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Around The Home

Not home? Amazon Key lets the delivery person slip inside

By Nick Lavars
October 25, 2017
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Users of Amazon's Key service can watch on in real-time through the Cloud Cam or review the video afterwards
Amazon points out that its Key service could also be useful when it comes to letting in dog walkers, pet sitters and house cleaners
The service is free for Amazon Prime members, but they will need to shell out US$250 for the Amazon Key In-Home Kit
Once a compatible smart lock and Amazon Cloud Cam security camera are installed, the dedicated Amazon Key smartphone app handles the rest
Once a compatible smart lock and Amazon Cloud Cam security camera are installed, the dedicated Amazon Key smartphone app handles the rest
Notifications are pushed to the Amazon Key user's phone letting them know a delivery is underway and then when it has been completed
Users of Amazon's Key service can watch on in real-time through the Cloud Cam or review the video afterwards
View gallery - 6 images

The era of online shopping has made things more convenient in a lot of ways, but having items turn up when you aren't home can still create a bit of a headache. Last month Walmart put forward a kind of unnerving idea where couriers just go ahead and let themselves in to complete the delivery, something Amazon is also now keen to test out with a new service called Amazon Key.

Walmart's solution had its employees enter a customer's home by punching a one-time passcode into a smart keypad, which is authorized by the customer beforehand. Amazon Key works a little differently, in that it once a compatible smart lock and Amazon Cloud Cam security camera are installed, the dedicated smartphone app handles the rest.

Once an order is placed, user can select the "in-home" option in the app. This means that when the delivery driver turns up, they can request access to the residence and Amazon then verifies that the correct driver is at the correct address at the correct time. The Cloud Cam is an extra layer of security, starting to record and capture any nefarious activity once the in-home delivery is approved by Amazon.

The service is free for Amazon Prime members, but they will need to shell out US$250 for the Amazon Key In-Home Kit

Meanwhile, notifications are pushed to the customer's phone letting them know the delivery is underway and then when it has been completed. They can watch on in real-time through the Cloud Cam or review the video afterwards.

We're sure plenty will have reservations about handing over their home security to Amazon in this way, even if it is meant to be a one-time event. In any case, Amazon is pushing the concept pretty hard, rolling it out in 37 US cities on November 8, with others to follow. It points out that Amazon Key could also be useful when it comes to letting in dog walkers, pet sitters and house cleaners.

Amazon points out that its Key service could also be useful when it comes to letting in dog walkers, pet sitters and house cleaners

The service is free for Amazon Prime members, but they will need to shell out US$250 for the Amazon Key In-Home Kit, which includes a compatible smart lock made by Yale or Kwikset and the Cloud Cam.

Source: Amazon

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Nick Lavars
Nick has been writing and editing at New Atlas for over six years, where he has covered everything from distant space probes to self-driving cars to oddball animal science. He previously spent time at The Conversation, Mashable and The Santiago Times, earning a Masters degree in communications from Melbourne’s RMIT University along the way.
7 comments
Smitty Jl
What could possibly go wrong?
vince
A lot can go wrong if the customer is deaf. Most doorbells signalers are a joke--the lights are never bright enough to be seen in daylight. Thus when the Amazon deliverer rings the doorbell, the owner won't know there there and the deliverer will open the door and if the owner is naked or armed someone is going to get shot.
vince
The 'Make my Day' law would STILL apply!
Fred Flintstone
I would rather spend my money on a jobsite storage box, anchor it to my porch or somewhere near my front door or front fence, put a lock on it that locks automatically when closed, and leave it open so the delivery person can deposit the package inside and close it. I'll know when the package has been delivered when I come home and see that the storage box is closed.
I'm not sure what the world is coming to when it seems okay to give unknown people access to your home, but I'm never giving any delivery people access to my property, that's for sure.
BanisterJH
I've often considered that it's quite useful for a house to have a foyer - someplace to let people come in out of the cold and rain, while not yet letting them in to the rest of the house. This sort of delivery would work quite nicely for a house with a foyer.
ljaques
What could possibly go wrong by allowing your house to be opened via the Internet, which is so very secure? But, Vince, homeowners with guns are quite selective about who or what they shoot. Guys with brown UPS hats, yellow/red DHL hats, or wearing purple/orange FedEX caps aren't likely to be harmed. Most packages would be secure, too, as they aren't pointing guns at the homeowner. Relax, eh?
noteugene
They're there you mean. I'm a deaf guy & I would'nt shoot anyone if I was naked & they walked in. Somebody's tripping. Who walks around naked wearing a holster anyway? Dude....your strange. You would'nt have anyone to shoot at anyway.......they'd be long gone. No more deliveries to your house.
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