What happens when the SwitchBot smart lock’s battery is about to run out (errors and behavior) | TeraDas

Easy to retrofit. The SwitchBot smart lock is an IoT-enabled lock for entrance doors, etc. It doesn’t require a power supply, but I’d like to record the behavior I’ve already experienced to see what happens when the battery is about to die.

Hopefully this will be useful for those who are concerned about the detailed behavior when the battery runs out and are having trouble implementing it.

(*This is a story about “SwitchBot Smart Lock,” not “SwitchBot Smart Lock Pro.”)

Switchbot

Switchbot

Battery level is low → Notifications will be sent at full capacity

When the SwitchBot smart lock’s battery level is low, it will send notifications in the following ways. (As of September 2023)

1. A red light lights up on the lock body and a beep sounds.

When the SwitchBot lock’s battery power is low, the LED on the lock’s body will first flash red and then beep.

The volume level is moderate, but the sound quality is harsh. Even at first glance, it’s behavior that makes you realize something is wrong.

The bell seems to ring only once. If you miss it, it doesn’t seem to ring again. (Sorry if this is my imagination)

In the case of the dual lock setup shown below, you would want to use this error to determine which of the two locks has a dead battery, but for operational reasons,It would be a good idea to replace both batteries as a set.. It seems that there is no need to worry about the person who caused the error.

(If you’re in the hands of someone as frozen as my partner, you may be told that you can’t remember which part of the double lock caused the error at all.)

2. Application notifications

The next alert you will notice will be notifications in the SwitchBot app.

When the smart lock battery is about to run out,

The battery is low and cannot be opened. Please replace the battery early and make sure to bring your key with you when you go out.

An error message will be displayed in red, and the battery level in the app will be displayed as empty in red.

When setting the double lock, of the two batteries shown, the left one was the main lock and the right one was the sub-lock. (in my home environment)

If you miss the physical warning sound or flashing red LED, or if you ask a family member who isn’t familiar with smartphones to replace the battery, it can be a little difficult to tell which lock has a dead battery.

Basically, it is recommended to replace the batteries of both locks at the same time, but if you really want to replace just one, please refer to this.

3. SwitchBot email notifications

You will also receive a battery warning via email from SwitchBot.

If you run a home mailing list, you can also get noticed via email.

If you open the link in the email, you can easily purchase the “CR123A 3V Lithium Battery” directly from the SwitchBot mail order site.

4. Amazon Alexa email notifications

When linked to Amazon Alexa, you’ll also receive email notifications from Alexa.

The main point of Alexa’s emails is that it suggests ‘Smart Reorder’, which is an automatic notification and ordering function when consumer goods are low.

Please note that emails from Alexa will arrive with a slight delay. (Arrived about 6 hours late)

Amazon’s Smart Reorder service is known for products like Hitachi and Sharp washing machines, Brother inkjet printers, and ECOVACS robot vacuums, but it also supports SwitchBot smart locks.

5. Amazon Alexa notifications

In addition, notifications were also sent to Amazon Alexa-compatible smart speakers. If this is the case, even the most sensitive people will want to replace the battery.

*Alexa-related notifications may not appear depending on environment and settings.

Recalibration is required after replacing the battery

SwitchBot Smart LockAfter replacing the battery, the lock must be recalibrated.it will be.

Recalibration is not possible online.The distance at which you can connect the lock itself to Bluetooth, or ratherYou should always stand in front of the door and recalibrate.

If you are out of Bluetooth range, an error like the one shown below will occur and you will not be able to calibrate.

The calibration work itself is the same as during installation. It’s not difficult.

When a double lock occurs, it is recommended to replace the batteries in a set of two.

Personally, if there is one door and two locks (double lock, double lock, double lock) such as entrance door and back door,Even if one lock’s battery dies, we recommend replacing both batteries.To do so.

This is because even if only one of the dual lock batteries is replaced, calibration work will be required, which is annoying, and I feel like it is surprisingly difficult for one battery to run out of power. (This may depend on use and environment)

Even if the battery is replaced, the settings around dual locking, such as “manual unlock interlock function”, will likely be preserved. Since there is a possibility of issues like “settings skipped”, I think it would be easier to replace the batteries in a set of two.

By the way, I’m using this CR123A battery for replacement.

Switchbot

Switchbot

It’s hard to forget to change the battery due to so many notifications

Even after the SwitchBot Smart Lock’s battery level warning appears, you can still use the unlock/lock functions.

However, if you leave it in this state, you run the risk of getting locked out, so it’s best to take the physical key with you. (I feel that if the battery voltage drops, the torque will drop a bit, which can easily lead to physical problems.)

First, when you receive this many notifications, it’s natural to want to replace the battery.

My honest opinion at home is that there are very few instances where you encounter a situation where the battery runs out without you even realizing it.

After all, even my very cold and generous partner noticed something strange about the smart lock.