**Activity History**
This is a really nice feature that it gives you details on who unlocked or locked your door and the time that it occurred. You can see the activity history tab as well, and you can tap on here to access it. This feature shows you a detailed list of all the times someone has interacted with your lock, including when they unlocked or locked it, and even who did it. It's not extremely detailed, but it's nice to have this information available.
For example, let's say I used my mini card to unlock my door, and that assigned to Mom. You can see in the activity history that it says "unlock by Mom". Later on, I used my full-size key card to lock the door again, and you can see that gets updated as well. This feature is really useful for keeping track of who has accessed your home and when.
**HomeKit Setup**
If you want to take advantage of everything this lock has to offer, you'll need to set up HomeKit. With HomeKit, you can control your lock from the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, as well as use Siri to lock and unlock your door. To set it up, go into the Home app and click on the "+" icon to add a new device. Select "HomeKit Accessory" and follow the prompts to pair your lock with your iPhone.
Once you've paired your lock with your iPhone, you can control it by going into the Home app and clicking on the lock's name. You'll be able to see the current status of the lock, as well as lock and unlock it directly from the app. This is a really convenient feature, especially if you have multiple locks at home.
**HomeKit Automation**
One of the coolest features of this lock is its integration with HomeKit automation. With automation, you can create custom scenes that trigger when certain conditions are met. For example, you can set up an automation that says "close the door" whenever you leave your house. To do this, go into the Automation tab in the Home app and click on "Create New Automation".
Select the lock as the action, and choose the condition that you want to trigger it (in this case, leaving the house). Then, select a scene or routine that will be triggered when the condition is met. In this case, I chose the "Close Door" scene, which closes the door and locks it.
You can also use Siri to control your lock through automation. For example, you can say "Hey Siri, is the back door locked?" and she'll respond with whether or not it's currently locked. This is a really convenient feature, especially if you have multiple doors at home.
**Apple Home Key Support**
One of the most interesting features of this lock is its support for Apple Home Key. Home Key allows you to use the NFC radio in your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock or lock your door. This can be done simply by tapping your phone or watch on the lock, and it's a really convenient feature.
To enable Home Key, go into the Home app and click on the "+" icon. Select "HomeKey" as the accessory, and follow the prompts to pair it with your iPhone or Apple Watch. Once you've paired your lock with Home Key, you can use it to unlock or lock your door without having to authenticate with Face ID or a passcode.
Express Mode is a feature of Home Key that allows you to unlock or lock your door without requiring authentication. When Express Mode is enabled, you simply tap the lock and it will open or close automatically. This is really convenient for busy people who don't want to stop and think about unlocking their door every time they come home.
**Home Key Compatibility**
One of the things that's really cool about Home Key is its compatibility with multiple levels of locks. That means you can use it with a single lock, as well as multiple locks at home. This is because Home Key uses the NFC radio in your iPhone or Apple Watch to communicate with the lock, rather than relying on authentication.
I demonstrated this by using my garage lock and my back door lock both with the same Home Key. It's really easy to see how much more convenient it is to have a single lock that can be accessed with Home Key, rather than having multiple locks that require different credentials for each one.
**The Downsides of the Lock**
While this lock has many great features, there are also some downsides to consider. One thing that might be annoying for some people is that it doesn't come with a keypad built-in. While Level does sell its own keypad accessory, which can be placed pretty much anywhere around the lock, it's an $80 addition.
This might be a deal-breaker for some people who prefer to have a keypad as part of their lock. However, if you're looking for a minimalistic smart lock that integrates well with HomeKit and has features like Apple Home Key support, this might be the best option for you.