A Guide to Smartphone Door Access for Your Business
Decades ago, access control systems were designed with a singular purpose: keeping unauthorized people out. But in today’s fast-paced, connected work environment, door access solutions have evolved. Smartphone-based access now streamlines operations, simplifies who gets in (and when), and provides valuable insights into how your spaces are being used.
Mobile access control eliminates the hassle of traditional keys, badges, fobs, and outdated pin codes — replacing them with something most people already have in their pocket: a smartphone.
Compared to legacy systems, smartphone access control provides a better experience across the board — for both users unlocking the door and administrators managing access. These systems are sleek, intuitive, cost-effective, and come with that modern “wow” factor.
What is mobile access control?
Mobile access control lets people use their personal devices — smartphones, tablets, or smartwatches — to unlock doors. The key advantage is removing the need for physical keys or keycards that are expensive to manage and easy to lose.
Today’s workforce already relies on their phones for nearly everything: email, video calls, business updates, documents — so why not use that same device to unlock the office?
Access is managed entirely in the cloud via a web or mobile app. That means changes take effect instantly. If someone leaves your company, their digital key can be revoked with a few taps — no need to collect anything or rekey locks
What is a mobile credential?
Smartphone App
Smart Watch App
Mobile Text Message
How does a mobile access control system work?
Modern access systems use cloud-based infrastructure to verify credentials in real-time. In most cases, the user’s phone communicates directly with the access system — no need for bulky readers or expensive door controllers.
Systems like Nexkey go a step further by removing traditional access panels altogether. Instead, the smartphone securely connects to the cloud, authenticates the user, and triggers the unlock — all without excess hardware.
This approach significantly reduces installation costs and hardware complexity, offering a clean, scalable solution for growing businesses.
Why use a smartphone to access the building?
Most people have a smartphone in their hand at all times. In fact, today there seems to be more people in the world who own a mobile phone than a toothbrush. You may be quick to say “gross” but it honestly doesn’t surprise you in today’s mobile-first world, does it?
The smartphone is all aspects of our daily lives, from waking up and scanning our email, to thousands of photos, to connecting to colleagues over video conferencing. The WSJ reports that today your smartphone is used for every facet of your life, why not access to your office?
Nexkey surveyed 1200+ office workers in 2021 and found that 9% of people today use smartphones to access their workplace an increase of 64% compared to 2020, and was the #1 choice credential among users to unlock their workspace.
There is a huge shift happening towards mobile access control.
How do users use a mobile credential to access the building?
First, administrators of the access control system grants access to a user or group of users through a mobile app or web portal. While granting access, the admin can choose when the key can be used or grant admin permissions like the ability to share access and remotely unlock the building.
If the user already has the app, they will be notified that a new digital key has been shared with them. They will immediately have access to the building or entryways granted by the admin. When the user is brand new in the system, they will get a text message with steps to download the mobile app and create their account and profile.
As the users approach the door, the user will open their access control mobile app and tap the digital key. When the access control system authenticates and authorizes the user in the cloud, the door will unlock.
To revoke access, any administrator can go into the web portal or mobile app and delete the key for a user or groups of users. Access will instantly be terminated.
Benefits of mobile door access for businesses
With mobile access control, simply, your phone is your key. While users enjoy using a smartphone as their keys over a combination of physical keys, key cards or fobs, the main benefits come from those who manage the system.
Here’s a list of some benefits of mobile access control you may have not thought of:
Keyless entry throughout your business
Typically access control systems cover the exterior doors. With more modern mobile based access control systems, you can purchase single door controllers or smart key cylinders to add interior spaces to the access control platform.
Eliminate additional keys to meeting rooms, storage closets, private offices, kitchens, and even cabinets. Further simplify operations and save costs rekeying or replacing physical keys.
Simplify access management
Eliminating physical keys, key fobs, or keycard badges can mean eliminating mundane administrative tasks like cutting keys, calling a locksmith, programming keycards or fobs, and handing keys to employees or printing temporary passes for guests.
Modern based access control systems allow owners or administrators to perform all these tasks in the cloud via browser or mobile app within a few clicks. Most users are added by email or phone number, or mass uploaded via CSV file. The key is then issued to their unique phone number.
Any changes to a person’s access happens in real-time so there is no need chasing down users to get keys back.
Remotely unlock your business
One of the top reasons businesses love mobile access control is the ability to unlock their building from anywhere. At 7AM when maintenance needs access to the building or a package is being delivered, any administrator can go in the app, and within a click, unlock the door from wherever.
Note: Your access control system does need to be first set up on the Wi-Fi to have this remote unlocking ability but it is as easy as connecting your laptop to Wi-Fi. If Wi-Fi goes down, you will have an issue with remote unlocking until your Wi-Fi is back online. Contact your internet provider for any Wi-Fi issues.
Maintain real-time audit trail
A huge benefit of having a cloud-based mobile access control system is all activity being recorded in an activity log or what’s often called an audit trail. Any time a key is shared, revoked, or someone enters the building, that data can be viewed instantly on a mobile device, tablet, or laptop.
If an incident occurs, you can export the log to see who was in the area in question.
Gain intelligent insights about your business
Access by smartphone can give you very important data about how your workspace is being used. More modern access control systems have a Dashboard in their Portal with visual reports on key metrics like occupancy, space utilization, traffic frequency, and more.
Many businesses like gyms and coworking spaces where their physical space is their product find this incredibly useful to measure growth, monitor when users are coming in or not coming in, and schedule staffing or services based on when people more often present. Business decisions can be made based on data and trends versus gut feelings.
Smarter Mobile Access Control from Nexkey
With Nexkey, you can enjoy all the major benefits of having a smartphone door access system but at a fraction of the cost. Nexkey uses less hardware and wiring than alternatives to transform your existing door hardware into a smart lock, saving you installation time and money.
Nexkey lock compatibility is far superior to alternatives which means any door or lock you have can be smart - yes even glass sliding doors, cabinets, and more. For the first time, interior spaces like private offices and meeting rooms can be added to the platform with zero wiring to a hub or door Controller providing one unified app experience for every user throughout the building.
Gone are the days where you spend $10K to give employees a badge for the front entry but need to still issue physical keys for their offices. Owners and administrators with Nexkey will enjoy a truly keyless access management system.