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Amazon’s latest tech offers the key to managing apartment access

Lifestyle
6 years ago
2 minutes

Amazon has the whole delivery thing covered – we all know that. And with the introduction of Amazon Hub, they solved a number of problems around the annoyance of missed deliveries. Their latest release, Amazon Key, actually takes it a step further. Rather than just ensuring that your parcel is waiting for you safely in the lobby, it can actually facilitate a trusted delivery person gaining access to your apartment to leave your parcel safely inside your home.

The Amazon Key smart lock hardware is simply installed on your door by an expert (or Amazon do say that you can install it yourself “if you’re handy”) and voila, your apartment can now be opened keylessly.

The in-home delivery service is available to Amazon Prime members, who can use the smart lock functionality by downloading the Amazon Key app. Beyond letting Amazon delivery people through your front door, the app allows you to let in other trusted people, like cleaners, baby sitters, dog walkers, gardeners – and friends and family, of course, should they find themselves locked out of your home, in desperate need of access to your sofa or fridge.

To expel any fears consumers may have around the concept of letting strangers into their home, the app lets you know exactly when your guest enters your home and the Amazon Key kit also includes an Amazon Cloud Cam so you can keep a vigilant eye on your invited trespassers.

Installing the Amazon Key on your door some seem like a somewhat elaborate solution to missed deliveries (which can usually be avoided by using your work address) and the sense of mistrust around a piece of technology letting strangers into your home is something we’d have to work on – we’re only human.

But we’re all for making apartment living easier, and once we get used to the idea, we think this latest little innovation by Amazon could be absolutely key.

Read more of our lifestyle articles about apartment living here.