nefarious actors that have identified vulnerabilities. Right now, if someone wants in my place through the door, they've got to pick the lock or bust down the door. With an exploit, they could potentially disarm the lock quickly, quietly, and perhaps even remotely. Or imagine a larger scale attack, someone leverages ransomware against your landlord and now every door is locked shut.
That’s weird. If remembering 7 digit numbers became difficult for me, I would book an appointment with a neurologist. Is this a legitimate difficulty for many people?
Passcodes are slightly faster than using the app, but in my case, I’d have to memorize two separate codes — one for the main entrance and another for my apartment door — which seems unlikely since I lost the ability to memorize any seven-digit numbers when I bought my first cell phone 23 years ago.
That’s weird. If remembering 7 digit numbers became difficult for me, I would book an appointment with a neurologist. Is this a legitimate difficulty for many people?
It is for me. Strings of numbers are the thing I most struggle to memorize. That has been the case for me my entire life. I can maybe hold 2-3 such numbers (such as my social security number, my...
It is for me. Strings of numbers are the thing I most struggle to memorize. That has been the case for me my entire life. I can maybe hold 2-3 such numbers (such as my social security number, my phone number, and a PIN) in my memory, but it's a serious struggle to add any more and requires me to put active effort into regular study (e.g., weekly flashcards).
The worst part is that this issue only applies to long-term memory. My short-term memory for numbers is great, so I will think I've memorized a number, and then it will just be gone one day. Even numbers I have known by heart for years can disappear this way. I recently realized that I couldn't remember my childhood phone number anymore, even though I used it all the time for 20+ years.
We don't really need to remember 7-digit numbers that much these days. Most people also don't really memorize number sequences instantly, it can take a bit to get it logged into long-term memory....
We don't really need to remember 7-digit numbers that much these days. Most people also don't really memorize number sequences instantly, it can take a bit to get it logged into long-term memory. There are tricks to speed it up (like thinking in chunks so you've got 4 numbers instead of 7 separate numbers), but it's still a hassle.
The bigger point: it's still easier and faster to use a key than to memorize two 7-digit pass codes. It'd be one thing for a secure location like an office building or lab where you have many different people pass through daily, but it's an unnecessary extra hassle for an apartment.
I kind of disagree, at least for me it's faster for me to punch in a code in my door -- I don't have to actually take out a key, which is a time savings. Nor do I have to put away a key once I'm...
I kind of disagree, at least for me it's faster for me to punch in a code in my door -- I don't have to actually take out a key, which is a time savings. Nor do I have to put away a key once I'm inside.
For me in particular, no amount of convenience would ever make me comfortable with the loss of privacy. I don't want anyone to have that amount of information about me, and that most certainly includes my landlord. That is absolutely a dealbreaker for me. A timestamp and a picture every time I or anyone in my household enter or leave in the hands of my landlord? That's a big nope for me. This article felt like a horror story. I would literally have to put a mask or a bag over my head whenever I entered or left my apartment. That is how awful that would be to me.
My apartment building put in something similar in without tenant consent about a year ago. I and a few other tenants voiced similar concerns as in the article, but we're basically told not to be worried and it was happening regardless.
On one hand it has been great because I can't lock myself out, and when I go on vacation it's a seamless way to leave a way of entry for the cat sitters. I'm also in a better spot because I can use a fob for entry to my building (but not my unit) and I still have a phone buzzer rcode for guest entry.
All that being said I'm not sure I'd choose this option. I am concerned about the security. The company that installed the lock did a bad job on my door and sometimes the app or lock has issues. I'm responsible for the battery too. The worst part is the lack of choice, and frankly I don't have much trust in the rental company OR the lock company to have my best interests in mind.
I was in an apartment with Latch locks for a while. To make matters worse, the elevator also needed to be unlocked with latch before the floor buttons would work (except for the lobby). 75% of the time when I got into an elevator, I would be whisked away to another floor before I could get the app working, and I'd get a look of mutual commiseration from whoever called the elevator once the door opened.
Absolutely a prime example of technology being put in places it doesn't need to be.
That feels like a safety hazard. What if emergency services need to enter? Does the lobby have a permanent doorman who can use Latch to unlock the elevator?
I would imagine there is still a firefighter's key for the elevator
This subscription thing needs to stop. What happens if the payment glitches, you can't get into your house?
I haven't seen anything yet that makes me comfortable with smart locks. It's good that they have backup physical keys, it never even occurred to me those wouldn't be available to the people who need them.
For the most part, door locks are a polite request to stay out of someone else's house. Forget lockpicking, windows are the easy way in if someone is determined. It should never be more difficult for the tenant or owner to get in than it is for any random person determined to get in.
These locks can also be opened with normal keys. By the end of the article the author says he's getting one. It seems that the landlord chose to not give keys to everyone.
This article is an exploration of the author's experience living in an apartment with an app-only smart lock, a trend that is increasing in popularity and fraught with usability issues and privacy concerns.
As a Latch user I strongly echo the complaints in this article. The app itself is buggy and the hardware is surprisingly even buggier. I’ve been forced to hop a fence (multiple times) into my own apartment complex because I couldn’t get it to do the one thing it’s designed to do.
Imagine the possibilities for nefarious actors that have identified vulnerabilities. Right now, if someone wants in my place through the door, they've got to pick the lock or bust down the door. With an exploit, they could potentially disarm the lock quickly, quietly, and perhaps even remotely. Or imagine a larger scale attack, someone leverages ransomware against your landlord and now every door is locked shut.
What a nightmare
That’s weird. If remembering 7 digit numbers became difficult for me, I would book an appointment with a neurologist. Is this a legitimate difficulty for many people?
It is for me. Strings of numbers are the thing I most struggle to memorize. That has been the case for me my entire life. I can maybe hold 2-3 such numbers (such as my social security number, my phone number, and a PIN) in my memory, but it's a serious struggle to add any more and requires me to put active effort into regular study (e.g., weekly flashcards).
The worst part is that this issue only applies to long-term memory. My short-term memory for numbers is great, so I will think I've memorized a number, and then it will just be gone one day. Even numbers I have known by heart for years can disappear this way. I recently realized that I couldn't remember my childhood phone number anymore, even though I used it all the time for 20+ years.
We don't really need to remember 7-digit numbers that much these days. Most people also don't really memorize number sequences instantly, it can take a bit to get it logged into long-term memory. There are tricks to speed it up (like thinking in chunks so you've got 4 numbers instead of 7 separate numbers), but it's still a hassle.
The bigger point: it's still easier and faster to use a key than to memorize two 7-digit pass codes. It'd be one thing for a secure location like an office building or lab where you have many different people pass through daily, but it's an unnecessary extra hassle for an apartment.
I kind of disagree, at least for me it's faster for me to punch in a code in my door -- I don't have to actually take out a key, which is a time savings. Nor do I have to put away a key once I'm inside.