Amazon to Offer In-Garage Deliveries

Are you worried about porch pirates stealing your packages, but too sketched out to give Amazon access to your home or car? How about your garage?

The online retail giant on Monday announced it's expanding its Key by Amazon service to offer in-garage deliveries. Starting in the second quarter of the year, Prime members in 37 cities will be able to choose a new "in-garage delivery" option when checking out on Amazon's website.

Customers who select this option will receive notifications via the Key app when their package is on the way, when their garage door opens for the delivery, and when it closes. Those with a Cloud Cam will also be able to watch the delivery as it happens.

Amazon is launching Key for Garage in collaboration with the Chamberlin Group (CGI), a company that makes garage door openers. For it to work, you'll need a Chamberlain or LiftMaster myQ-connected garage door opener or a Key for Garage Kit to add connectivity to your existing setup. To sign up to be notified when Key for Garage is available, head here.

Amazon will use an "encrypted authentication process" to verify that the right driver is at the right address before the garage door opens, CGI said in a news release. After the delivery, the driver won't move on until the garage door closes.

"A self-contained extension of the home, the garage offers a convenient destination for delivery hurdles such as potential theft and missed deliveries," CGI President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Meredith said in a statement. "Prime members now have a new secure delivery option for all of their purchases."

In other Key news, Ring customers will soon be able to lock and unlock Key-compatible smart locks from the Ring app, Amazon announced. This feature is expected to launch this quarter.

"Ring's customers already regularly use two-way talk on Ring devices to scare off would-be thieves or other bad actors," Ring Chief Inventor and Founder Jamie Siminoff said in a statement. "With the integration of Key, they'll also be able to use the Ring app to open the door to neighbors, family, and service providers they do want coming and going, no matter where they are."

Plus, lock manufacturer Schlage just introduced a new Wi-Fi-enabled smart lock for Key. The Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt is available for pre-order now and slated for release on March 5. It costs $250 alone or $300 when bundled with an Amazon Cloud Cam.

Finally, Amazon also this week introduced Key for Business, a smart fob that lets Amazon delivery drivers drop off packages to commercial and residential properties without having to bother building staff for access every time. Amazon says Key for Business is currently available to "hundreds of building across the country."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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