What Homeowners Should Know About Lockly Secure Pro Review
The Lockly Secure Pro smart lock has drawn considerable attention from homeowners looking to upgrade entry security without abandoning the physical lock entirely. This lockly secure pro smart lock review covers the device’s core architecture, its real-world security posture, the costs and risks of self-installation, and the circumstances under which a licensed locksmith should be involved in setup, assessment, or emergency service.
What Homeowners Should Know About Lockly Secure Pro Review Overview
The Lockly Secure Pro is a retrofit deadbolt-style smart lock designed to replace a standard single-cylinder deadbolt on doors with a 2-1/8-inch bore hole. It retains a physical key cylinder on the exterior, adds a touchscreen PIN pad, and communicates via Bluetooth and — on Wi-Fi-enabled models — through a dedicated gateway. The lock is marketed toward homeowners who want keyless access, remote control, and an access log without removing the key option entirely.
One of the device’s distinguishing features is its PIN Genie technology, which randomizes the position of digits on the touchscreen before each use. Rather than a fixed numeric grid, the display shuffles digit placement so that fingerprint smudges on the glass cannot be used to infer an active PIN. This is a meaningful engineering choice that addresses a specific and commonly exploited attack vector on fixed-digit keypads. In a lockly secure pro evaluation context, this feature alone elevates it above many competing retrofit deadbolts in terms of passive resistance to observation-based attacks.
The physical cylinder included with most Lockly Secure Pro models is a standard pin tumbler lock rated at Grade 2 or equivalent. That rating is adequate for residential use but should be understood as the minimum threshold, not a hardened security specification. Homeowners comparing this lockly smart lock against higher-security alternatives should note that the cylinder can be rekeyed or upgraded independently by a locksmith if the existing security grade is insufficient for the door’s exposure level.
Key Factors
In any thorough lockly secure pro assessment, the access method hierarchy matters. The Lockly Secure Pro supports five entry methods: physical key, fingerprint reader, touchscreen PIN, smartphone app via Bluetooth, and voice assistant integration on compatible hub setups. Having multiple access paths is a convenience feature, but each path represents an independent attack surface. A homeowner enabling all five simultaneously without auditing which methods are active on a given door is effectively widening the total exposure of that entry point.
The fingerprint reader on the Secure Pro operates through optical sensing. It stores up to 99 fingerprints and processes locally on the device rather than transmitting biometric data to a cloud server, which is a privacy-positive design decision. However, optical fingerprint readers can be spoofed with high-resolution prints under certain conditions. For doors that are considered high-value targets — a home office with sensitive documents, for example — this limitation is worth factoring into the overall access policy.
Battery life is a practical concern that is often underweighted in a lockly secure pro smart lock review focused on features alone. The device runs on four AA batteries rated for approximately one year of normal use. When batteries deplete fully, the lock defaults to physical key access only, which is a safe fail-secure behavior. However, if the homeowner has not maintained possession of a working physical key or has misplaced it, a dead battery becomes a lockout event. Maintaining a spare key with a trusted contact or a secured key storage device nearby is a straightforward mitigation.
Installation requires removing the existing deadbolt, threading the interior and exterior assemblies through the door bore, and connecting a ribbon cable between them. The process is documented in the manufacturer’s instructions and is achievable for a homeowner with basic hand tools. Door thickness compatibility ranges from 1-3/8 inches to 2-1/4 inches with the included hardware. Doors outside that range, hollow-core doors, or doors with non-standard backsets may require adapter hardware or may not support the lock at all without modification by a professional.
Costs and Risks
The Lockly Secure Pro retails between $180 and $280 depending on the model variant and whether the Wi-Fi gateway is bundled. That price covers the hardware only. Homeowners should budget separately for installation if they are not comfortable with the process, and for any door preparation work required. Average: $120 · Range: $85–$160 · Travel: free in service area describes a typical locksmith installation visit for a smart lock of this type, including alignment verification and basic function testing.
Self-installation carries several identifiable risks. Misaligning the bolt and strike plate is the most common outcome when the installation is rushed. A bolt that binds against the strike rather than seating cleanly will accelerate wear on both the bolt mechanism and the door frame, and can cause the motor to overheat during repeated cycles. If the door has settled over time and the existing strike plate position is slightly off, that misalignment should be corrected during installation rather than compensated for by forcing the bolt.
Network-connected smart locks introduce a category of risk that physical locks do not carry: software vulnerabilities. The Lockly Secure Pro has received firmware updates addressing Bluetooth protocol handling, and the manufacturer has maintained a reasonable update cadence since the product’s release. However, any device on a home network is subject to the security posture of that network. Homeowners using the Wi-Fi gateway should ensure their router firmware is current, that the lock is on a network segment that limits lateral access to other devices, and that default gateway credentials have been changed.
