Unlocking the Truth

As smart home adoption accelerates, smart access solutions are no longer just for tech enthusiasts but a trusted part of daily life for all types of households. Despite growing popularity, misconceptions continue to influence consumer perception – from fears of dead smartphone batteries to hacked locks. Below, Nuki addresses the five most common myths surrounding smart locks and the facts that debunk them.

Smart locks are designed above all to make everyday life easier: no more key handovers, frantic bag searches, or costly replacements for lost keys. Spontaneous visits from friends or relatives become stress-free. Yet despite these advantages, many people are still hesitant to switch to keyless access. According to Martin Pansy, Co-Founder and CEO of Nuki, this hesitation is understandable: “After all, it’s about access to a particularly sensitive place – your own home.” In Europe, Nuki established the smart lock category ten years ago and has played a leading role in shaping it ever since. The company sees its responsibility not only in innovation but also in education: “We take our pioneering role seriously – including addressing the remaining doubts people may still have.”

So, what are the most common myths that continue to surround smart locks?

1. A smart lock can be easily stolen
That’s a misconception: smart locks like Nuki are installed on the inside of the door, making them inaccessible from the outside. To reach it, someone would already have to get inside – defeating the purpose of the lock itself. From the exterior or street view, there’s no visible sign that a smart lock is even installed.

2. Criminals can easily hack the smart lock
This is one of the most persistent myths surrounding smart locks. With strong encryption algorithms – similar to those used in online banking – and the so-called challenge-response procedure, eavesdropping or copying and replaying lock commands to the Nuki Smart Lock is impossible. Additionally, every new Nuki electronic door lock has undergone rigorous testing in the AV-TEST laboratories since the first product generation. This remains true for the U.S. version as well; the Nuki Smart Lock carries the “Approved IoT Product” seal from the renowned IT security research organization.

3. A smartphone is absolutely necessary to use a smart lock
Not true: users can also use accessories such as a keypad with fingerprint and access code to enter the home. Nuki also ensures accessibility with the physical key due to its retrofit solution. This ensures that the household’s entire access decision doesn’t rest solely on the electronic lock. Not everyone has to use the Smart Lock – whether it’s an older person who doesn’t use electronic devices, a child without a smartphone, or a pet sitter who doesn’t want to deal with access permissions. The variety of opening options also means a dead phone battery isn’t a problem.

4. I’m not tech-savvy and I’m afraid of installing a smart lock
No need to worry: you don’t need to be handy or have any technical knowledge. The entire setup takes less than 15 minutes. The Nuki Smart Lock mounts on the inside of your door over your existing single-cylinder deadbolt. No drilling, no wiring, no hassle. Nuki's Smart Lock is completely removable without leaving a trace, perfect for your home or rental apartment.

5. I need Wi‑Fi and my data ends up in the cloud — just to open my door
A widespread misconception: many people don’t realize that Nuki Smart Locks can be used locally via Bluetooth if desired. Protecting customer data is extremely important to the Austrian company, and no data ends up in the cloud. According to Nuki, the safest data is the data you never have to give away. That’s why Nuki Smart Locks – unlike those of other providers – are designed so that no user account is required, and no data is stored on Nuki servers.

“The fact that these myths persist so stubbornly shows that education is still needed. It would be great if we could help skeptical people take the step toward a smart lock and make their everyday lives easier and more convenient. Once someone has experienced the benefits of an electronic door lock, they usually can’t imagine going back to a physical key,” notes Martin Pansy. The potential is enormous: in the U.S., there are more than 100 million retrofittable doors – doors that can be converted into a keyless access solution within minutes. Nuki has already made over 400,000 doors smart. The electronic locks from Europe’s leading provider of smart, retrofittable access solutions are now used by more than one million people around the world. Thanks to Nuki technology, doors are opened without a physical key more than one billion times each year.

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About Nuki

In 2015, the successful crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter platform laid the foundation for Nuki’s success story. Since then, the company – founded by brothers Martin Pansy (CEO) and Jürgen Pansy (Chief Innovation Officer) in Graz – has grown steadily: Today, Nuki is Europe’s leading provider of smart, retrofit access solutions. The company currently employs 150 people from 18 different nationalities at its headquarters in Graz. Nuki holds dual ISO certifications – ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 – attesting to its high international standards in quality and environmental management systems. In addition to its Europe-produced Smart Lock and a wide range of accessories and services, the Austrian company is committed to continuously developing smart access solutions for a completely keyless future.