Samsung just turned millions of Galaxy phones into digital house keys. The company launched Digital Home Key inside Samsung Wallet, letting users unlock compatible smart door locks with a tap or hands-free via ultra-wideband. Built on Aliro, the new industry-standard protocol from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the feature marks Samsung's expansion from digital car keys into the home - and signals a major push to standardize how smartphones interact with smart locks.
Samsung is betting your smartphone can replace your house key. The company launched Digital Home Key this week, a new feature inside Samsung Wallet that lets Galaxy users unlock compatible smart door locks using their phone. The move extends Samsung's digital key ambitions beyond vehicles and into the home, tapping into the Aliro standard to create what could become the default way people interact with smart locks.
The timing isn't coincidental. As the smart home market matures, fragmentation remains a persistent headache. Different lock makers use different protocols, forcing users into walled gardens. Aliro, developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (the same group behind Matter), aims to solve that by creating a universal language for digital keys. Samsung is among the first to adopt it at scale.
"As we continue to evolve Samsung Wallet, delivering trusted mobile experiences remains at the core of our innovation," Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of Digital Wallet Team at Samsung Electronics, said in the company announcement. "Through close collaboration with our partners and in alignment with the Aliro standard, Digital Home Key brings the same level of security and ease Samsung Galaxy users expect from Samsung Wallet to their homes."
Here's how it works: Users set up a compatible smart lock through Samsung SmartThings using Matter, the global smart home standard that's slowly gaining traction. Once configured, a Digital Home Key gets added to Samsung Wallet during the onboarding process. From there, unlocking becomes as simple as tapping the phone against the lock via NFC. On select devices starting in April 2026, ultra-wideband proximity detection enables hands-free unlocking - walk up to your door, and it opens automatically. Remote access through the SmartThings app is also supported.
