Danalock V3, turn your lock into a HomeKit compatible smart lock

Undoubtedly the world of home automation is hitting hard after Apple and other companies began to work on products closer to the consumer not so "expert" in these issues and thanks to HomeKit and some products compatible with this technology such as the Danalock V3 lock, there are many of us who are turning our house into a smart home.

In this case it is about first Homekit compatible smart lock to arrive in Europe and the advantages it offers are those that we can have with a device such as a light bulb, plug or any smart device compatible with HomeKit, the highlight is being able to open and close from anywhere without touching the door, program a closing / opening, toopen or close with voice commands via Siri or the Home app and even know at all times when the door is open or closed from our iPhone, iPad or from a Mac with macOS Mojave.

What is added in the box

The important thing in this case is the cylinder that performs the closing movement of the door, this device is the most important and what really connects with our iPhone, iPad and soon Mac to be used with HomeKit. In Europe the Danalock V3 and the lock as such are sold in two boxes (for the rest of the countries everything goes in the same box) but this is a pack and we need it yes or yes to be able to install it at home, so those who want buy it you have to take into account that you need the cylinder and the cylinder with their adapters and keys.

The kit that we can and have to buy adds everything we need to be able to install it on the door. In this case, the one we have is the one that adds:

• The European cylinder Danalock V3 HomeKit
• The cylinder with 3 keys and their respective length adapters
• Fixing the cylinder for the door and its instruction manual

Manufacturing materials and design

Not everyone might like to see the Danalock V3 Smart Cylinder on the inside of the door, but actually the design is really good and it has an aluminum finish for the top and sturdy plastic on the cylinder part that does not clash at all on a door as long as it is silver. The best of all is that we have noble materials and we are facing a lock manufactured to withstand the passage of time without problems, the adaptable cylinder is of quality and all the parts that are added for its assembly are well designed so they will last us years.

Within the design we add the autonomy that the product has and it is that obviously it goes with battery. In this case, the interior of the cylinder adds 4 CR123A batteries that in principle can last us about 9000 opening cycles, according to the manufacturer. Once the battery is depleted there is no need to worry since we can open the key normallyYes, we will have to change the battery of the Danalock V3.

Can I make a copy of the keys? How many are added?

This is an important point if you want to get this smart lock and it is that on the web they have two types of cylinders available, some that add 5 keys and that you cannot make copies (that is, we would keep 5 exclusive keys) and others of the Gerda firm -which are the ones we recommend- that add 3 keys and with which you can order copies directly from the manufacturer at orders@igerda.com counting that each copy will cost about 20 euros counting shipping. To order the copies of the keys, the code that is added in the box is required and the process is simple although it is really expensive.

So it must be clear that the Danalock V3 can be purchased with the components separately, there are even high security cylinders compatible with this accessory, but the advice If you are going to jump for it, it is that you buy the whole kit directly with them It is the most interesting economically speaking.

The installation of this Danalock V3 is really simple

The assembly is really simple and anyone can install it at home. As always in these cases in which safety is the most important thing, it is best that you read the instructions and the assembly manual that they have in the proper Danalock V3 website, which also adds an explanatory video that we leave you below:

In this case, we will have spare parts since several are used to adapt to all types of doors. You do not have to worry about it and simply by following the steps in the previous video we will be able to install it easily and quickly. Once installed CAN configure the lock to our liking and change settings using a SIMS extractor spike or paperclip, using the hole on the top of the smart lock. For this, we must take into account the pulsations we make and the different colors that marks the LED that will indicate each function:

• Pressing twice the yellow color jumps and this indicates a manual calibration. We turn the Danalock to the open position and press again twice until the yellow LED comes out again. Then we turn the Danalock to the opposite side so that it closes the door and we will see a green LED.
• Pressing 3 times the LED is white and it will perform automatic calibration. This consists of opening the Danalock of everything and pressing the button three times so that it performs the automatic calibration but the best thing is that this option is not carried out with our European Danalock.
• Pressing 4 times the color will be Blue and this is used to activate the latch mode. The four presses are carried out in a row and after 5 seconds the latch mode is deactivated, which is indicated by red, in the case that we want to activate it again we press 5 times and wait 5 seconds, the LED will be green in this case.
• If we press 5 times, the pink (purple) LED will jump to lock the door after opening it. With this, what we achieve is that the door closes on its own after opening it, the LED after 5 keystrokes will light red, in the case that we lengthen the blocking time, the color will change. Active after 10 seconds green color, active after 30 seconds after opening it will jump green.
• To reset the Danalock V3 configuration we press 10 times. With this, what we do is leave the product as it was, the LED will be red directly and the configuration will be left at the factory.

The change actions are carried out with about 5 seconds after the keystrokes (approximately) so do not be in a hurry and take your time to configure it if you want, since you don't need to do any of these if you don't want to.

Connectivity with HomeKit or Danalock app

It is really easy to connect with our iPhone or iPad and the HomeKit app. It also has its own app to simplify the connection and this is the usual, access the app in the application store, download it and with the Homekit code that is added in the Danalock V3 we will have the lock linked in a short time. The options offered by the native Danalock V3 application and those of Homekit are similar in terms of use, we can choose the one we like the most but in principle to update the lock firmware you need to have the Danalock app.

Another point that we can add here is that of lock security. In this case, HomeKit is really safe and is proven with most of the devices that we currently have on the market, in addition, Danalock adds AES 256 encryption, which we can say makes this lock the most secure on the market.

Editor's opinion

This is a new world for many users, but having the ability to use HomeKit devices on iOS and soon on macOS Mojave is really interesting. Of course, the arrival of HomeKit makes our entire perspective change and with compatible accessories such as this Danalock V3 smart lock, home automation is within everyone's reach. In this case the simplicity of assembly of this lock and the ease with which it works is amazing From what I can say that it is a really recommended product for anyone and more for those who like the automation of things or, as it was said a while ago, the internet of things. Logically, the assembly mounted on the door can be somewhat "bulky" or with a feeling of "added" on the door, but this is just the beginning and until these types of smart devices are really integrated into the locks there is no more where choose.

You can get this complete lock with your keys and everything directly from theNo products found., In Danalock online store or on Apple's own website, in the Apple Store.