Forget keys - this padlock opens using a PHONE: Bluetooth app lets you secure doors and bikes

It's a pain locking a bike when popping into a shop for a few minutes – especially when you know you’ll be fumbling for your keys minutes later.

But the key is set to become a thing of the past now that designers have created a Bluetooth padlock that can be unlocked simply by hovering a smartphone nearby.

The padlock, which resembles a traditional one, is the first to allow users to open a lock without keys using an iOS or Android app.

 

To work the ‘Noke’ lock, a user must press the shackle when they and their phone are nearby.

‘Noke wakes up and searches for your phone or a shared phone. If the phone is within a few feet, Noke will instantly unlock so you can be on your way. No need to launch an app or remove your phone from your pocket or purse,’ the company wrote on Kickstarter.

It uses signals sent via Bluetooth to a smartphone to identify the owner of the lock and in this way will also allow people to share their lock – so two people could access one bike, for example, either temporarily or permanently.

'It is 3.3 inches (9cm) tall and 2.2 inches (6cm) wide and weighs about eight ounces.

'There is no interference with other Bluetooth devices. Noke doesn't unlock until you wake it up. It won't ever unlock on its own.’

The firm is currently raising funding on Kickstarter and has smashed its $100,000 (£62,000) target, pulling in over $500,000 (£310,106).

The lock is available to pre-order for $59 (£37) with a shipping date in February, but will retail for around $89 (£55).