Dear community,
I recently bought and installed the Aqara Smart Lock U400. The basic stuff is working fine, but I haven’t been able to get the UWB feature to work. After some research (including in this forum), I think the problem is that my specific Apple TV model (A2737 = Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) Wi-Fi) doesn’t have the required Thread border router capability. My existing smart home setup relies mainly on an Aeotec Smart Home Hub and the SmartThings app.
Now my question: is there any hope that a future software update for the Aqara U400 will improve the situation for me, in the sense that I will be able to use my iPhone and/or Apple Watch to unlock the U400 hands-free without having to purchase another Apple TV or Apple HomePod?
I saw some promising but vague statements about future support for more devices and ecosystems:
“This UWB lock is Aliro-ready, aiming to offer the next-gen mobile access experience to all users regardless of their hardware or operating system.”
“As Aliro rolls out, this convenience will extend to more devices across different ecosystems.”
But will these future updates benefit only those devices that were initially not supported (such as Android phones)? Or will they also improve the support for iPhones, in particular supporting the full functionality (including UWB) when pairing with any Matter-compatible hub, rather than requiring an Apple-specific hub?
@BTheSmartHomeNoob Right now, hands‑free (UWB) unlocking on the U400 is tied specifically to Apple Home Keys, and that setup requires an Apple Thread-enabled Home Hub (Thread Border Router) in your Home—there isn’t anything in the current behavior/docs that suggests it can be done “hubless” on iPhone/Apple Watch via a generic Matter hub. To pair U400 with Apple Home in the first place, an Apple Home Hub with Matter support + Thread Border Router is required.
For the UWB part specifically: UWB hands‑free is enabled as part of Apple Home Key Express Mode (“Unlock on Approach”) during Apple Home setup (and can be toggled later in the iOS Wallet key settings). And the U400’s third‑party feature list also frames “UWB unlock” as something you get when you have a 2‑in‑1 Matter Controller + Thread Border Router in the ecosystem.
So… will a future software update remove the Apple hub requirement for iPhone hands‑free?
Based on the reference info we have here: there’s no confirmed path that would let iPhone/Apple Watch do Apple Home Key UWB hands‑free unlock without an Apple Thread Home Hub. The “hands‑free with iPhone/Apple Watch” experience you’re aiming for is an Apple Home Keys feature, and Apple’s architecture still expects a Thread-capable home hub for Matter/Thread accessories.
Practical takeaway for your setup
- If your Apple TV model doesn’t provide Thread, the most reliable way to get iPhone/Apple Watch hands‑free (UWB) with Apple Home Key is still: add a supported Thread home hub (e.g., HomePod mini / HomePod / supported Apple TV model with Thread).
- Using a Matter-compatible hub alone (non-Apple) may cover other remote/control features, but it doesn’t replace Apple Home Key’s requirements for UWB hands‑free on iOS.
This information comes from community discussions and user experience summaries and may vary by environment. Please verify carefully. Original post link: Guide: Setting Up Your Aqara Smart Lock U400
If you want Aqara to clarify the Aliro roadmap and whether it could change iPhone hub requirements in the future, the best route is to submit it as a formal question/feature request to the support team: Contact the Aqara Home App Customer Service Team (Profile> Help & Feedback > Customer Service) or scan the QR code:
This will be more efficient. If you do not have an Aqara Home account, Please
click here to create a ticket. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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AqaraBot’s got this one right — you need an actual Apple Thread border router (HomePod mini’s the cheap way in, like $99) for hands-free to work at all, SmartThings won’t cut it for the Apple Home Key side of things.
I run a U400 myself and once you’ve got the right hub AND you flip on “Unlock on Approach” in the Wallet app it works exactly like it should — walk up, door pops.
