Ecobee partners with Yale and August to add smart locks to its smart security system

Ecobee has just announced its latest partnership with Yale and August. As part of its mission to offer a complete smart home security system to its customers, Ecobee has added Yale and August smart locks to the Ecobee app – but its price and compatibility still needs some work.

Smart home company, Ecobee is quickly becoming a go-to brand for smart security. The brand currently offers video doorbells, sensors and smart thermostats, but now, Ecobee has teamed up with Yale and August to integrate their Wi-Fi enabled smart locks to its Ecobee Smart Security system.

For Ecobee Smart Security users, Yale and August smart locks can now be locked and unlocked using the Ecobee app. This integration supports all Yale and August Wi-Fi smart locks, so once you set up the lock in the app, you can check the lock’s status, allow or refuse entry and get your door to lock automatically when you arm your security system – although it’s worth noting that it won’t unlock when you disarm the system or use the PIN code.

There’s a few drawbacks to this integration and it’s that not all Ecobee products can be used alongside smart locks. For those who have the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera, you’re in luck as the doorbell and lock can be used together. For example, you can check the live view from your doorbell and then lock and unlock your front door from that screen in the app, rather than having to open the lock’s app.

Unfortunately, other Ecobee products don’t have this integration yet. So, while you can use the Ecobee Thermostat as a ‘base station’ for your security system and to check who’s at the door, you can’t lock or unlock your door using the thermostat.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the Yale and August smart lock feature does require an Ecobee subscription plan which is $50 annually or starts at $5 a month.

But for those who are already invested in Ecobee’s smart security system, it’s likely that you already have a subscription, so adding a Yale or August smart lock will be beneficial to your home security set-up – and it shouldn’t cost too much extra, aside from the initial smart lock purchase.