Locked out? Smartphone app might be key to solving problem

A new smartphone app may have you rethinking where you leave your keys and who gets to hold them.

It's designed for convenience, but is raising concerns for some security experts.

Now you or anyone who can make a virtual copy of your key in seconds.

That copy can be stored in the app on your phone or shared with family and friends.

Then when you or they need access, print a real key at a kiosk or any hardware store, or have duplicates mailed to you.

At least, that's the claim.

To use KeyMe, just scan both sides of a key using your phone.

Our producer scanned the key to her desk then requested mail delivery for $3.99.

A few days later the key arrived.

When she tried to open her desk drawer with the new key, it worked!

Next, we wanted to try a house key and enlisted the help of Action News viewer Melissa Kaufman.

But this time when the moment of truth came the key didn't work.

"I'm a little surprised because the app scanned my exact house key and I guess I was just expecting it to turn right away," Kaufman said.

KeyMe also lets you buy a key's code for $9.99 and store the code on the app.

Then if you forget your key, you can take the code to any locksmith.

We got the key code for our producer's house and that worked, too.

KeyMe isn't the only game in town, though; there's also Keys Duplicated and KeyiCam.

But while these services may be convenient, some security experts and traditional locksmiths have concerns.

Larry Schwalb is the owner of Houdini Lock and Safe in Abington.

"The apps are a very serious security threat," Schwalb said.

Schwalb says to keep your keys and your home or business safe, you should use a patented high security locking system.

Those systems require multiple forms of ID to get a copy key made and the keys can't be made using these apps.

"They are done on special code machines and only the person that owns the lock and key who has their signature on file can have additional keys made," Schwalb said.

A lock of that caliber can run about $200 and each key retails for about $22.50.

Meantime, KeyMe says it has safeguards in place and its technology does not increase risk of theft.

"We require a credit card to purchase. It has to be an Apple verified device and an Apple ID to download it. We also require a USPS verified mailing address," Michael Harbolt of KeyMe said.

KeyMe says it's just as easy to simply steal a key and make a copy or use other tools for sale online that can measure keys.

"People need to treat their keys the same way they do their bank ATMs or their credit cards, so we strongly recommend only sharing keys with people you trust," Harbolt said.

KeyMe has added two kiosks in the Center City Philadelphia area where you can instantly use the app to copy your keys. They are located inside the Rite-Aid on 2301 Walnut Street and inside the Rite-Aid at 1628-36 Chestnut Street.

You do have to enter your account information or your fingerprint to get a copy.

And as far as Melissa's key that didn't work, KeyMe says that can happen if the original key has become worn over time. In those cases, KeyMe offers a free replacement.

LINKS:

KeyMe

Keys Duplicated

KeyiCam

Houdini Lock and Safe