Ecobee’s doorbell and security system integrates Yale and August smart locks

If you have an Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera, you should now be able to let someone in more easily by tapping “unlock” right from the live view in the Ecobee app rather than jumping into your smart lock app. If you use Ecobee’s Smart Security system, you can also have the door lock when you arm the system. But it won’t unlock when you disarm the system and putting your PIN code into the door lock won’t turn off the system.

The new integration will work with any Wi-Fi-enabled smart lock from Yale or August that uses the Yale or August app (Fortune Brands owns both companies). This includes my top pick for a smart lock, the Yale Assure 2 (with Wi-Fi), plus the August Wi-Fi smart lock and the new Yale Approach lock.

The door lock feature requires an Ecobee subscription plan, which starts at $5 a month or $50 annually and includes 30 days of video storage for your doorbell camera. Once you link your Ecobee and Yale or August accounts, you can control the door lock in the Ecobee app and link it to the Ecobee security system. (Sadly, while you can view a live feed from your doorbell on an Ecobee Thermostat, you won’t be able to control the lock directly on the thermostat.)

This partnership is a nice upgrade for Ecobee users and makes the platform more viable as a complete smart home system. In addition to the video doorbell and the smart thermostat, Ecobee has an indoor camera, and its smart security system (which can use its thermostat as a hub) works with Ecobee’s motion and contact sensors. But it’s a shame the new integration is locked behind a subscription.

Several companies already offer the ability to lock or unlock your door from a live view of your doorbell camera for free. Ring doorbells can do this with the Schlage Encode smart lock, and any Apple Home-compatible smart lock can work with any Apple Home-compatible doorbell to allow this in the Home app. Companies like Eufy and Aqara, which make both smart locks and doorbell cameras, also have it.

Matter should eventually be able to provide this type of cross-manufacturer integration for free when (or if) cameras become part of the spec. However, despite early promises of Matter compatibility, Ecobee hasn’t upgraded any of its products to support the new smart home standard.

For hardware companies moving into subscription services to guarantee more recurring revenue, it’s easy to see why Matter and its potential for commodification may not seem so appealing. Ecobee already works with every major smart home platform — including Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings, Alexa, and Google Home — making Matter’s interoperability feature less of a draw.

Ultimately, proprietary partnerships like this one, which rely on cloud-based connections and specific hardware, may be less compelling to users than Matter, with its promise of local control and wider interoperability. But until Matter becomes seamless and easy to use, paying $5 a month for everything to just work holds some appeal.