Installation of Nuki in less than 3 minutes

We at Nuki have made it our mission to simplify your life. That’s why we don’t believe much in complicated installation instructions and processes. We are proud to say the installation and smartphone pairing for our Nuki Smart Lock only take 3 minutes.

We recommend you carry out an installation installation check before buying. This way you can ensure your door lock is compatible with the Nuki Smart Lock.
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How exactly does the installation process work?

To mount the Nuki Smart Lock, you don’t need any additional tools or assistance. All you need is:

• your phone
• the supplied Allen key
• the mounting plates (depending on your door type, you can use either the adhesive or the screw-fixed plate)
• the Nuki Smart Lock itself
• your key

Before I explain at length how the installation process works, just watch our installation video:

The Nuki Smart Lock is mounted on your door from the inside above your existing cylinder and is ready to go in just three minutes. There are two installation options, depending on the type of door lock you have:

Mounting with a screw-fixed plate or an adhesive plate?

Two high-quality, glass-fibre reinforced mounting plates are included in the package, of which you only need one for the installation. Which plate fits on your door depends on how far your cylinder protrudes. If it protrudes more than 3mm from your door, you need the screw-fixed plate (mounting plate A). It works as follows:

1. Place the screw-fixed plate over your door lock (on the inside of the door!) and tighten the three screws with the Allen key provided.
   —> Carefully fix the set screws in place, without applying too much force so as not to damage the lock cylinder.
2. Then put your key in the lock.
3. Now place the Nuki Smart Lock on the mounting plate, making sure to first insert the key head into the long slot in the round upper part on the back of the Smart Lock.
4. By applying light pressure, your Smart Lock should audibly click into place. After that you insert the battery compartment or the Nuki Power Pack on the bottom side and your electronic door lock is ready to use.

If your locking cylinder protrudes less than 3 mm, you can attach the Nuki Smart Lock with the adhesive plate (mounting plate B).
This version is even simpler:

1. First clean the fitting around the lock cylinder on the inside of your door with a alcohol-based substance (e.g. nail polish remover).
2. Now peel off the protective film from the plate and stick it to the door.

—> Both installation variants can be completely removed from your door without leaving a trace, making them also ideal for rented flats.

Pairing the Nuki Smart Lock with the Nuki app on your smartphone

Once you’ve installed your Nuki Smart Lock on the door, it’s time to download the free Nuki app from the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store or from the Huawei App Gallery.

Your smartphone must meet the following requirements:

• Bluetooth 5.0
• Operating system: from iOS 11.4 (iPhone 5S or newer) or Android 5.0 or newer

Simply follow the step-by-step instructions in the Nuki app, which will guide you through all the steps of the installation and setup process. To pair the Nuki Smart Lock with your smartphone, press and hold the large button on the top of the Smart Lock for a few seconds. This will put the Smart Lock into “pairing mode” (pairing only takes place within the Nuki app). You will know this mode is active because the entire light ring remains lit. You can then search for a new Smart Lock in the Nuki app on your smartphone, name it and start using it right away. You will be guided step by step through the setup in the app. If something is unclear, find out more in our Support area or contact our customer support team.

How is the door sensor installed and used?

With the Nuki Smart Lock 3 we also launched the external Nuki Door Sensor. With this door sensor you can always have a look on the status of your door via the Nuki app.

Why do I need the door sensor?

When the Smart Lock locks or unlocks your door, strictly speaking only the locking cylinder of your door is operated. Theoretically, the locking cylinder could also be locked while your door is still open. To prevent this, it is important to display not only the status of the Smart Lock (unlocked – locked) but also the status of the door (open – closed). In combination with all Nuki Smart Locks of the 3rd generation and higher you can always check in the app if your door is securely closed.

Additionally, you can get notified if your door stands open for a certain time period. You can also set your door to lock automatically when it is closed. This saves you the nagging question of “Is my door really locked?

How to install the Nuki Door Sensor?

The two-part door sensor (magnet and sensor) is fixed to the inside of your door and to the door frame. Depending on the conditions of your entrance door, different positions are possible – installation examples.

The sensor and magnet are placed on the side where you open the door (and not by the hinges). The larger part is the sensor itself. This is affixed to the door frame. Pay attention to the marking that shows you which side should face the magnet.

The magnet is placed on the inside of the door at a distance of 0.5 cm to 3 cm from the sensor. There are 2 ways to do this: If your door is flush with the door frame, stick the magnet on the door surface where the handle is located. If your door projects inwards, then the magnet is stuck to the inner edge at a 90° angle to the sensor. The edge of the door sensor that is furthest away from the sensor’s LED should be at the same height as the lower edge of the magnet. You can find more information in our support section.

