The MyQ Secure View ($279.99) is a sleek-looking smart lock that doubles as a video doorbell. It lets you unlock your door using a fingerprint scanner, facial recognition, custom PIN codes, a mobile app, and traditional keys, and it offers sharp 2K video. It’s a bit pricey, and it doesn’t work with most home automation platforms, but it’s a smart choice if you already use other MyQ cameras and Chamberlain garage door openers. If you want a lock-and-doorbell combo that works with Alexa, Google, and HomeKit, consider the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max ($399.99), our Editors' Choice winner. It's a Matter-enabled lock that supports palm vein scanning, features an interior display that lets you see who is outside, offers free local video storage, and can typically be found for a price comparable with the Secure View.

Design and Specs: Integrated Camera, Fingerprint Scanner, and Wi-Fi

The Secure View lock is a complete lock assembly that comes with interior and exterior escutcheons, deadbolt and strike hardware, mounting hardware and drilling templates, two keys, a rechargeable battery pack and USB charging cable, a door sensor, and a user guide. It fits doors that are 1-3/4 to 2 inches in thickness with a 2-1/8-inch bore hole and a 2-3/8- to 2-3/4-inch backset.

The exterior escutcheon has a matte black finish and measures 6.8 by 3.8 by 2 inches (HWD). It contains a doorbell button that slides away to reveal the keyway, a 12-button backlit touch screen keypad, a PIR motion sensor, two IR LEDs for black-and-white night vision, a facial recognition module, and a camera. The camera has a 2K resolution and a 150-degree field of view, and it captures color video at night when there’s enough ambient light; otherwise, it defaults to black and white. For comparison, the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max has a 2K HDR camera with a 180-degree field of view.

A fingerprint scanner is positioned on the top of the escutcheon, and there’s a speaker and two battery terminals on the bottom that can be used to power the lock with a 9-volt battery if the rechargeable battery pack loses power. Around back is the tailpiece, a data cable, and a Wi-Fi cable. Inside, the lock has a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio, so it does not require a hub for connectivity.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

The interior escutcheon measures 7.8 by 2.9 by 2.7 inches and has a thumbturn knob at the bottom for manually locking and unlocking the door. Behind a removable cover on the top half of the escutcheon is the battery compartment and a reset button. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack is rated to last up to six months before needing to be recharged.

The lock supports up to 16 users, each of whom can register four fingerprints, one face recognition scan, and one PIN code.

Smart Features: App Controls, Cloud Storage, and IFTTT Support

The doorbell camera records video when the button is pressed or when motion is detected, but you’ll need a paid subscription to access it and other features. The $7.99 monthly/$79.99 yearly MyQ Essential plan supports a single camera, provides 14 days of rolling video storage, and unlocks motion notifications, customizable motion zones, facial recognition, package detection, and smart alerts (person, animal, package, and vehicle). The $14.99 monthly/$149.99 yearly Ultra plan gives you everything from the Essential plan, but upgrades video storage to 30 days, and covers all your MyQ cameras. It also adds a video search feature, descriptive notifications, and consolidated notifications, which helps cut down on duplicate alerts from multiple devices. If you'd rather not pay for cloud storage, it's worth considering the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max, which has 15.5GB of internal eMMC flash memory for storing event-triggered video, and optionally works with the Eufy HomeBase 3 for up to 16TB of storage.

The Secure View uses the MyQ app (available for Android and iOS) like other devices from the brand, and appears on the My Home screen in its own panel. The panel displays a still of the last captured footage, and has a play arrow that launches a live stream. Tap that to open a screen with a larger video panel that you can view in full-screen mode by turning your phone sideways or by tapping the box in the lower right corner. Below the video panel are buttons for taking a snapshot, muting the speaker, turning the microphone on or off, and accessing the lock settings menu.

(Credit: MyQ/PCMag)

In the lock settings screen, tap PINs and Biometrics to add users and register fingerprint and face scans. Up to two users per account can be assigned as Co-Owners with 24/7 access and full management permissions, while Household users get customizable 24/7 access. You can also create a Quick Pass with temporary, recurring, or periodic access.

Here you can also configure notifications, set motion detection sensitivity, set up detection zones, and enable Smart Detections (face, person, animal, package, and vehicle). Other settings let you turn off event recording, configure auto-lock delay times, enable night vision, adjust speaker volume, and set up Wi-Fi.

The Secure View doesn't work with Alexa, Google, or HomeKit, or support voice control. However, it does support IFTTT applets that allow it to work with lots of third-party smart home devices, and it integrates with other MyQ devices such as the MyQ Outdoor Battery Camera and the Chamberlain B5330 Garage Door Opener. The Eufy FamiLock S3 Max doesn't support IFTTT, but uses Matter technology to integrate with Alexa, Google, HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. Eufy's model also offers several advanced security settings, including loitering and leaving detection and wrong try protection.

Installation and Performance: Simple Setup, Clear Video, Reliable Access

In testing, I had the Secure View lock up and running in no time. While the battery was charging, I removed my old lock and installed the new deadbolt assembly and strike plate. I slid the exterior escutcheon into the bore hole, fed the data and Wi-Fi cables through the hole and through the mounting plate, and attached the escutcheon to the mounting plate. Next, I connected the cables to the interior escutcheon and attached that to the mounting plate. 

To pair the lock with the app, I tapped Add a New Device on the device management screen, selected Smart Lock, and then selected MyQ Smart Lock with Camera. I verified that the battery was fully charged, tapped Get Started, and installed the battery pack. I held the reset button until the LED on the front of the lock began blinking blue and then tapped Continue. I entered my Wi-Fi credentials, waited a minute for a firmware update, and then followed the on-screen instructions to calibrate the lock. Finally, I gave the lock a name to complete the installation.

The Secure View lock worked wonderfully in testing. The lock responded instantly to keypad entries, app commands, fingerprint scans, and facial scans. The touch screen was well lit and responsive, though I would prefer it to remain illuminated for a bit longer than three seconds before accepting a button press. The auto-lock feature worked as intended, and temporary and recurring Quick Pass codes worked without issue.

The doorbell camera delivered sharp 2K video with good color saturation during the day and excellent contrast when displaying black-and-white footage at night. Color night video was decent but lacked the vibrancy of daytime footage.