How to Tame a Chatty August Smart Lock
The August Smart Lock is a fantastic device for keyless entry and monitoring your home’s security. However, the constant stream of notifications for every little action can quickly become more of a nuisance than a help. If you're tired of your phone buzzing every time someone manually locks the door or when Auto-Lock engages, you've come to the right place.
This guide will show you how to navigate the August app and customise your notification settings. Our goal is to help you receive only the alerts that are important for your peace of mind, without the unnecessary noise.
Why Your August Lock is Sending So Many Alerts
Understanding the cause is the first step to solving the problem. August locks are designed to be communicative, but this can lead to notification overload due to:
- Default settings: The lock is often configured to notify you of every event out of the box.
- Auto-Lock/Unlock: These convenient features can trigger an alert each time they operate.
- Manual operations: You might not need a notification every time someone locks or unlocks the door with the thumbturn.
- Multiple users: If you have guests or family members with access, their actions will also trigger alerts.
Steps to Reduce August Smart Lock Notifications
Follow these instructions to customise which alerts you receive and how often.
1. Customise Your Smart Alert Preferences
The August app gives you fine-grained control over which events trigger a notification. It's time to decide what you actually want to be informed about.
- Open the August app and select the lock you wish to manage from your keychain.
- Tap the gear icon to go to "Lock Settings".
- Select "Notifications".
- Here you will see a list of actions that can trigger alerts. Toggle the switches for the notifications you no longer wish to receive. For example, you might want to turn off "The door was manually locked/unlocked" but keep "The door was locked/unlocked by a specific user".
2. Manage Auto-Lock and DoorSense™ Alerts
Auto-Lock is a great security feature, but you might not need a notification every time it does its job.
- Within the "Lock Settings" menu, go to the "Auto-Lock" section. You can adjust the timing here, but the notifications are managed in the main "Notifications" menu.
- Similarly, for DoorSense™, you can manage alerts for when the door is left ajar. In the "Notifications" menu, find the "Door Ajar" notification and decide if you want to keep it active. This is one of the more useful alerts, so we recommend keeping it on.
3. Review Guest Access Notifications
If you have granted access to family, friends, or service people, their actions can contribute to the notification volume.
- From the main lock screen, tap the guest icon to open the "Guest List".
- Select a specific user to view their access level and associated notification settings.
- You can adjust notification preferences for different users, allowing you to stay informed about certain guests while reducing alerts from regular family members.
4. Use Your Phone's Notification Settings
As a final measure, you can manage how the August app's notifications are displayed on your phone. On both iOS and Android, you can go into your phone's settings, find the August app, and customise how its alerts appear. You could, for instance, have them deliver quietly without a sound or vibration. This is less ideal as it affects all alerts, but it's a useful option if you want a quick way to reduce interruptions.
By carefully selecting which events you want to be notified about, you can transform your August Smart Lock experience from noisy to genuinely informative.