The smart life app is one of the most widely used ways to control a smart door lock from your phone. Made by Tuya and shared with the Tuya Smart app, it pairs with a huge range of locks and manages them alongside your other smart-home devices in one place.
This guide walks through the smart life app for door locks from first pairing to advanced scenes, so you can get every feature working with confidence.
| Task | Where in the app | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Add the lock | Add Device | Bluetooth + Wi-Fi/gateway |
| Unlock remotely | Device screen | Needs gateway/Wi-Fi |
| Create codes | Members / passwords | Timed & one-time |
| View logs | Records | Timestamps per entry |
| Build scenes | Smart / Automation | Link other devices |
| Voice control | Me → Third-party | Alexa & Google |
What the Smart Life app is
The smart life app is Tuya’s consumer app for controlling smart-home devices, and it is functionally the same as the Tuya Smart app — same cloud, same features, different name. For door locks that means pairing, remote control, code management and logs, all in an app that also handles your bulbs, plugs and cameras.
Its great strength is breadth: because so many manufacturers build on Tuya, a single smart life app often controls devices from several different brands, so your door lock does not need its own separate app sitting on your phone.
Downloading and setting up
Setup starts by installing the smart life app and creating an account with your email or phone number. A strong, unique password here matters, because this account will be able to control your door, so treat it with the same care as a banking login and enable two-factor authentication if offered.
Once registered, make sure your phone’s Bluetooth is on and your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi is available at the door, since locks generally use that band. With the account ready, you can add your first device.
Pairing your door lock
In the smart life app you tap Add Device, put the lock into pairing mode as its manual describes, and let the app find it. For a Wi-Fi or gateway lock you then join it to your network so remote features work; for a Bluetooth-only lock, control happens when your phone is nearby.
After pairing, enrol fingerprints and set PINs on the lock, and the app will reflect those users. If pairing stalls, a weak signal at the door is the usual culprit — moving the router or adding a mesh node near the entrance normally fixes it.
Remote unlock and notifications
With a gateway or built-in Wi-Fi, the smart life app lets you lock and unlock from anywhere and check the door’s current state. It is the feature that lets you buzz in a relative while you are away or confirm the door is secure after you have left.
The app also sends notifications for unlocks, failed attempts and low battery, so the door keeps you informed wherever you are. For more on the connectivity that makes this possible, see our Wi-Fi door lock guide.
Temporary codes and members
The smart life app manages guest access neatly. You can issue temporary passwords for a set period or one-time codes for a single entry, and add family members so each person controls the lock from their own account with the permissions you grant.
Everything is revocable: if a code is no longer needed or a phone is lost, you remove the credential in seconds. This flexible, accountable access is one of the biggest reasons to manage a lock through the app rather than hand out physical keys.
Unlock records and logs
Under the lock’s Records section, the smart life app keeps a timestamped history of entries. You can see when the door was opened and, where supported, by which method or person, giving you a clear picture of daily comings and goings.
Because each entry ties back to a specific credential, the log is genuinely informative rather than anonymous. It is the kind of quiet accountability that turns a lock into a tool you can actually audit, and it lives right inside the app.
Scenes, automation and voice control
The smart life app can link your lock to other devices through scenes and automations. Unlocking at night could switch on the hallway light; leaving home could trigger an “away” routine. These are set up in the Smart or Automation tab with a few taps.
You can also connect the app to Alexa or Google Assistant from the third-party integrations menu, adding voice status checks and routines. Together these features let a simple digital door lock behave like part of a coordinated smart home.
Troubleshooting and staying secure
Most smart life app issues come down to connectivity: a weak signal at the door, a lock that needs its gateway nearby, or a phone with Bluetooth switched off. Checking those first resolves the majority of pairing and lag problems.
For security, keep the app and the lock’s firmware updated, use a strong account password with two-factor authentication, give household members their own shared access, and review linked devices periodically. Pair that discipline with a lock that keeps biometrics on-device, as in our biometric door lock guide, and the system stays both smooth and safe.
Managing multiple homes and rooms
The smart life app lets you organise devices by home and by room, which is useful once you have more than one lock or more than one property. You can group the front and back doors under “Home”, keep a second property separate, and switch between them in a tap.
For anyone managing a family home plus a rented flat, a parents’ house, or a small business premises, this structure keeps everything tidy in a single app. Each lock still has its own users, codes and logs, but you see them organised logically rather than as a flat, confusing list.
Widgets, quick actions and shortcuts
Beyond the main screens, the smart life app supports home-screen widgets and quick actions so your most common tasks are one tap away. Locking the door, creating a guest code or checking the door’s state need not mean opening the app and navigating menus.
On both iOS and Android you can also tie the app into system shortcuts and routines, so a “leaving home” action can include checking the lock. These small conveniences add up: the easier the smart life app makes everyday actions, the more you actually use the features you paid for.
Covlor smart door locks to pair with the app
Every Covlor lock is built to work smoothly with its companion app. If you are shortlisting a lock to go with a smart life app, these models show the range:
Covlor CR-L108
Flagship 3D face + palm + fingerprint, all-metal multi-bolt body, USB-C emergency power
Related guides
- Wi-Fi door locks that work with Smart Life
- Biometric door locks with on-device data
- Home automation — background (Wikipedia)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Smart Life app the same as Tuya Smart?
Effectively yes. The smart life app and Tuya Smart are both made by Tuya and share the same cloud and features, so for a door lock it rarely matters which you choose. Pick one and keep all your devices in it.
How do I connect my door lock to the Smart Life app?
Install the app, create an account, tap Add Device, put the lock into pairing mode and let the app find it over Bluetooth. For remote features, connect a Wi-Fi or gateway lock to your 2.4GHz network.
Can the Smart Life app give guests temporary access?
Yes. It creates timed temporary passwords and single-use one-time codes, and lets you add family members with chosen permissions. Any code or member can be revoked instantly from the app.
Why won’t my lock pair with the Smart Life app?
Usually a connectivity issue: a weak Wi-Fi signal at the door, a gateway placed too far away, or Bluetooth switched off on your phone. Check those, ensure you are on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and retry pairing.
The smart life app gives a door lock a capable, familiar home on your phone: straightforward pairing, remote unlock, temporary and one-time codes, clear logs, scenes with your other devices and voice control. Because it shares Tuya’s platform it works with a vast range of locks — set it up carefully, secure the account, choose on-device biometrics, and your front door becomes a well-managed part of your connected home. And because the same app already handles so many other smart devices, the door simply joins a system you know rather than adding yet another app to your phone, which is a large part of why the smart life app has become such a popular way to run a modern lock.
