Kwikset Halo Touch Traditional Arched Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock review

Kwikset Halo Touch Traditional Arched Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock review

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HALO Touch is a Wi-Fi connected fingerprint door lock that connects directly to your home Wi-Fi network and smartphone for a secure smart home that does not require a third party smart home hub, panel or subscription. The fingerprint registration process follows the same pattern as a phone fingerprint registration. You touch the sensor, lift, touch again, lift, and so on. The app guides you through the process and holds up to 100 fingerprints for up to 50 different users. Registered fingerprints can have additional security placed on them, such as times they are allowed to open the door. You can also disable the fingerprint reader for individual users if you need to. Find more in Kwikset Halo Touch Traditional Arched Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock review.

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Pros & Cons – Kwikset Halo Touch Traditional Arched Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock

PROS

  • Multiple ways to lock and unlock, including fingerprint scanner
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
  • Supports Alexa and Google voice commands
  • Easy installation
  • Stylish design

CONS

  • Pricey
  • Doesn’t support HomeKit or IFTTT
  • Limited third-party integrations

Kwikset Halo Smart Lock features

  • Touchscreen and keypad styles
  • Multiple finish color options
  • BHMA AAA certified
  • Built-in Wi-Fi integration (no bridge required)
  • DIY installation
  • Up to 250 unique user codes
  • App supports multiple locks and multiple properties
  • Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration
  • SmartKey Security™ feature
  • SecureScreen™ technology

Price

The lock also isn’t cheap. At $249 it’s $20 more than the Kwikset Halo was at launch. (The keypad Halo was selling for less than $150 on Amazon as of this writing.) It’s also more expensive than most other biometric locks you’ll find on the market, but not obscenely so (the Securam Touch and the Eufy Security Smart Lock Touch were each selling for about $200 as of this writing.

The Lockly Secure Plus and Lockly Secure Pro were going for $279 and $300 respectively, but the Plus includes an entry handle.) Our absolute favorite lock with a fingerprint reader, on the other hand—the Level Touch—costs $329 and is not entirely cross-platform (favoring iOS over Android devices).

What is a fingerprint door lock?

Fingerprint door locks are advanced security locks that use biometric authentication to lock and unlock your door with the unique pattern of your fingerprint. Fingerprints are generally more secure when compared to PIN codes, as they are unique to individuals and difficult to impersonate. Additionally, only fingerprints registered to the lock can unlock the door. Accessing a door using your fingerprint also helps prevent lockouts due to lost keys.

What are the benefits of a fingerprint door lock?

The biggest benefit is that you cannot be locked out of your home since the fingerprint door lock can be unlocked using your unique fingerprint. Additional convenience is the speed that the door can be locked or unlocked without needing a phone or device to access the front door. Halo Touch also allows a traditional key to be used as a backup and along with SmartKey Security™ technology to easily re-key the lock and protects against advance break-in techniques

Kwikset Halo Touch Traditional Arched Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock review

Design

There’s a small fingerprint scanner above a standard keyhole, all placed into a rectangular chassis just 3.5 x 2.75 inches in size. (An alternate, more classical design is slightly larger and comes with curves and beveled edges; both designs are available in a choice of two finishes.) A bar of LEDs appears at the top of the escutcheon; these light up in various colors depending on whether a fingerprint is accepted and when the lock is engaging.

Size

The exterior escutcheon measures 4.0 by 2.9 by 0.9 inches (HWD) and has a keyway, a fingerprint scanner, and an LED bar that glows green when the door is successfully unlocked, orange when locking, and red when an unsuccessful unlock occurs (with an unregistered fingerprint for example). The interior escutcheon measures 5.7 by 2.7 by 2.0 inches with the cover. It has a thumb turn knob, a status LED, and a removable black panel that gives you access to the removable battery caddy, two setup buttons, and a programming button. Under the hood is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and a Bluetooth radio. 

Smart home integration

Kwikset Halo Touch doesn’t work with HomeKit, but you can control the lock with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, once you’ve linked your Kwikset app login to your smart home assistant’s app. You can also incorporate the lock into routines for Google or Alexa. 

However, there are limitations. You can’t use the Google Home app to tap something to lock or unlock your door the way you can with smart locks like August. You can lock and unlock via voice, and that works well. A PIN is required for voice unlocking with both voice assistants. It might be tedious, but I’m a fan of that extra security layer. 

Kwikset app

This isn’t the best app out there. You’re limited as to what you can do with the lock. Each of the 50 people you’re allowed to register with the app can register two fingerprints. I chose the thumb and index finger of my dominant hand, but I wish I could’ve added more. I have more than two fingerprints enabled on my phone, just in case I need the option, and I think when it comes to doors that’s even more true. You never know which hand is going to be full of groceries or kids or the dog’s leash. You could work around this by adding each hand as a separate user, and that’s likely what I’d do if I purchased this lock. 

There are other small annoyances, too: I experienced quite a bit of lag between the door locking and the app updating to show the status. And if you need to change your Wi-Fi information, you’ll need to factory-reset the lock. That means losing everyone’s stored fingerprints. 

If the app accurately depicts battery life, I used up 10% of the four AA batteries in my roughly three weeks of testing. I’m sure I put it through more than the standard user, but based on this I’d expect most people to need to replace batteries at least once per year. Unlike the August Wi-Fi lock’s CR123s, Kwikset uses a much more common AA battery, so that should be easy to arrange.  

Tap the People button to add lock users with full-time access, or access limited by date with specific times of the day. When you create a user, you can register one or two fingerprints for them. Here you can also enable Secure Mode, which temporarily disables the fingerprint scanner.

The History button takes you to a screen where you can see a daily log of lock events and how they were implemented (voice control, app control, auto lock, fingerprint scan). Use the Settings button to edit the lock name, configure an auto lock delay time, enable or disable lock sounds, and see which phones are paired with the lock.

Kwikset Halo Smart Lock installation

Smart lock installation is a bit tricky, but Kwikset has guides to help.

Kwikset Halo Smart Lock keypad version

Source: Kwikset

You can install the Kwikset Halo yourself, but it does get a bit tricky since you’re replacing your entire door lock and latch. Kwikset has interactive guides and videos to guide you through the process, but to be honest, they’re not the best we’ve seen. Plan on spending at least 30 minutes to get everything up and running.

Kwikset Halo Smart Lock installation overview: 

  1. Check that your lock is compatible with the Halo. Most single-cylinder deadbolts work with this lock while mortise and rim locks do not.
  2. Remove your existing deadbolt and latch.
  3. Check that the lock hole, backseat, and door edge hole are the right sizes. You can find exact measurements in the Kwikset Halo installation guide.
  4. Install the lock latch and strike plate.
  5. Attach the Halo keypad to the installed latch. Make sure the cable is pulled through properly.
  6. Use the included keys to make sure the latch works and turns properly when you insert the key.
  7. Install the interior assembly on the inside of your door. Connect the cable on the interior assembly with the cable from the keypad portion. Then attach the assembly to the mounting plate.
  8. Install the batteries.
  9. Test the lock and make sure everything’s working the way it should.
  10. Download the Kwikset app and connect the lock to your Wi-Fi network.

The good news is you don’t need any special tools to install the Halo. A screwdriver and maybe a hammer should be sufficient.

Is there a better alternative?

As with any product, there are usually alternatives that might better suit your taste. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is much easier to install since it slides over your existing deadbolt. The Lockly Vision adds a camera and coded entry. But it you want a fingerprint-reading deadbolt that’s not complicated, this is a really great choice.

Editor’s recommendations

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