Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a smart home troglodyte, unwilling to trade classic simplicity for modern convenience. My Google Home setup is limited to a glorified kitchen timer; I don’t have the patience to set up light routines or safely store offline camera footage. I own a few pieces of connected kit; my robot vacuum cleaner seems harmless enough, and I’ve even hesitantly installed a smart thermostat to cut my energy bill and keep my house warmer. But that’s it.
One line I’ve certainly never dared to cross is installing a smart lock on my door. I can’t convince myself of the benefits over a good old-fashioned key, especially given some pretty reasonable concerns about service outages or somehow locking myself out of my home (though I have managed that with a regular key, to be fair). But I’ve just discovered a new fear I didn’t know I had — being locked in a smart home.
Is smart home tech worth it in 2026? 144 votes Yes, absolutely! 31 % Yes, if you don't mind tinkering and troubleshooting. 47 % No, it's not worth it. 16 % Unsure / Other 7 %
The day a smart tech locked me in
Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
To keep an arduous story short, I recently stayed at a rental property booked through an app I’m sure I don’t need to name. The owner used a smart lock with a temporary PIN for us to enter the property during our stay — a simple and effective technological solution, right?
Unfortunately, the lock suffered a critical mechanical failure while we were there. The motor could no longer grip the deadbolt, rendering the PIN code useless and leaving the door permanently locked. Hardware failures happen; however, even turning the internal catch wouldn’t unlock the door. That’s bad design. A smart lock should always be able to move the deadbolt manually in the event of a motor failure, but apparently, this particular model (which I sadly didn’t note down) didn’t think that might be an important feature.
The situation was made worse by the fact that this was a rental. I was essentially unable to do anything except pester the owner, who took over 24 hours to come to terms with the problem and resolve it. Fortunately, we were on the ground floor, so we could make an escape — but being locked in would have been a clear danger to life in a building without a back door, or in a high-rise apartment. Absolutely terrifying.
Don’t cheap out on important smart home tech
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