Lockin Smart Locks: The Easiest Way to Retrofit Your Door

8 min read ·

Executive Summary

Swapping your old deadbolt for a smart lock used to mean dust everywhere, mystery hardware, and a weekend lost to “how-to” videos. Not anymore.

Modern retrofittable smart locks let you keep the door you already love — the one that matches your trim, your style, your HOA rules — and simply give it a serious brain upgrade: better security, easier access, and full smart home integration.

Lockin’s Veno series — especially the Veno Plus Palm Vein Recognition Video Smart Lock — is built around one simple idea:

Turn the door you already have into a secure, smart, camera-equipped entrance in about 15 minutes.

In this article, we’ll walk through:

Why retrofitting beats ripping out your entire lock system
What makes palm vein recognition such a game-changer
How the Lockin Veno Plus works in real homes and real families
Practical tips to choose and install a smart lock with minimal stress

Introduction: Your Door Is Fine — It Just Needs a Brain

Most people don’t skip smart locks because they’re not interested. They skip them because they picture a full-blown project:

A handyman invoice that hits harder than leg day
A weekend of your front door half-disassembled
Fine print, subscriptions, and security worries you’re not sure how to evaluate

Meanwhile, real life keeps reminding you that a smart lock would be… really nice:

The delivery that shows up while you’re across town
A kid who has a black belt in losing house keys
Guests, dog walkers, or cleaners who need access, but you don’t want to cut more keys

The good news: your door doesn’t need to be replaced — just upgraded.

Retrofittable smart locks like Lockin’s Veno Plus are designed to sit on top of many existing doors with one screwdriver and about 15 minutes of effort, turning a basic deadbolt into a flexible, smart access system that actually fits your life.

Market Insights: Why Retrofits Are Winning the Smart Lock Race

If you’ve watched the smart home space evolve over the last few years, a few patterns are clear. Smart locks are no longer just “tech toys” — they’re becoming standard. And retrofittable options are quietly winning for three big reasons.

1. Homeowners Want “Smart,” Not “Construction”

No one wakes up on a Saturday excited to carve up their front door. Most people want:

Little to no drilling
Compatibility with the door that’s already there
A lock they can install themselves without calling in reinforcements

Lockin leans hard into that reality. The Veno Plus:

Works with standard single-cylinder deadbolts
Uses a common rectangular latch faceplate cutout
Is designed for solo, 15-minute installation

All you really need? A screwdriver and a bit of patience. No separate hub, no special tools, no “surprise, you need to reframe your door” moment.

2. Security Expectations Have Shifted

“Strong metal” used to be the whole story. Now, a “secure door” means more than a chunky lock. People expect:

Smart detection to spot motion and human activity
Visual confirmation of who’s outside before they open the door
Tamper alerts and auto-lock so the door doesn’t rely on your memory

The Veno Plus treats your front door less like a chunk of wood and more like a security system. It combines:

A sharp, ultra-wide LockinCam™ panoramic camera
Dual motion sensors tuned to detect people, not just movement
Smart auto-lock and anti-tamper alerts

You don’t just lock the door anymore — the door helps watch over your home.

3. People Are Over Monthly Fees

Many smart security products pull the same move: affordable hardware, then a subscription that quietly stacks up over time. Want video history, better detection, cloud storage? That’ll be extra.

Lockin takes a different path:

Local video storage built in (no external recorder)
Smart detection features included out of the box
No separate hub required
No monthly subscription fees

That’s not just simpler — over a couple of years, it can mean serious savings and less “what happens if I cancel this subscription?” stress.

Product Relevance: How Lockin Makes Retrofitting Actually Easy

Let’s bring this down to what it feels like to actually change your lock on a Saturday afternoon.

Keep the Door. Upgrade the Experience.

The Lockin Veno Plus is basically a future-proof upgrade kit for the door you already have. Its mission:

Make your current door feel like it belongs in a smart home in 2026 — without remodeling anything.

Here’s what that means when you’re standing there with a screwdriver:

Fast install: Around 15 minutes once you’re set up (give yourself a little buffer if it’s your first time)
Deadbolt-focused: Made for standard single-cylinder deadbolts that most homes already use
Weather-ready: Built for everything from freezing winters to scorching summers, with protection against rain and dust
Durable hardware:
- A reinforced glass touchscreen that can handle daily use
- Sturdy construction designed to protect against common attacks
- Long-term durability so you’re not replacing it every couple of years

Quick heads up: The Veno Plus doesn’t play nicely with storm doors that sit directly in front of your main door (they’ll block the camera). It also needs a rectangular latch faceplate cutout, not a round one — more on that in the tips section.

