Five most common questions about Troubleshooting the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock

Troubleshooting FAQ

What Phones Are Compatible with Yale Devices?
iOS
Yale devices are compatible with newer phone models running iOS 14 or greater*. Information to help you determine the compatible iOS devices is available here.
Android
Yale devices are compatible with most Android phones equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 and running Android 8* or higher. We routinely test with phones from the major manufacturers, including Samsung, Google, and HTC.
In some cases on specific phones, the Android Bluetooth stack can get stuck in a bad state, and may need to be re-started by the user by turning Bluetooth on and off. Below are specific devices where performance has been inconsistent:
- OnePlus Phones
- LG V10
- LG G4
- LG V10
- LG G4
- Realme 7
- Huawei P30
How to Invite a New Owner to Your HomeKit Compatible Smart Lock
If you have a HomeKit-enabled Smart Lock, adding a new Owner and giving them HomeKit access can be done at the same time. Watch the video below for a brief overview of the process.
PLEASE NOTE: The invited HomeKit user must also be an Owner of the smart lock in the Yale Access App and they must accept the HomeKit invite from the Home App. Then, they must access the lock over Bluetooth with the Yale Access App 2-3 times to finalize the HomeKit invite.
The invited HomeKit user should be able to connect to the lock over HomeKit following the steps below:
1. Accept the HomeKit invite inside the Home App
2. Once the invite has been accepted, open the Yale Access App and connect to the lock over Bluetooth
If they cannot connect to the lock using the Home App, they need to repeat step 2.
What are the Different Types of Guest Access?
Access levels and schedules determine how much access a lock user has as well as when they have permission to control the lock.
Yale offers 2 access levels: Owner and Guest. A lock Owner has full access to the lock and Guests have limited access (outlined under Access Levels). Only lock Owners can invite Guests to a lock. When inviting Guests, you can customize their access level and choose to be notified when they operate your lock.
There are also different Access Schedules: Always, Recurring, and Temporary (outlined under Access Schedules).
Access Levels
Owners
Lock Owners are users who:
- Can lock and unlock door via Yale Access App
- Can lock and unlock door via Personal Entry Code (Using Smart Keypad)
- Can use Auto-Unlock
- Can invite/remove other owners
- Can control all lock settings
- Can view activity feed
- Can view guest list
Guests
Guest is the default access level for anyone invited to your Yale Smart Lock, but you can update a person's access level when you invite them to your lock or at any time thereafter. Guest users:
- Can lock and unlock door via Yale Access App*
- Can lock and unlock door via Personal Entry Code (Using Smart Keypad)
- Cannot use Auto-Unlock
- Cannot invite/remove other owners
- Cannot control all lock settings
- Cannot view activity feed
- Cannot view guest list
*Cellular data or an Internet connection is required. Due to the 3 Guest Access Schedules, our servers need to verify that the guest is connecting during the timeframe that they are authorized.
Access Schedules
Always - Guests will have unlimited access, but the owner can change or delete their access at any time.
Recurring - Guests will have a scheduled access that repeats. i.e. guests will be invited every Tuesday for a short period of time.
Temporary - Guests will have a limited invitation to your home that expires. i.e. guests will have access for a one time use, limited to the date and time you've selected.
How Do I Find My Lock's Serial Number?
You can find your lock's serial number using the Yale Access App. Select the Gear Icon ⚙ in the lower right-hand corner of the lock circle screen.
Select Lock Settings, then Device Information to view the serial number for your lock
I need to reset a previously-owned device
Previously-Owned Yale Smart Locks need to be factory reset before they can be set up by a new owner. If you tried setting up a previously-owned device that was not factory reset before you acquired it, Yale needs permission from the previous owner to factory reset the device on their behalf.
It may take up to 30-days for the previous owner to respond to your request. If you purchased the lock directly from a person or 3rd party seller, you may wish to contact them and ask them to reset the device in order to expedite the process. Once the device has been factory reset, you will receive a notification to continue setting up the device.
If you purchased the device from a retailer, please contact them about an exchange.
I received a request to factory reset my lock
If you received an email requesting to reset a device you used to own, it means that someone is requesting permission to reset a lock that is currently registered under your account. To grant them permission, select YES.
By accepting the request, you as an owner of the device are giving Yale the permission to factory reset the lock. This means you will be giving up ownership of the lock and accept that once the lock is reset, all existing users will lose access to it.
PLEASE NOTE: The request expires after 30 days.
How Do I Find My Lock's Serial Number?
You can find your lock's serial number using the Yale Access App. Select the Gear Icon ⚙ in the lower right-hand corner of the lock circle screen.
Select Lock Settings, then Device Information to view the serial number for your lock
Apple Watch and Yale Access
If you have an Apple Watch and a Yale Smart Access product used with Wi-Fi and the Yale Access app, you can use your Apple Watch to lock and unlock. Open the Yale Access App on the device. Tap the green lock circle to unlock the door. Conversely, tap the red lock circle to lock it again.
PLEASE NOTE: The Yale Access Apple Watch App is available to Lock Owners only. Auto-Unlock does not work with Apple Watch. Remote operations are not possible.
How do I Factory Reset my lock?
A factory reset erases all guest and owner data from your lock, restoring it back to its original, out-of-the-box settings. It also removes the lock from any owner or guest keychains that it is affiliated with.
You do not need to be near your lock to reset it; however, you will need to have access to the lock in order to re-calibrate it. If there is a Keypad paired with the lock, the Keypad must be disconnected before factory resetting the lock.
Factory reset instructions
Follow the steps below to perform a factory reset on your lock:
On your phone, open the Yale Access App and go to the lock circle screen, which is the screen that shows you whether your door is locked or unlocked.
Select the Settings menu (gear icon).
Select the device you wish to reset.
Scroll to factory reset.
Select "Reset Lock".
These steps should restore your lock to its factory settings.
If you attempt a factory reset when you’re not connected to Bluetooth, you will receive a "Trouble Connecting to Lock" notification. If possible, try factory resetting the next time you are in Bluetooth range. If you have moved and you are unable to factory reset while in Bluetooth range of the lock, select "Reset Anyway" when you receive the notification
I do not receive notifications from the Yale Access App, why not?
In order to receive notifications for your Yale Smart Cabinet Lock, you must have the Yale Access Wi-Fi bridge set up with your Yale Access App.

My Yale Smart Cabinet Lock is beeping and flashing, what does it mean?

Warning SOUND/LED's explained:

Activity	Color	Flashes	Sound
Unlock Cabinet Lock	Green	3 x	3 beeps
Lock Cabinet Lock	Red	3 x	2 Beeps
Open Cabinet Lock	Red	2 x
Close Cabinet Lock	Green	2 x
Low Battery - causing auto unlock	Red, Green, Blue	20 x	2 beeps
BLE Communication Error	Red, Green, Blue	1 x	1 Beep
Key authentication Error w/Lock and BLE	Red, Blue	5 x	2 beeps
Motor Error	Red	3x	1 Beep
Device Powered One	Purple	2 x	2 beeps
Wrong Pin Code Entered on Smart Keypad	Red	3 x	2 Beeps