Ring, the Amazon-owned company best known for letting you watch your porch from a phone, is entering the smart lock market. And unlike every other smart lock that has ever died at the worst possible moment, this one comes with a feature that feels almost revolutionary in its simplicity: a hand crank.

Yes, a hand crank. If the battery runs out, the homeowner can just turn a dial a few times to power the lock back up and enter their home. It's the kind of idea that makes you wonder why it took until now for someone to think of it, and also why we've all accepted the alternative: hiding a key under a rock like a medieval peasant.

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff said the idea came to him while shopping for a lock for a vacation home. "I struggled because this particular house will get used very little, and I know the freaking battery will die on it," he said, presumably while staring at a dead smart lock and questioning his life choices.

He also worried that family or friends visiting the house might get stuck outside, as the door isn't connected to a power source and any smart lock would be dependent on the battery. So he did what any reasonable tech founder would do: he used AI. According to Siminoff, he worked on a project using AI to create a lock you could hand-crank just enough to power it open. Once inside, you can take out the rechargeable battery pack and charge it as usual.

Siminoff says the charge on Ring's new lock will last about a year, and will alert you via the Ring app when it's time to charge. The app also lets you configure access for people who need periodic entry, like the dog walker or house cleaners. Eventually, Ring wants to allow third-party app makers to design specialized software for the lock, so it can be used in other ways - like Airbnb owners who need to regularly change codes.

The lock offers four different ways to get in, so you won't have to worry about forgetting a code: a fingerprint reader, a backlit touchscreen keypad, the Ring app, or Alexa. That's right - you can talk to your door. Whether it listens is another matter.

Siminoff admitted the lock may be comparable to others on the market, but the fact that it addresses the anxiety over being locked out will be its biggest selling point. "I do think the power thing is a huge limiter of why people are not buying, and why they're not putting them in, and why they're worried about them," he said. It's also true that when smart locks do offer a backup method, it usually involves something cumbersome and less secure - like hiding a physical key somewhere on the property. Because nothing says "smart home" like a key under the welcome mat.

Ring's smart lock will fit a standard single-cylinder deadbolt and will be available to purchase in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2027, after it receives FCC authorization. It will come in three finishes: black, silver, or brass. Because if you're going to hand-crank your way into your own home, you should at least do it in style.

Alongside the lock, Ring also introduced four new 4K cameras: the Outdoor Cam 4K Plus, Spotlight Cam 4K Plus, Floodlight Cam 4K Plus, and a pan-tilt Indoor Cam 4K. Because nothing complements a smart lock quite like four more ways to watch yourself not being locked out.