Palm Vein Recognition: Your Hand Becomes the Key

If you’ve ever stood at your door jabbing a finger on a fingerprint reader that refuses to cooperate, this part is for you.

Most smart locks stop at PIN codes or fingerprints. Lockin’s Veno Plus brings something you usually see in high-security environments right to your front door:

Venokey™ Palm Vein Recognition

Instead of scanning fingerprints, the Veno Plus reads the unique pattern of veins inside your palm — like a hidden map under your skin.

In everyday terms, that means:

It unlocks in less than the time it takes to blink
It’s extremely accurate at recognizing you
It uses tens of thousands of tiny data points under the skin to confirm who’s there

Why you’ll care in real life:

It still works when fingerprints don’t:
- Hands just out of the rain
- Dry hands in winter
- Aging skin
- Long nails or small cuts
It’s much harder to fake:
- It’s reading inside the hand, not just the surface
- The chance of a stranger passing as you is essentially microscopic

Basically, it solves one of the top complaints about smart locks:

“My fingerprint never works when my hands are wet, dry, or freezing.”

Now your hand just floats over the sensor, and the lock says, “Yup, that’s you.”

A Lock, a Video Doorbell, and a Security Camera in One

Think about what usually piles up around a modern front door:

A smart lock
A video doorbell
Maybe even a separate camera

The Veno Plus folds that whole trio into one device:

LockinCam™ 2K Ultra-Wide Camera
- Think of it like a fisheye lens that lets you see the whole scene — head to toe, plus packages on the ground
Two-way video doorbell
- Talk to delivery drivers or friends from your phone, even if you’re not home
Smart motion detection
- Dual sensors focus on people, helping cut down on alerts from cars or swaying branches

Paired with built-in local storage, your front door becomes a kind of security hub, no separate recorder, hub, or subscription needed.

Power That Matches Real-Life Forgetfulness

We’ve all had that gadget that dies at the worst possible moment. A smart lock can’t be one of those.

Lockin builds in a few layers of backup so a low battery doesn’t turn into a lockout:

A removable battery designed to last through everyday use
An optional solar panel you can add to help keep things topped up
Low-battery alerts when power starts running low, so it doesn’t sneak up on you
Multiple backup options if you do push your luck:
- A traditional mechanical key
- The ability to give it a quick boost using a USB power bank

In short: you don’t have to be the world’s most organized person to live with this lock.

Smart Home Integration That Feels Natural

For many of us, a front door is more than just a “lock/unlock” moment — it’s the start of a chain reaction:

The porch light pops on
The hallway light brightens
The AC adjusts because the house knows you’ve arrived

The Veno Plus is built for that reality. It supports:

Matter
Apple Home
Amazon Alexa
Google Home
Samsung SmartThings

So you can:

Say, “Goodnight,” and have your assistant lock the door automatically
Automatically turn on entry lights when the door unlocks at night
Lock or unlock from your phone, or check who came home when

And you can do all of that without buying a separate proprietary hub. It fits into the smart home ecosystem you already have.

Actionable Tips: How to Retrofit Your Door with a Smart Lock the Right Way

If you’re thinking, “This all sounds great, but I really don’t want a surprise mid-install,” this is your game plan.

1. Do a 5-Minute Door Compatibility Check

Before you fall in love with any smart lock (including this one), do a quick front-door audit:

Deadbolt Type
- Look at the inside of your door.
- Do you see a keyhole outside and a thumb turn inside?
- If yes, that’s a single-cylinder deadbolt, and you’re starting from the right place.
Faceplate Shape
- Open the door and look at the metal plate around the latch on the edge.
- The Veno Plus wants a rectangular latch faceplate cutout.
- If yours is a round cutout, you may need a small door adjustment or a different compatible model.
Storm Door Situation
- If you have a storm door that sits right in front of your main door:
  - The Veno Plus isn’t the best fit — the camera will be blocked.
  - In that case, look at a lock-only smart option or rethink the storm door setup.

This five-minute check can save you from a “well, that’s not going to work” moment on install day.

