Google Wallet now works as a digital home key, letting Android users open compatible smart locks by tapping a phone against the lock or simply approaching it.
The feature is in public preview in the Google Home app. Google said in its announcement that it will reach everyone "over the coming weeks." Google Home already offered some unlocking functionality, but this update is different in kind: it uses the Near Field Communication (NFC) and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) hardware inside the phone. NFC is the short-range radio behind tap-to-pay. UWB is a precise location radio that can tell a lock when you are close, which is what makes the hands-free approach possible.
The Aqara u400 is one of the few smart locks that currently supports Google Wallet's digital home keys. That short list is the practical catch. The software is ready before much of the hardware is, and a phone-side feature only helps if the lock on your door speaks the same language.
The timing is also a catch-up. Samsung and Apple users have had this convenience for a while, so Google is arriving late to a feature its rivals treat as routine.
The open question is how quickly lock makers add support now that Android's largest platform vendor has a standard path for it. Until that list grows, the rollout date matters less than the lock you already own.