Getting locked out of your house or apartment can easily result in a $100 or more locksmith bill, but with the KeyMe iPhone app anywhere you have your iPhone you have your keys, complete with instructions for any locksmith to cut a new key.
This is not a new lock that connects to your iPhone to let you in the house. Those are cool and interesting, but not for everyone.
Instead KeyMe scans your keys, front and back to make it easy to get a duplicate made at a locksmith, or at special kiosks in New York City. Users can get a new key cut in a few minutes and for a few dollars instead of paying for an expensive visit from the locksmith.
Users can store keys on their iPhone and on the KeyMe service which makes them available at a kiosk. Once a key is scanned and stored the user can share a key with a friend or family member, order a replacement copy through the mail or take it to a locksmith to get back in immediately.
To scan a key, users need to place it on a white background and hold the iPhone 4 inches from it. The app scans the front and back of the key to ensure a good fit. KeyMe claims the app will only work on keys scanned under these circumstances so a nefarious user can’t use a random snapshot of your key taken at an angle or from great distance to get it replicated. The service uses a dual verification including a credit card verification to add to the security. The company says it does not store your information alongside data that could tell someone where you live.
At this point users will need to find a locksmith, which the app helps with, or if they are in New York City they can use a kiosk at select 7-11′s to make a key with their login information. The kiosks include fingerprint verification for added security.
For now that Key Me app is only available on iPhone, but the website teases an Android version and a Windows Phone version.
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