Google Wallet can now unlock your front door with a tap

A digital home key is a key stored in your wallet app instead of on a metal ring. Your phone proves it is you, and the lock decides whether to open.

You add the key from the Google Home app. After you set up a compatible lock, Home asks you to save the key to Google Wallet. You can also find it later in Home settings under the Google Wallet key option.

Why it matters: the key is tied to your Google Home setup, not to one lock. Each compatible lock in your home works with the same single key in your wallet. The key also syncs on its own across compatible Android phones that use your Google Wallet account.

In the wallet, the key shows up as a simple card. It has the Google Home logo and your home's name in the top right corner.

Tap to Unlock uses NFC, short for near-field communication. It is the same short-range radio your phone uses to pay at a store. You hold the back of the phone near the lock's reader, and the lock opens.

By default, this works even when your phone screen is locked. That matters when your hands are full. If you want more protection, you can change the verification settings in Google Wallet. You can ask for your screen lock or a biometric check, such as a fingerprint, before the door opens.

Tap to Unlock needs an NFC-enabled Android phone running Android 9 or later. That covers a large number of phones.

In real life You come home with two bags of groceries. You press the back of your phone against the lock, hear the click, and push the door open with your elbow.

Unlock on Approach is the hands-free version. The lock notices you walking up and opens without a tap.

It relies on UWB, or ultra-wideband. UWB is a radio technology that measures distance very precisely, so the lock can tell how far away your phone is. Aqara, the maker of one of the supported locks, says UWB tracks the path of the person walking, using timing and the angle of the signal. That helps avoid accidental unlocks when you are standing inside the house or walking past the door.

You have to switch this feature on yourself in Google Wallet. It also needs two things:

• An Aliro UWB phone: Google names the Pixel 10 Pro series and above. Select UWB-enabled Samsung Galaxy phones also work.
• An Aliro UWB lock: an NFC-only lock can still tap to unlock, but it cannot open on approach.

Aliro is an open standard for smart locks. A standard is a shared set of rules that lets products from different companies work together. The Connectivity Standards Alliance released Aliro 1.0 on February 26, 2026. The same group is behind Matter, the standard for smart home gadgets.

The idea is that any phone can unlock any lock that follows the rules. Aliro supports NFC for tapping, Bluetooth LE for longer range, and UWB for hands-free entry. It uses asymmetric cryptography, a way of locking and checking data with a pair of keys, so the phone and the lock can trust each other without sharing secrets.

The first group of companies in the Aliro program included Apple, Google, Samsung, Allegion, Aqara, HID, Kwikset and Nuki, among others. Google's new feature is built on this standard.

The big picture: One standard means one key can work with locks from several brands. You are less tied to a single phone maker or lock maker.

The list is short for now. Google names three locks at launch:

• Aqara u400: supports both UWB and NFC.
• Schlage Sense Pro: NFC at launch, with UWB to follow.
• Nuki Keypad 2 NFC: supports NFC.

Google says support for more locks is on the way. The Aqara u400 first launched in January 2026 with Apple's Home Key support, at $270 in the US. It is battery-powered and also opens with a physical key, a fingerprint or a passcode.

You need a hub. That is a small home device, such as the 2nd-gen Nest Hub, that connects the lock to your home network. It must be Matter-enabled and include a Thread Border Router. Thread is a low-power network that smart home gadgets use to talk to each other.

Here is the full checklist in one place:

Wear OS smartwatches are not supported at launch. Google's wording suggests that could change later.

Apple and Samsung users have had this for a while. Apple's Home Key has worked in Apple Wallet with compatible locks, including the Aqara u400, and it uses NFC and UWB for hands-free entry.

Samsung announced its Digital Home Key in early March 2026, also built on Aliro. It works with locks from Aqara, Nuki, Schlage, Ultraloq and Xthings. Samsung says the key data is protected by its Knox security platform, which meets the EAL6+ certification standard used in high-security settings.

Google Home already had some unlocking tools. What it lacked was the wallet-based key that uses a phone's NFC and UWB chips. Now it has one.

Everyone who is linked to the same Google Home account can add their own key to their own Google Wallet. Each person has a key on their own phone. A guest key is not part of this launch announcement.

If you share a home, you do not need to pass around one phone or one fob. That is the practical win for families and roommates.

The feature is rolling out first in the Google Home public preview. Google says it will reach all users over the coming weeks. So you may not see it today even with a compatible lock.

• Check your lock first: only three models work at launch. If yours is not on the list, watch for updates.
• Check your hub: you need a Matter-enabled Google hub with Thread Border Router, such as the 2nd-gen Nest Hub.
• Know your phone: tap to unlock works on Android 9 and up. Walk-up unlocking needs a UWB phone like the Pixel 10 Pro series or newer.
• Set the safety level: you can ask for a screen lock or fingerprint before the door opens.