Aliro is a new standard for digital keys that acts as a universal system for smart locks. Instead of each brand using a proprietary protocol for digital keys on phones and smartwatches, Aliro is a single protocol everyone can follow.

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The standard was created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which also created Matter, a wider smart home connectivity protocol. The CSA launched Aliro 1.0 in February 2026.

Aliro is designed to fix several problems in the smart home security category. Currently, users must deal with some locks working with Apple HomeKey while others don't, or each lock using a different set of credential systems. Aliro standardizes these digital keys. 

Aliro uses asymmetric cryptography, a public/private key system, to unlock your door via NFC, Bluetooth, or ultra-wideband (UWB). 

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Your phone or smartwatch holds a private key that works when you bring it near your smart lock, which reads it and checks for a public key. If the private and public key match, your door unlocks. 

Aliro is more secure than NFC cards and even older proximity cards, like those used to access office buildings. Since Aliro is an offline digital key system, it's harder to clone, more stable in low-signal environments like underground garages, and more scalable when multiple keys for a building are required. 

The new standard is designed to be secure, using modern cryptographic methods. Your phone or smartwatch stores a private key that never leaves your device, just as Apple and Google secure your contactless payments. Even if someone were capable of intercepting the signal, they couldn't generate a valid key without the private credentials that are stored on your device.

Aliro doesn't require a constant network connection to let you unlock your door. The system works offline securely, as it still verifies the private/public keys cryptographically. This is convenient for use in underground parking garages and elevators. 

Aliro isn't widely available for consumers yet, but the Aliro 1.0 specifications are now officially available, so companies can start building support. As with the months following the Matter launch, manufacturers must incorporate the new connectivity protocol into their devices -- in Aliro's case, smart locks.

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Smart locks with Aliro support are sure to arrive later in 2026, as manufacturers become able to sell Aliro-certified or "works with Aliro" devices.