Amazon Key rolls out keyless entry, remote lock and unlock, and guest access to all US users and adds five new compatible smart locks, bringing total to eight
Keyless Entry, Guest Access, and Ability to Monitor and Lock/Unlock Your Door … Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge : Amazon's in-home delivery service now supports eight smart locks Lulu Chang / Digital Trends : Amazon Key home entry system now available in eight styles from Kwikset Nat Levy / GeekWire : Amazon Key expands nationwide, but in-home package delivery does not John Levite / iMore : Amazon Key just got a little less creepy and a lot more useful for everyone Kwikset Locks : Get a Smart Front Door with Kwikset and Amazon Key John Levite / Thrifter : Amazon Key is new, convenient, and a little creepy. Should you get it?
Context & Ripple Effects
Amazon Key began in October 2017 as a $250 bundle — a security camera plus a smart door lock that lets couriers physically unlock your front door for in-home delivery (the original camera-and-lock package). Adoption was gated on buying that specific hardware, and the 'courier unlocks your door' framing drew immediate unease.
This rollout changes the pitch: keyless entry, remote lock/unlock, and Guest Access go to all US users regardless of whether they sign up for in-home delivery, and five new compatible locks — largely from Kwikset — bring support to eight models. It follows Amazon adding fingerprint authentication on Android the month before, part of a steady effort to make granting physical access feel controlled rather than creepy.
First-order effects
- Every US user can now use Key as a standalone smart-lock app for remote locking and guest access, decoupling the product from the in-home delivery subscription it was built to serve.
- Kwikset and the other newly certified lock makers gain placement inside Amazon's own entry ecosystem, while owners of unsupported locks face pressure to replace hardware.
Second-order effects
- Lock manufacturers now compete for Amazon compatibility as a distribution channel, shifting the smart-lock market toward whoever meets Amazon's integration standard.
- Widening the user base beyond delivery customers builds the installed base of doors Amazon can open — the precondition for later moves like Key By Amazon extending to garage and business delivery.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, home entry becomes a platform layer that Amazon governs: more lock brands, more access points (front door, then garage), and more third parties authorized to enter — with trust and liability questions scaling alongside coverage, as the later in-garage delivery expansion to 13 more cities suggests.
The trend: Amazon is converting home access itself into a platform — broadening supported locks and entry points so its logistics network, not the homeowner's hardware choice, defines who can open a door.