I’m thinking about buying a Nuki Smart Lock Go (the Pro version is not compatible with my lock). On the website, it says: “Remote Access purchased separately built-in Wi-Fi or Thread.”
This option costs one-third of the product price, just for an activation.
What exactly is this option ?
Without this option, can I still connect the Nuki Smart Lock Go to Home Assistant via Wi-Fi? Or is the Wi-Fi antenna disabled if I don’t pay ?
I’m not interested in remote access via the internet and Nuki’s servers, nor in the automations offered by the Nuki app. However, I would like to have local Wi-Fi access at home and connect it to Home Assistant. That way it’s more flexible and I can do what I want.
If it’s not possible to connect to Home Assistant via Wi-Fi without paying, is it possible via Bluetooth ? For example with ESPHome ?
I have the older Nuki Smart Lock Gen 4 (non-pro meaning without wifi but with thread). Here I needed to purchase Matter over Thread to access from HA. What is actually free is BT either over Nukis hub or self made option.
I have no knowledge of Matter or Thread — this is the first time I’ve heard of them. That’s why it would be easier to connect it via Wi-Fi to HA if that’s possible, rather than paying €50. But the information isn’t clear, which is why I was looking for feedback from owners.
[quote=“”]
Can I use my Smart Lock Go also without Remote Access?
Yes you can use your Smart Lock Go also without purchasing Remote Access. In that case all features and functions of you Smart Lock are only available while you are in Bluetooth range of the device. Thanks to it’s Matter-compatibility the Smart Lock Go can be integrated into your smart home without purchasing Remote Access.[/quote]
[quote=“”]
Do I need Remote Access if my Smart Lock Go is already integrated into my smart home over Matter?
With Matter, you can easily integrate your Nuki Go into the smart home system of your choice. This allows you to lock or unlock your Nuki remotely via your smart home platform. However, it does not allow you to manage your device remotely. For example, you cannot assign access permissions, change settings, or check your activity log from a distance. If you purchase and enable Remote Access for your Nuki Go, you can use the full functionality of the Nuki app remotely.
That’s the problem. I don’t know if it has Wi-fi without paying. The device has Wi-fi built-in but it requires a payment for remote access.
I don’t know exactly what this payment is for. To enable the Wi-fi interface ? Or is it only for the remote access via the Nuki app ? Etc.
Just reading the title I expected already that the answer who owns it is probably: the manufacture
The TOS accepted when buying or when onboarding probably only gives the buyer a limited, revokable right to make use of the lock.
At least they are honest and tell you that you can’t make full use of their device locally. But does it help? Probably not. People read matter and fail for the marketing (lies?) and just figure out down the road that they got a half cake
So while this device seem to not allow full ownership or even full local control nuki get’s announced (can’t use promoted/advertise without risking censorship) in official HA channels - but at least it works with home assistant - they say?
Yours probably isn’t one of the “great” 3 (which also don’t seem to allow full local control or ownership)
Digging a bit more, it indeed seems wifi is disabled. Payment to enable.
Matter however should be ok to do without payment, but then you require thread border router ( hub).
It’s nice that nuki seemingly tolerates this at the moment despite it might violating their TOS and minimzes revenue (they can’t sell you remote access anymore). Thing is with companies you never know what will happen in the future:
The new owners from futurehome (devices & company) even went that far to threaten potential buyers of their hardware who try the circumvent the bricking (restore local access) without paying with the police
There are no TOS that could apply here, everything is handled locally.
This also doesn’t circumvent any measures (like some form of DRM) that would make its use illegal, it uses the same protocol that the Nuki bridge does, and reverse engineering protocols is, at least in my country (NL), not illegal (although the protocol is officially documented).
TOS very often contain invalid (by law not allowed) clauses. For example shelly TOS says (or said?) if you flash a new firmware the guaranteed is void. While this might be applicable in the USA it is not applicable in most (all?) the EU due to consumer protection legislation.
And while it might be legal (or not arcoding § 138ab?) in the Netherlands you might violate the law in a neighboring country like Germany doing the exact same thing (§ 202c) risking up to two years of prison for example (the applicable law is not limited to DRM protected stuff!).
Same thing is was true for the “always local” ZigBee/Z-Wave/Matter-ready Hub sold by futurehome… until they shipped the update deactivating all local function until the annual ransom fee was played to restore (formerly free and local) functions
Again, this is the status quo and you have simply no guarantee that this will not change in the future. An firmware update could remove this functions or put them behind a paywall at anytime.
