# Shepherd Lock — Touch entry and home security. > Smart deadbolt retrofit with touch-to-unlock functionality via smartphone. (iPhone/iPad app by PassiveBolt, Inc..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shepherd-lock/id1481255368 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [PassiveBolt, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481255367) - Category: Utilities, Productivity - Price: Free - Rating: 3.00/5 from 8 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 85 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2020-12-10 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shepherd-lock/id1481255368/reviews.md ## What is Shepherd Lock? Shepherd turns your existing deadbolt into a touch-activated lock. When your authorized smartphone or Bluetooth device is close to the lock, a simple touch will unlock it. So you can easily get inside even if your arms are full. Easily lock or unlock your home from the inside - no approval needed. Simply touch the sleek and elegant Shepherd Lock, mounted as a retrofit where the original thumbturn is located on the inside of your door. Additionally, there’s a manual backup thumbturn inside Shepherd. We value your privacy and will never ask for a fingerprint. Shepherd Lock approves or disapproves of users based on the Bluetooth signal from their smart device. Give or rescind access to anyone anytime. All you need to do is download the app. ## Key features - Touch-activated unlocking - Smartphone proximity unlock - Grant/revoke access remotely - Retrofit installation - Manual interior thumbturn - No fingerprint required ## Recent user reviews (3 of 3) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shepherd-lock/id1481255368/reviews.md ### 1/5 — No customer support *2023-12-29* My lock doesn’t work, I can’t login to the app, can’t reset my password and customer support never responds. Won’t buy this again. I wish I could return it. ### 1/5 — A work in progress, but so far no cigar. *2021-06-08* I ordered the Shepherd lock from what was then PassiveBolt back in late 2019 as it was supposed to be out in the first quarter of 2020. I did not receive the lock until a few months ago, well over a year late. I still have not received the Wi-Fi adapter that I also had paid for. The only distinguishing feature is the touch of the front door. That works very sporadically at best. And when it does I almost always have to take my phone out of my pocket. If I’m going to take my phone out of my pocket I could’ve just as easily taken my key out. Likewise, I could have gotten an August lock that works through their app that way and is *much* faster, quieter, reliable and cheaper. Even when I am using the app with my iPhone in my hand their app is very slow to connect and very slow to open. It is also very loud. I have been getting “tunnel” errors a lot and wrote them several weeks ago about this and asked them what the tunnel was. I never received a response. With the latest update to iOS 14.6 it is now crashing 80-90% of the time I push to lock or unlock the door. While that release only came out a few days ago I would have felt as a developer they would have access to a beta version to prevent these problems. Frankly, if the touch sensor doesn’t work reliably *and* quickly with my phone in my pocket, then there’s no point of getting this lock As I said before, you can get an August lock that also does not need to change the outside lock and works very quickly, very quietly and virtually 100% of the time from my experience with my son’s second generation August lock. Shepherd has been making improvements over the last few weeks, so hopefully they will get this worked out. But their customer support stinks as they don’t have a phone number and quit answering my emails weeks ago. Even when they push updates they never send us any information about what the update did. There is now something called the “Back Drive“ setting, and it has a sensitivity setting but I have no idea what it does. I also only found out about the new sensitivity setting for the door openeren/ajar feature when I happened to stumble on it, not because they ever sent me an email or posted anything about that, despite my reporting the problems I was having with it. So, hopefully this thing will get better and work, (and I’ll get my Wi-Fi module someday), but as it is I can’t imagine why anybody would pay more for this then, say, an August lock. Oh, one last thing: before I got my lock I saw they had already announced version two which was going to include Z-Wave. I asked if I could hold off and get that instead because I now have a Z-Wave hub (Hubitat). They said they would not do that. So for being over a year late, and still not getting the Wi-Fi module, that is how they treat their original customers. ### 1/5 — Version 1.10 keeps crashing *2021-03-08* Looks like there wasn’t any user testing done prior to rolling out the latest version. Both my iPad and iPhone are on the latest iOS releases. App crashes immediately after opening it rendering the lock useless at the moment ## Frequently asked questions about Shepherd Lock ### What is Shepherd Lock? Shepherd Lock is a smart home device that retrofits your existing deadbolt, allowing you to unlock your door with a touch when your authorized smartphone is nearby. It provides convenient keyless entry and access management. ### How does Shepherd Lock work? Shepherd Lock uses Bluetooth signals from your authorized smartphone or device to determine proximity. When your device is close, a simple touch on the lock will unlock it. Access for others is managed through the companion app. ### Does Shepherd Lock require a subscription? No, Shepherd Lock is available for free. The app does not require a subscription to use its core features for managing your smart lock. ### What devices is Shepherd Lock compatible with? The Shepherd Lock app is supported on iPhones and iPods. The physical Shepherd Lock device is designed to retrofit standard deadbolts. ### How often is Shepherd Lock updated? The latest version of Shepherd Lock is 1.35, last updated on November 12, 2022. Updates typically address performance improvements and security enhancements for the app. ### What is the age rating for Shepherd Lock? Shepherd Lock has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for users of all ages. The app focuses on home security and access control functionalities. ### Does Shepherd Lock have ads? No, Shepherd Lock does not contain advertisements. The app is designed to provide a seamless user experience without interruptions from ads. ### How is user access managed with Shepherd Lock? You can easily grant or rescind access to anyone through the Shepherd Lock app. Access is approved or disapproved based on the Bluetooth signal from their smart device, and no fingerprint data is ever requested. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.35 — 2022-11-12 - Stability updates ### 1.34 — 2022-10-29 - Stability improvements ### 1.33 — 2022-10-21 - Ownership transfer - Space configuration - Stability improvements ### 1.32 — 2022-09-14 - Lock Grouping - UI improvements - Stability improvements ### 1.31 — 2022-07-11 - UI Improvements - Bugfixes ## More apps by PassiveBolt, Inc. - [KeyShare](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keyshare/id1628825811) - [PDQ Spirit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdq-spirit/id6504496500) All apps by PassiveBolt, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1481255367 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*