Smart locks for Australian security screen doors: what actually fits

Australian homes have something most smart lock makers did not design for: a steel or aluminium security screen in front of the real door. Fit a smart lock to the front door and you still need a key for the screen. This guide checks which smart locks are actually made for Australian security screen doors, and the answer is a short list. Prices below are from Bunnings, JB Hi-Fi and the makers’ own pages on 18 October 2026 (the Bunnings Yale prices on 21 October); for models also on Amazon Australia, check the current price on Amazon. We compared maker specifications, installation documents and retailer listings; we have not fitted these locks ourselves.

Why ordinary smart locks do not fit

A security screen door is thin. Yale makes its screen door lock for doors 18 to 25 mm thick. The smart locks most people shop for are made for solid front doors: Aqara lists 35 to 55 mm for the U100, eufy about 35 to 52 mm for the C33, and Yale 35 to 60 mm for its Unity Entrance Lock. They also expect a round 54 mm hole through the door, while screen door locks sit in a mortice pocket in the door’s edge with handles either side. When we searched Bunnings for smart screen door locks, the results were mostly ordinary front door smart locks; the only screen-door-specific smart locks were Yale Unity models.

Maker by maker

The cut-out matters more than the brand

Yale says the Unity fits industry-standard screen door cut-outs, and its documents name the locks it replaces: the Lockwood 8654, the Whitco Tasman Mk2 and Mk3, and the Yale Quattro. Before you buy, check the faceplate on the door edge, the old lock’s packaging or the door maker’s paperwork for the brand and model. If it is one of those, the Unity lock is designed to go into the same holes. If you have a triple-lock screen door, McGrath says its ULTRA-SECUA retrofits triple-locking models, and Yale sells an optional 3-point kit for the Unity.

Prices

The same matt black Yale lock was $316 at Bunnings and $528 at JB Hi-Fi on 18 October, so compare before you order.

The picks

The Yale Unity Security Screen Door Lock is the one to buy for most hinged security screen doors. Yale built it for 18 to 25 mm doors and the common Australian cut-outs, and it meets AS 4145.2:2008 at security level SL6 and durability level D7. You open it with the Yale Home app, auto-unlock as you walk up, or one of the two contactless key cards in the box. A door sensor tells you whether the screen door is shut, it is rated IP55, and Yale quotes about 12 months from 4 AA batteries. Yale says it is not for gates where the inside handle is exposed to the weather. Matt black was $316 at Bunnings as a special order, and Amazon Australia sells the silver and matt black versions.

The McGrath ULTRA-SECUA is the Australian-engineered alternative with the keypad built into the lock. It takes PIN codes, RFID cards and tags and Bluetooth eKeys, has a mechanical key override, an IP66 rating on the outside and a 24-month warranty. It comes with its own mortice lock and McGrath says it retrofits most hinged screen doors, including triple-locking ones. McGrath sells through retailers and installers and shows no price on its product page.

To add codes or fingerprints to the Yale, buy the Yale Smart Keypad 2: fingerprint plus up to 100 PIN codes, Bluetooth, 4 AAA batteries for about 6 months, IP55. Bunnings also sells the lock and Smart Keypad together for $632.26. For remote unlocking and voice control, the Yale Connect Plus Hub 2 ($188 at JB Hi-Fi) links up to 16 Bluetooth and 30 Zigbee Yale devices to Wi-Fi.

Behind the screen, the Yale Unity Entrance Lock is the matching front door lock. With a Yale bridge, DualDoor opens both doors with one command. Note that Yale lists no mechanical keys for the entrance lock either. The smart lock guide compares it with other front door locks.

If the smart version is not worth it to you, the keyed Lockwood 8654 is the standard hinged lock the Yale retrofits, $108.67 at Bunnings, with a 25-year mechanical warranty. Fitting it now keeps the door ready for a Unity later.

Doorbells and cameras for the front door

A screen door hides who is on the step, which is where a doorbell camera earns its place; the video doorbell guide compares eight. The main camera guide covers the rest of the house.

The one trap

Locking yourself out with flat batteries. Yale’s specifications and flyer for the Unity screen door lock do not mention a key cylinder or an outside emergency power terminal, and its Unity Entrance Lock spec says no mechanical keys. If both doors are Unity locks, keep spare AA batteries, act on the 20 percent low-battery warning, and ask Yale or your installer how to get in if both run flat. If you want a key as backup, the McGrath ULTRA-SECUA has one.