Smart Lock App Control: Remote Access, Temporary Codes and Entry Logs

Half the questions we get during installations are not about fingerprints or PINs. They are about the app. Can I open the gate for my parents while I am at work? Can I give the part-time helper a code that only works on Tuesday mornings? Will I know what time the kids got home from school? On a WiFi model, the answer to all three is yes, and this guide walks through exactly what the app does, what it does not do, and who actually needs it.

One thing to be clear about up front: on every digital lock we install, the app is an optional layer. Fingerprint, PIN, RFID card and the mechanical key backup (where fitted) all work locally on the lock itself, with or without WiFi and with or without your phone. The app adds remote features on top of that. Keeping the two separate in your head makes the buying decision much easier for an HDB, BTO or condo unit.

Our WiFi models, like most smart locks sold in Singapore, connect through the Tuya or Smart Life platform, one of the largest smart-home ecosystems in the world. That means the app experience described below is broadly similar whether you pick a door lock like the Touch i9 or a camera gate lock like the Touch 300 Pro. If you are still deciding between unlock methods themselves, our fingerprint vs facial recognition comparison covers that side.

What can you do with a smart lock app?

A smart lock app typically lets you unlock remotely, issue temporary or one-time PIN codes, view a time-stamped entry log, receive low-battery alerts, and manage users without standing at the door. On camera models such as the Touch 300 Pro, it also adds a live view of your corridor and its visitors.

Here is the feature set most WiFi digital locks offer through Tuya or Smart Life, and who each feature actually helps:

Not every model has every row. The camera features are specific to doorcam locks like the Touch 300 Pro, while the code, log and alert features are common across most WiFi models in the range.

How do temporary and one-time PIN codes work?

You create the code in the app, choose whether it is one-time or valid for a schedule, and send it to the visitor over WhatsApp. They key it into the lock's keypad like a normal PIN. The code expires on its own, or you can revoke it early from your phone.

This is the feature that quietly wins people over, because it solves everyday Singapore situations neatly:

• Part-time helper or cleaner: a recurring code that works only during her scheduled hours, so you do not need to be home or hand over a physical key.
• Deliveries and contractors: a one-time code lets an aircon technician in while you watch remotely, and the code is useless afterwards.
• Guests and family: visiting relatives get a code for the week, and it simply stops working when they fly home.
• Tenants and room rentals: issue and revoke codes per tenant instead of changing cylinders between leases.

A practical note: creating or changing codes generally requires the lock to be online so the app can sync with it. Some Tuya models can also generate offline temporary codes using a rolling algorithm, but treat that as a bonus rather than a promise, and test it on your specific lock before relying on it.

Can you unlock the door from your phone when you are away?

Yes. On a WiFi model, you can unlock the gate or door from the office, from overseas, or from the void deck, as long as the lock is online and your phone has data. Most apps add a confirmation step, and often a password or biometric check, so a pocket tap cannot open your home.

The classic use cases we hear from customers: elderly parents who struggle with keys, kids who reach home before you do, and letting a relative in to water the plants while you are on holiday. On a camera gate lock like the Touch 300 Pro, you can see live video of who is standing in the corridor before you decide, which is a meaningful step up from unlocking blind.

This is also where the typical HDB layout works in your favour. Most flats have a metal gate in front of the wooden main door, so the connected, camera-equipped lock suits the gate facing the corridor, while a fast fingerprint lock like the Touch i19 handles the door behind it. Our guide on whether to fit the gate or the door first goes deeper on that split.

Do entry logs really show who came in?

They show which credential was used and when, which in practice tells you who, provided each person has their own fingerprint or code. The log reads like a timeline: fingerprint user 3 at 2.47pm, temporary PIN at 4.15pm, app unlock at 6.02pm.

The honest caveat is that a log is only as specific as your setup. If the whole family shares one PIN, the log can only say that the shared PIN was used, not which person keyed it in. Register individual fingerprints for family members and issue separate codes to helpers or tenants, and the log becomes genuinely useful.

Parents typically use it to confirm the kids are home from school without a phone call. Landlords use it to see whether an agent actually showed up for a viewing. And on camera models, an unlock event can come with a live view of the gate, which removes the guesswork.

Does the lock still work if the WiFi drops?

Yes. Fingerprint, PIN, card and key access run entirely on the lock and keep working during a WiFi outage, a router swap, or an internet service disruption. Only the remote features pause: you temporarily lose remote unlock, live view, and log syncing until the connection returns.

Codes that were already synced to the lock before the outage generally keep working too, since the lock checks them locally. The pause only affects issuing new codes and anything that needs the cloud. We cover the whole topic, including power outages and battery behaviour, in our battery, power and WiFi guide, so this section stays short: your family will not be locked out because Netflix went down.

Is app control worth it, or should I skip WiFi?

It is worth it if you regularly let other people into your home: helpers, cleaners, deliveries, tenants, or family who visit while you are out. If your household is the only set of hands on the door and everyone has a registered fingerprint, you can skip WiFi and lose very little.

We will be straight with you: a portion of our customers set up the app on day one and rarely open it again, because fingerprint entry at the door covers 95 per cent of daily life. The app earns its keep in the exceptions, the locked-out teenager, the contractor visit, the overseas trip. How often those exceptions happen in your home is the real question.

Price-wise, WiFi capability is usually built into the model tier rather than sold separately, and the range runs roughly S$319 to S$459, GST-inclusive, across door and gate locks. Our cost and GST breakdown has the details, and the complete buying guide helps you match features to your household rather than paying for ones you will never open.

How is the app kept secure?

Major platforms like Tuya and Smart Life encrypt traffic between the lock, the cloud and your phone, and unlock commands require you to be signed in to your account. The practical risk for a home user is usually a weak account password, not someone attacking the lock's radio in your corridor.

So the security work is mostly on your side, and it is simple:

• Use a strong, unique password for your Tuya or Smart Life account, not one recycled from other logins.
• Turn on any extra sign-in verification the app offers.
• Remove old codes and users promptly when a helper or tenant moves on.
• If you rent out rooms, remember entry logs are personal data about your tenants; under Singapore's PDPA, collect and keep only what you reasonably need.

No connected device is perfectly immune, and any vendor who claims otherwise is overselling. But a well-maintained account on an established platform is a reasonable, widely accepted level of risk, and it is worth remembering the lock still enforces every local credential itself. For the broader picture on hacking, picking and physical attacks, read our guide on whether digital locks are safe in Singapore.

Where to see WiFi models side by side

If app control sounds useful for your household, the WiFi-equipped models to compare are the Touch i9 for the wooden main door and the Touch 200 Pro or Touch 300 Pro for the metal gate, all on the Tuya / Smart Life platform. Browse the range at the OpenTouch store, with prices from around S$319 GST-inclusive, free certified same-day installation across Singapore and a 2-year local warranty. Not sure which model fits your door and gate? Message us on WhatsApp at +65 9139 0778 and send a photo, and we will tell you honestly whether you need the WiFi features or can save money without them.