Just spend 2 minutes cross reading the link (TOS) and it obviously grands Nuki the rights to limit vor discontinue “your” API any time (and without reason) as they please
API Limitations
NUKI may set and enforce limits on your use of the APIs (e.g. limiting the number of API requests that you may make or the number of users you may serve), in our sole discretion. You agree to, and will not attempt to circumvent, such limitations documented with each API
…
NUKI reserves the right to discontinue your access to the APIs or any portion or feature for any reason and at any time without liability or other obligation to you
Literally prepared to allow/enable any enshittification/crapificiation they (or new business owners) like to do.
I didn’t sign anything when I bought my Nuki lock, so it’s arguable if any TOS actually apply.
The relevant article in Dutch law is Auteurswet article 45m. Wetboek van Strafrecht article 138b doesn’t apply because, like I said, there is no circumvention being performed by the Nuki hub software.
I don’t see how the German law you’re linking to is relevant, this subject isn’t related to “data espionage or phishing”.
Have they actually sued someone for this, or have they just made threats?
True, although this particular device cannot perform automated firmware updates because I never paid for WiFi access
I have read it, and it reads like a generic API TOS that mostly covers hosted API’s, not BT/BLE API’s. There is no way for Nuki to limit BT/BLE access without a firmware update.
In any case, I trust Nuki more than most other smart lock manufacturers, in that they are actually willing to provide quite detailed API documentation for their devices.
Could they enshittify their devices? Yes.
Can I stop them from doing that to my lock? Yes, by not updating its firmware.
Can I still use my lock fully locally without any future firmware updates? Yes, that’s what I’m doing now.
Are you realy sure? The moment you first started using the device you downloaded the nuki app from the app store and upon first use you were probably obligated to accept the TOS (and maybe other things like data collection etc.). It’s a simple technical trick to don’t even make usage possible without agreeing to the terms (obviously nobody reads the small print)
And here is were the German law still applies. Even if there is no circumvention needed you still qualify for punishment - actually it is enough to prepare for it without ever having accessed “your” device. It goes even far that solely the posesion of tools which couls enable you to get access to “your” device (like Kali OS or any program they ship) is already punishable by law!
Don’t stop with the headline, read the content
acquiring for themselves or another, selling, supplying to another, disseminating or making available in another way
passwords or other security codes which provide access to data (section 202a (2)) or
computer programs for the purpose of the commission of such an offence
incurs a penalty of imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine.
In a nutshell this even inclides identifying, reporting and closing security vulnerabilities found on public accessible servers. And yes, people were convicted for such cases already. Different countries different laws.
Does it really make a difference? They removed all local functions via firmware update (probably had a similar TOS prepared as nuki) and have the insolence to even threaten their customers at the same time?
I guess, otherwise you have probably chosen a device which gives you full ownership and full local control without the possibility of third parties
And this is essentially all you got: trust. You have new guarantee that future owners which conventional
Not doing firmware updates for connected devices (especially locks ) sounds only great in a very limited fashion. In case of security vulnerabilities you should actually update. Never change a running system should not apply here
FWIW: The people from Nuki have stated they intentionally try to be compatible with other hubs and have publicly stated you can use them.
Further they ship MQTT functionality and are clearly open to you using whatever you want to use to talk to their devices. I see no issue at all.
’ Integrate Nuki into your Smart Home faster than ever before’:
And also check the list of compatible Matter hubs:
I personally have a Pro 4th Gen (which physically looks like a Smart Lock Go) and i use Wifi and MQTT to get information into HA. It is rock-solid.
The exact same marketing strategy was communicated by futurehome before they intentionally bricked their formerly fully local Z-Wavev/ZigBee/Matter-ready hub and started their extortion (and by accident increased the company value/revenue?)
That means (unlike it is the case with @robertklep device which can’t talk to nukis server atm) the exact same thing like with futurehome could theoretically happen. Technically and legally everything seems in place at nuki to strip or limit local functions and introduce some subscription fees.
It’s not that I think the present team in charge for nuki (that I have no idea who they are) plans to do some rugpull but realisticly cooperate greed always wins - and with futurehome it also was a change of management (or ownership?) which started the enshittification train
And well, futurehome is really just one of many
Heating company Tado is again in hot water. They previously tested charging monthly to access their app, which used to be free. This month, they’re taking previously free features and locking them behind a subscription. New users will now need a paid subscription to link a smart radiator valve with a smart thermostat. A feature they say is now powered by AI, but I think it’s powered by investor greed.
Enshittification is no doubt on the rise and the only solution that protects is to not have trust in vendors and don’t allow them to take/have ownership over your device
This can be the case investing in device with full ownership, full local control and zero bullshit. Like the ones available by Apollo automation as an example
) sounds only great in a very limited fashion. In case of security vulnerabilities you should actually update. Never change a running system should not apply here 
