Unlocking the august smart lock manually should not be a headache if you are familiar with the proper techniques. So if anybody asks, “can you manually unlock august smart lock,” the answer should be “yes.” But how?
Well, there are several ways and tools to unlock it manually, including a key, bobby pins, paper clips, and a screwdriver. Using gift cards is another smart move to get the work done in a smart way!
Frankly speaking, you cannot rely on one single way to unlock the August smart lock. Why? Because the door or lock can be jammed for a couple of reasons. So, we will explore five alternative ways to unlock the lock manually. Stay tuned!
Can You Manually Unlock August Smart Lock from Inside?
It is not unusual to forget your phone in the living room while you get locked inside another room. And in such cases, you will have trouble opening the August Smart Lock automatically. Or even if you have your phone, the automatic unlock feature might not work for the time being. That does not mean that you cannot unlock the smart lock manually from inside!
The developers of the August Smart Lock have themselves confirmed that you can unlock it manually from the inside. As you have installed or attached the smart lock to the existing deadbolt on the inside of your door, you have the liberty to unlock the lock using your hands or any other objects. And to get into the details of the process, head straight to our next section.
Also Read: my recent article where I explain about how to connect august smart lock with Vivint.
How to Unlock August Smart Lock from Inside Manually Without a Phone?
It should not be a headache to unlock any smart Lock from inside. So, if you do not have your phone around, try out these five possible ways to unlock your August smart lock manually –
1.Using Hands or Physical Key
The August Smart Lock does not only come with automatic features but it also features manual unlock. Its build quality lets you turn the deadbolt or insert a physical key to unlock it. So, all you have to do is:
Step 1: First, place your hand gently over the smart lock you have attached to the existing deadbolt.
Step 2: Then turn the deadbolt or lock clockwise or counterclockwise.
Step3: Remember that, the direction you will have to turn the lock towards will depend on the placement of the lock or the mechanism of the deadbolt. So, see if the lock opens when you turn clockwise or counterclockwise.
Step 4: In case the lock does not unlock after you have turned the lock, you need to take a physical key for the door.
Step 5: Insert the key into the keyhole and turn the key around. It shall unlock the smart lock.
Step 6: However, sometimes you might struggle to turn the key around. It happens mainly because of the dirt or rust development in the deadbolt or the lock. When you face this issue, you need to remove the key and spray a little amount of dry lubricant into the keyway.
Step 7: Then insert the key and remove it again.
Step 8: Repeat step 7 for three to four times so that the lubricant can start working.
Step 9: The lubricant will reduce the friction between the two or more parts of the deadbolt once you keep inserting and removing the key several times. Then you can turn the key without any hassle to unlock the lock.
2. Use Bobby Pins
You do not always have to rely on a key to open a smart lock without a phone. There are bobby pins to be your savior. But as this way to unlock is quite tricky, you will need patience and care to follow these steps given below:
Step 1: Take two clean and lengthy bobby pins. You need to make sure that there is no rust on the pins.
Step 2: If you have a tension wrench you can take one bobby pin only. But if there is no wrench, you can turn one pin into a wrench. For that, take a plier and remove the rubber tip from the straight sight of one bobby pin.
Step 3: In case you do not have a plier you can use your teeth to remove the tip. But be careful while doing that.
Step 4: Let’s take the bobby pin you have removed one tip from. And try to straighten the bends on the wavy shaft. You can use the plier to do that as well.
Step 5: Now you need to bend or fold the shaft with a rubber tip at an angle so that it looks like the letter “L”.
Step 6: Bend the other side of the pin or the shaft without the tip around 1 cm. It will turn the pin into a tension wrench.
Step 7: Take another bobby pin and completely straighten it so that it does not have any curves or waves on it.
Step 8: Insert or slide the L-shaped pin horizontally into the bottom of the keyway. Then insert the straight pin into the upper side of the keyhole and see if you can turn the keyhole with it.
Step 9: Once you can successfully turn the keyhole, gently remove the straight pin out of the lock without a hurry.
Step 10: Now you need to use the L-shaped pin to turn the lock or hole. It will unlock the door.
3. Gift Card
You might have some gift cards or payback cards lying around at your home. You can use it to follow these steps:
Step 1: You need to take a solid yet not so thick card. There should not be any moisture on it.
Step 2: Insert or place the card between the door frame and door.
Step 3: You need to place or insert the card as inside as possible at a 90 degrees angle.
Step 4: Now tilt or move the card towards the doorknob.
Step 5: You need to make sure the card touches and lean towards the knob as much as possible.
Step 6: Try to bend or turn the card towards the other direction of the knob
Step 7: You need to bend the card in the opposite direction until you feel the card has touched or reached the angled end of the deadbolt.
Step 8: Try to turn or bend the card back and forth to open the lock.
Step 9: Lean on the door if you struggle to unlock the door while bending the card back and forth. After a few attempts, the lock should be unlocked.
4. Screwdriver
If you have access to a screwdriver, you can unlock any deadbolt with a smart lock attached to it. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Take a star-head screwdriver that has a small tip.
Step 2: Place the screwdriver into the keyway and try to insert as much as possible.
Step 3: If you are using a push-button lock, then you will hear a loud crack while pushing the screwdriver forward. It shall open the door.
Step 4: But if the August lock is attached as a turn-style lock, you need to turn the screwdriver.
Step 5: You need to position the screwdriver in a way so that it touches the tumblers inside the lock.
Step 6: The screwdriver should be as inside as possible in the lock.
Step 7: Now, you need to turn the screwdriver until it falls into the slot.
Step 8: Move or twist the screwdriver until the lock unlocks.
Step 9: If the position fails, try different positions with the screwdriver to unlock the lock.
5. Paper Clip
If you do not have bobby pins, this solution is for you. You can take paper clips and a plier to follow the process below:
Step 1: Make sure you take metal paper clips so that they do not break.
Step 2: With the plier unfold one clip to give it an L shape.
Step 3: Then you need to straighten the second clip.
Step 4: Insert the L-shaped clip to the bottom side of the keyway and insert the straight one to the upper side of the hole.
Step 5: Push or move the pins back and forth to push them inside the lock.
Step 6: You need to apply pressure to the L-shaped clip.
Step 7: Then turn the clips anticlockwise or clockwise.
Step 8: Now slightly apply pressure to both pins while turning them.
Step 9: Keep applying the gentle pressure and turn the pins until the door unlocks.
Did We Answer Everything You Wants To Know About-Can You Manually Unlock August Smart Lock?
You should not have any struggles while unlocking the august smart lock manually as long as the deadbolt is working fine. Still, if you have never tried to unlock it manually it can stress you out. And now that you know how can you manually unlock august smart lock, you should drop your worries aside and follow this guide carefully.
We recommend not to apply much pressure while using any tool to unlock the lock. Otherwise, it can damage the lock, keep in mind!
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q’s):
How to Prevent Someone Unlocking the Smart Lock with Your Stolen Phone? You can easily log out of all devices if your phone is lost or has been stolen. You need to sign in to your August smart lock account and choose the lost phone option. It will block the thief from opening the lock.
Can You Disable the Auto Unlock Feature? Yes, with the August smart lock you can disable its auto-unlock feature. From the notification pop-up or the August Home smart lock app, you can turn off the auto-unlock feature.
Will a Butter Knife Work to Unlock the August Lock Manually? The butter knife should work with push-button-style locks. But with the August smart lock, you might not be successful to turn the deadbolt with a knife.
Should You Use a Credit Card to Unlock the Smart Lock? No, you should not use any precious card to open the door lock manually. Because back and forth movements might damage the cards.