The installation process is very simple, and you will be guided through it step by step via the Nuki app. The door sensor is glued directly onto the door frame from the inside. When doing so, you should note the following:

• The door sensor should be in line with the lower edge of the Smart Lock.
• The distance between the Smart Lock and the door sensor should be as small as possible.
• It is important to then calibrate the door sensor – once with the door closed, once with the door open, and once with the door ajar.

—> If your door opens outwards, it’s best to place the door sensor on the inner frame of the door, i.e. at a 90° angle to the Smart Lock. However, if your door opens inwards, it’s better to attach the door sensor parallel to the Smart Lock on the wall side of the door frame for optimum position recognition. You can find more information in our Support section.

You have a knob on the inner side of your door?

• The knob must be removed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Depending on the cylinder brand, the appropriate adapter is then attached and fixed in place.

Installation

When you place your order in the Nuki Online Shop, you have the option of ordering the right knob cylinder adapter for your needs, free of charge. To do this, simply tick the box “I have a rotating knob on the inside of the door and would like to order a free adapter for my Smart Lock.” and choose the relevant cylinder manufacturer. If you forgot to do this when placing your order or if you bought your Nuki Smart Lock somewhere else, you can order the adapter from our Shop later free of charge.

Your door lock is not compatible? Here’s how you change your cylinder

We assume you’ve carried out our installation check before placing your order. The Nuki Smart Lock fits most standard lock cylinders, but there are a few cases where Nuki is not compatible or we don’t recommend using it. It’s worth noting that the Nuki Smart Lock can only function fully if the turning movement of the inner key is sufficient for the locking process. This means a Smart Lock will not work if any additional manual action has to be taken before the door can be locked. For example, there are doors with handles that have to be pushed upwards for the locking process (often on patio doors) or the entire door has to be pushed in or pulled towards you (mostly on older doors). Since the Nuki Smart Lock only turns the inner key, door locks of this kind are of course not compatible.

What does the emergency function mean for locking cylinders?

The most common case where we do not recommend using Nuki involves the lack of an emergency function – if you have your key on the inside, you should still be able to unlock it from the outside. If this is not the case, you can use a Nuki Smart Lock, but then you will no longer be able to use your key to unlock it from the outside (which is always important as a backup). So, in these cases, we recommend replacing your lock cylinder and upgrading to one that can be locked on both sides and lets the inner and outer key be moved synchronously. (If the cylinder does not have this function, the Smart Lock will lose its position every time it is manually locked and must be recalibrated.)

Here’s how to change the cylinder

Despite what some would expect, changing a cylinder is not particularly costly or particularly difficult, meaning you can take care of it yourself.
or you can order a new, high-quality locking cylinder from our Online Shop and install it yourself.

Of course, you can also hire a trusted locksmith (you can find a Nuki Pro sales partner in your area using our Store Locator) . We’ll show you how to do this in this short video.

You need to know these dimensions in order to install a new cylinder

Two dimensions are relevant when replacing cylinders – the inner dimension and the outer dimension. This is the distance from the bolt in the middle to the outer edge. Incidentally, these two dimensions are interchangeable, i.e. if you need 50mm/30mm, for example, you can also use 30/50, since the lock cylinder can be rotated.

Nuki Universal Cylinder – the ideal locking cylinder for your Nuki Smart Lock

This exclusively for Nuki developed locking cylinder offers besides the emergency and danger function also the highest security class SKG***. Developed as a modular solution the locking cylinder can be extended or shortened to the right size easily. This results in 33 possible cylinder dimensions and makes the Nuki Universal Cylinder compatible with almost every door.

How can I remove the Nuki Smart Lock?

The Nuki Smart Lock can be removed without leaving a trace. This is an important factor, especially for rental properties. Unlike many other permanent smart home systems, Nuki can be easily dismantled and easily reinstalled in another location.

It can be uninstalled as follows:

1. First you have to remove the battery compartment or the Power Pack on the bottom of the Nuki Smart Lock. Push the small lever on the bottom cover in direction of the arrow.
2. Now carefully pull out the battery compartment/Power Pack. (Be careful, sometimes the battery compartment/power pack just falls off)
3. A yellow latch will now be visible inside on the underside of the Smart Lock. When you press the coloured latch, the Smart Lock’s anchorage will loosen from the mounting plate.
4. Now carefully remove the Smart Lock from the mounting plate. You can reinsert the battery compartment/Power Pack into the Smart Lock.
5. If you have used a screw-fixed plate on your door, just loosen the 3 small screws around the inner circle. With the adhesive plate, you can simply pull the plate off again. You may need to use some nail polish remover to help you with this.

If the adhesive plate no longer adheres as effectively, you can always buy a new adhesive plate in our Shop for €2.90.

If you need a screw-fixed plate for the door in your new apartment or house and you can no longer find the one that was supplied, you can re-order it in our Shop in the spare parts section.

Our motto is very clear: Smart – Simple – Secure, because it is important to us that our products are easy to install for everyone, not just the tech-savvy. That said, we are of course always there for you, if anything goes wrong.