1VALET

Need to add a few shortcuts to make it a seamless digital key. We need a shortcut in controls from the dropdown tab. We should also have some Siri functionality to open doors in case we can’t handle the phone at the moment. Currently, I have to either navigate to app or get the shortcut from the Lock Screen.

I love the potential that this app has. It’s really cool that you can get announcements, get package notifications, and provide remote access for guests. However, it is still buggy and it takes more steps than just using a physical fob key. You have to unlock your phone, tap the appropriate button (on the phone widget), and then bring it close to the reader. A physical key, I just take it out of my pocket and touch the reader. Another very serious downside: if your phone dies, you’re out of luck and can’t get into the building, let alone your apartment. If the fob key was in my Apple wallet, and had the ability to be used even if the phone was dead (other Apple wallet cards, like the WMATA transit card for example, can be used even when the phone is dead), then 1Valet would be remarkably good. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case right now.

I recently moved into a new building that’s using this app alongside the Salto Systems door locks. The implementation is a bit buggy but it tends to work 90% of the time. There’s minor bugs like the Apple Pay card reader popping up when I try to open or lock my door. Or the occasional offline mode when the app is connected to the internet. Overall, it’s manageable with the bugs but I would love to see things like geolocation based lock/unlock for the “always open” setting. That and proper Apple Watch support. If I could have the card added to my Apple Watch or wallet that would make it a lot more seem less with interactions of leaving and entering the building instead of haphazardly shoving my phone onto the lock interfaces. Other features my building subscribed to are also nice to have. Things like the marketplace are a cool extra feature that I’ve seen people using. Generally though, the biggest thing for me is functionality, and this app just doesn’t have that yet.