Level Lock+, a Homekit-supporting smart lock with Apple Home Key support, has been demonstrated to be opened by skilled hands in the same time a regular lock can be, but it's still a high-grade lock for your front door.
Level Lock+
The recently-launched Level Lock is a smart lock for the home, one that replaces an existing locking system with one that communicates with the iPhone. In the latest release, the $320 smart lock also supports Apple's Home Key, which enables a door to be unlocked using an iPhone.
However, a video posted to YouTube has revealed that the lock may not necessarily offer homeowners much more security than a typical non-smart version. The video by Lock Picking Lawyer published on Tuesday shows the basic workings of the Level Lock+, before demonstrating how it can be opened key and iPhone-free with relatively simple methods.
Using tension tool and a wave rake for a few seconds, the lock can be opened and with relative ease. A test using a bump key also produced similarly rapid results.
The YouTuber expresses disappointment that while a smart lock, it is still ultimately a lock, and that security pins could've been included to make it more secure from the outset. However, a redeeming feature of the lock is that it uses a standard key knob cylinder, so a homeowner could replace it with something more robust.
According to Level, the Level Lock+ has an ANSI Grade 1, meaning it meets the standard to be classed as a strong and secure deadbolt lock intended for entranceways, like many other home locks. The same tension tool and bump key methods work on regular locks of this type, too, but at least with the Level Lock+, the homeowner is automatically notified if the lock is opened manually.
That said, the testing for ANSI Grade relates more to the lock's ability to survive blunt-force attempts to gain entry, including impacts, saws, heavy loads, and electrostatic discharge. It doesn't cover lockpicking, which is a skill-based means of gaining entry.