Wyze’s Lock Bolt can now be unlocked from anywhere

We’ve called the Wyze Lock Bolt one of the very best values in smart locks, but there was a catch: The Lock Bolt could only be locked or unlocked when you were within Bluetooth range of your door.

Thanks to a new firmware upgrade, however, you’ll now be able to unlock the Lock Bolt from anywhere, provided you’re also the owner of the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro.

The new firmware, which is now available, lets the Bluetooth-only Lock Bolt use the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro’s chime as a Wi-Fi bridge, allowing the smart deadbolt to access the internet.

This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks.

Once the Lock Bolt is connected to the Video Doorbell Pro via Bluetooth, you’ll be able to use the Wyze app to remotely unlock your door, even if you’re nowhere near your doorstep.

It’s worth noting that the new firmware only enables remote unlocking of the Lock Bolt, not locking or other functionality. That said, the Lock Bolt has an auto-lock feature that can lock your door automatically after a set period of time.

Besides the new firmware, Wyze also announced a new color for the Lock Bolt: satin nickel, which will go alongside the existing matte black color. Both versions of the Wyze Lock Bolt sell for $73.99 plus shipping.

The Wyze Lock Bolt arrived last spring, and we gave the deadbolt our Editors’ Choice award.

At the time, our reviewer called the Wyze Lock Bolt a “phenomenal value” so long as “you can do without Wi-Fi connectivity,” a criticism that’s been at least partially addressed with the new firmware update.

The Lock Bolt also boasts an onboard fingerprint reader, the ability to create unique access PINs for visitors, and a log of who unlocked the door and when.

Meanwhile, the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro ($90) can shoot 1440p video with a 150-degree field of view, and operates on either battery power or low-voltage wiring.

Motion detection is also supported, but you’ll need to pony up for a Cam Plus subscription ($1.99 a month, or $19.99 a year) for full-length video recording and AI-powered detection of people, packages, and pets.