#Old Yale Smart Locks to Gain Matter Support with Add-On Module – Review Geek

Yale Assure smart lock owners won’t be left in the past when the Matter protocol launches later this year. The brand’s parent company, Assa Abloy, tells us that it’s planning to launch an add-on module that brings Matter support to most Yale Assure locks and levers, including models produced way back in 2012.

The Matter protocol solves smart homes’ biggest problem—brand compatibility. Products that support Matter will work with one another regardless of their manufacturer. You’ll gain the ability to control select Google Nest products with your Apple HomePod Mini, for example, as both brands are committed to the Matter standard. (And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; Matter will improve other areas of the smart home experience too.)

As you may know, Yale already sells a ton of upgrade modules for its Yale Assure products. These modules, which slot above the locks’ batteries, can add support for Z-Wave, HomeKit, and other protocols to your smart lock, thereby saving you the trouble (and cost) of totally replacing your Yale Assure lock.

The Matter module is just an addition to Yale’s existing module lineup. Here’s what Alexa Meadows, Senior Public Relations Manager of Yale and August, told me about the Matter module:

We are in the early phases, but our plan is to release a Matter module that will work with select devices in our Yale Assure smart lock line to serve some of our existing customers.

Yale already offers Z-Wave, Zigbee, iM1 (HomeKit) and Wi-Fi modules, which are interchangeable in the back of compatible Yale locks depending on your desired connectivity platform — the Matter module will work in a similar way.

Using this modular system to add Matter to old smart locks just makes sense. Still, Assa Abloy should be proud of itself for offering long-term product support to its customers. Most smart home brands just let their old products fall by the wayside as new technologies emerge.

As far as we know, Yale is the first smart lock brand that’s confirmed its commitment to Matter. It’s also the first company to announce an add-on module for the Matter standard.

Yale hasn’t confirmed the Matter module’s price, though it tell us that the module will launch after the Matter standard rolls out later this year. The company is also working on new Yale products that support Matter out of the box. Unfortunately,  Assa Abloy currently has no Matter backward compatibility plans for August-branded locks.

Yale Assure Lock, Wi-Fi Smart Lock with Valdosta Lever – Works with the Yale Access App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit, Phillips Hue and Samsung SmartThings, Black Suede

The Yale Assure smart lock is easy to install, has a year-long battery life, and adds tons of smart home features to your door. Remotely lock your door from anywhere, automatically unlock your door as you approach it, or even control your lock with a voice assistant!

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