2. Decide How You Actually Want to Unlock

One of the best parts of a modern smart lock is choice… which can also be a little overwhelming. Here’s a simple unlocking setup that works for most households:

Main method for the household: Palm vein recognition
Backup options:
- Fingerprint for quick, frequent access
- PIN code for kids, guests, or anyone who hates carrying keys
- App control for remote unlocking and checking who came and went
- Mechanical key for “just-in-case” emergencies

Think through your people:

Kids or teens:
- PIN codes or palm vein recognition = no more lost keys in backpacks or at practice.
Elderly parents or relatives:
- Palm vein is easier than memorizing a code or using an app.
Cleaners, dog walkers, or guests:
- Time-limited PINs or scheduled access right from the app.

When you match unlock methods to actual lifestyles, the lock stops feeling like “tech” and just becomes… your door.

3. Plan Your Smart Home Integrations in Advance

If you already talk to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, take two minutes to imagine how your front door should behave:

Should the porch or entry light turn on when the door unlocks at night?
Do you want a “Vacation Mode” that locks the door automatically and tightens security?
Should the AC or heating ease up if the door stays open too long?

The Veno Plus brings a few built-in features you can weave into your routines:

Smart auto-lock:
- Automatically locks when the door fully closes — great for forgetful moments.
Vacation mode:
- Cranks up security when you’re away.
Anti-peep PIN:
- Lets you add extra digits before or after your real code so anyone watching can’t guess it.

Combine these with your smart home routines and your front door becomes less “open/close” and more “knows what’s going on.”

4. Avoid Common Installation Pitfalls

Even with an easy install, a few little details can trip people up. Here’s how to stay ahead of them:

Check door thickness and backset
- Most standard residential doors are fine, but it’s worth a quick glance at the specs before you buy.
Actually use the quick start guide
- It’s tempting to freestyle it, but following the step-by-step guide makes the 15-minute install feel realistic instead of optimistic.
Don’t overtighten screws
- Cranking everything down too hard can misalign the lock’s internal parts.
- Tighten firmly, but stop before you feel like you’re wrestling the hardware.

Pro tip: even if the box says “15 minutes,” give yourself 30–45 minutes the first time. That way you can go slow, double-check everything, and still feel like your afternoon is intact.

5. Set Up Access Rules on Day 1

A lot of people install their smart lock and call it done — but the real magic is in how you set it up afterward. Spend an extra 15–20 minutes in the app to:

Create profiles for each person (family, guests, cleaners, dog walker, etc.)
Choose who gets which unlock method (palm, PIN, app access)
Turn on notifications for things like:
- Door left unlocked
- Failed attempts to get in
- Motion at the door during certain hours

Those little settings are what turn the Veno Plus from “a cooler deadbolt” into a full-on smart access system.

Conclusion: A Smarter Front Door Without Starting From Scratch

You don’t need a renovation, a new door, or a crash course in carpentry to upgrade how you come and go. With the right smart lock, your front door can:

Recognize you in a fraction of a second by the unique pattern of veins in your hand
Show you a full, head-to-toe view of who’s outside — plus any packages on the ground
Auto-lock, send tamper alerts, and keep working through rain, snow, and everyday life
Plug into your existing smart home routines without demanding another subscription
Store video locally, so your security doesn’t live entirely in “the cloud”

You just need a lock designed to retrofit the door you already have — and make it smarter in ways you’ll actually use.

The Lockin Veno Plus Palm Vein Recognition Video Smart Lock is built exactly for that:

Simple, approachable installation
Advanced, privacy-conscious biometrics
Built-in camera and smart detection
Smooth integration with your favorite smart home platforms

If you’ve been putting off upgrading your front door because it felt like a hassle, consider this your gentle nudge: you can probably keep your door, keep your weekend, and still end up with a seriously smart entrance.

Call to Action

Ready to retrofit?
- Do a quick check: single-cylinder deadbolt, rectangular faceplate, no storm door blocking where a camera would sit.
- If your door passes, the Lockin Veno Plus can turn it into a one-and-done upgrade that handles locking, video, and access control in a single, streamlined package.
Still comparing options?
- Make a simple list:
  - “Must-haves” (strong security, no mandatory monthly fees, easy DIY install)
  - “Nice-to-haves” (video, biometrics, smart home integration).
- Use that list to compare smart locks — and you’ll quickly see why retrofittable locks like Lockin’s Veno Plus stand out.

Your front door is already doing its basic job. With the right smart lock, it can finally keep up with the rest of your smart home — no construction, no drama, and no holes drilled where they don’t belong.