Review on Unlock in Style: August Home AK-R1 Smart Keypad, Dark Gray - Effortless Access Control by William Dean

We bought an August Pro a few months ago and as part of a renovation we replaced the front door. I've been using keyboard access locks for years and wanted to upgrade. After a lot of research, I decided on August Pro. While it seems like common sense that a smart door lock would require a keypad, August seems to disagree. The keyboard (cheaply made) costs over $50. It is important to note that this fact does NOT count for a one star rating. The one-star rating is for the reliability (or lack thereof) of the August keyboard. I had no problem with set up the product via the iOS app. No problems assigning codes or connecting to the hub. As a note, many reviews say you can't set specific times that codes are active. I've done this with multiple codes with no problems. It might be a new feature August added recently, I don't know. Now the problem. The four times I or someone else tried to use the keyboard didn't work. Normally, when you press a key, the keyboard backlight comes on first. When it goes out, nothing lights up. When I go to the iOS app it still seems to be connected, it just doesn't work. The only thing I can do to get it working again is to take the battery out and put it back in. As soon as I do that, it restarts and works fine. Disconnecting from the lock (via AP) and reconnecting does nothing. I checked the batteries, they are fine just to be sure. I replaced them with new ones once, nothing helps except removing/replacing batteries. The keyboard just isn't flush with the lock. I'm shocked August didn't release a replacement keyboard. $50 is too much for an additional keyboard, but price isn't the issue. I have multiple people with code-only access and this just isn't a reliable way to give someone access to your home. If I give them access to the app in addition to the code, they have to go through the whole process of downloading and setting up an account to use. It would be even better if the app allowed someone to enter a code on their phone to access it without setting up an account. No workarounds would be needed if only it worked. I'm not sure when I'll be finished at this point. Most likely I'll replace the entire August system if something else comes out that I like better. Of course, if August would just acknowledge and fix the problem (either with firmware or a whole new keyboard), I'd happily stay in the August ecosystem. Update - It's been over a year and the problems are still there. There have been several firmware updates but they haven't fixed the issues. I'm heavily considering cutting my losses and upgrading to a brand new castle. if the app would allow someone to enter a code on their phone to access it without setting up an account. No workarounds would be needed if only it worked. I'm not sure when I'll be finished at this point. Most likely I'll replace the entire August system if something else comes out that I like better. Of course, if August would just acknowledge and fix the problem (either with firmware or a whole new keyboard), I'd happily stay in the August ecosystem. Update - It's been over a year and the problems are still there. There have been several firmware updates but they haven't fixed the issues. I'm heavily considering cutting my losses and upgrading to a brand new castle. if the app would allow someone to enter a code on their phone to access it without setting up an account. No workarounds would be needed if only it worked. I'm not sure when I'll be finished at this point. Most likely I'll replace the entire August system if something else comes out that I like better. Of course, if August would just acknowledge and fix the problem (either with firmware or a whole new keyboard), I'd happily stay in the August ecosystem. Update - It's been over a year and the problems are still there. There have been several firmware updates but they haven't fixed the issues. I'm heavily considering cutting my losses and upgrading to a brand new castle.