There is a recurring online conversation about whether tools marketed as a secure pro lock pick set — meaning bypass tools designed for practice locks — are relevant to the Lockly Secure Pro’s physical cylinder. The answer is nuanced. The included cylinder, being a standard pin tumbler, is technically pickable by someone with the appropriate tools and skill. This is true of nearly every residential lock. The practical question is whether the physical cylinder is the weakest point of the overall installation, which for most residential doors it is not — door frame integrity and hinge security are typically more exploitable than the cylinder itself. Upgrading to a higher-security cylinder with anti-pick pins is a cost-effective improvement if the cylinder’s pick resistance is a specific concern.
When to Call a Locksmith
A locksmith should be involved in the Lockly Secure Pro installation when the door presents any non-standard condition. This includes doors that are warped, doors with existing damage to the bore or frame, doors that have been previously reinforced with non-standard hardware, and doors where the backset measurement differs from the 2-3/8-inch or 2-3/4-inch standards the lock is designed for. Forcing a smart lock installation onto a door that has not been properly prepared will produce alignment problems that degrade the device’s reliability and potentially void the manufacturer’s warranty.
Emergency lockout situations involving the Lockly Secure Pro are handled differently than a conventional deadbolt lockout. If the battery is depleted and no physical key is available, a locksmith can open the door through conventional picking or bypass of the included cylinder — the same process used for any standard deadbolt. If the electronic mechanism has failed while the bolt is in the locked position and the physical cylinder is also inaccessible, the locksmith may need to drill the cylinder as a last resort. This is a destructive entry method that will require lock replacement afterward, but it preserves the door and frame.
Homeowners who have lost all keys to a Lockly Secure Pro and cannot factory reset the device through the app — which requires Bluetooth proximity — should not attempt to disassemble the lock from the exterior without professional guidance. The exterior assembly of the Secure Pro does not expose straightforward disassembly points from the outside, and attempting to force disassembly can damage the door bore and create a more complicated and expensive repair. Calling a licensed locksmith before attempting any mechanical intervention is the prudent course of action.
A locksmith can also perform a security audit of the full door assembly after the Lockly Secure Pro is installed. This includes evaluating strike plate depth and screw length — short screws in a strike plate are one of the most common and easily corrected residential security deficiencies — checking hinge side integrity, and assessing whether the door frame itself is adequate to withstand kick-in force. The smart lock’s electronic features are only as useful as the physical installation supporting them.
Recommended Next Steps
Homeowners who have already purchased a Lockly Secure Pro and plan to self-install should complete the following before beginning: measure door thickness and backset, test the existing bore hole diameter, verify that the door closes and latches without binding, and confirm that the existing strike plate is adequately secured with screws reaching the structural framing. If any of these conditions are not met, address them before the lock is installed rather than after.
Those who are still evaluating the Lockly Secure Pro against other options should consider what access methods they actually need on a daily basis and disable or restrict the methods they do not use. A lock that supports five access methods but is configured with only two active methods has a materially smaller attack surface. The lockly secure pro evaluation process is most useful when it maps device capabilities against the specific entry point being secured, rather than treating all smart locks as equivalent and all residential doors as having identical security requirements.
Firmware and app updates should be treated as routine maintenance, not optional enhancements. Enabling automatic updates where the manufacturer supports them, or scheduling a manual check quarterly, is sufficient for most residential installations. Homeowners should also register the device with the manufacturer immediately after installation to ensure they receive direct notification of any security-relevant firmware releases.
For homeowners in jurisdictions with specific smart lock regulations or HOA rules governing exterior door hardware, verifying compliance before installation avoids the cost and inconvenience of having to replace the lock to meet an exterior appearance requirement. Some HOAs restrict visible keypads on front-facing doors. The Lockly Secure Pro’s exterior profile is relatively low-profile by smart lock standards, but a review of applicable rules before purchase is straightforward risk avoidance.
More to explore: Cost Factors for Lockly Secure Pro Review.
Call Low Rate Locksmith
Low Rate Locksmith provides 24/7 mobile locksmith service across the US and Canada for smart lock installation, rekeying, lockout response, and door security assessments. Whether a Lockly Secure Pro installation needs professional alignment work, a lockout has occurred with the battery depleted, or a full door security audit is needed after installation, licensed technicians are available by phone at (833) 439-8636. Travel is free within the service area, and service calls are handled with transparent pricing before any work begins.