Wink Lookout Review

It’s very rare that you happen upon a product these days that just makes you ponder its possibilities. However, Wink did just that with Lookout. Wink Look Out is a free, in-app service that helps you stay connected to your home no matter where you are. Get notified with real-time alerts about activity around your home and quickly decide how to respond. Wink Look Out is a new service in Wink where you can keep.

I recently purchased the Wink Lookout security system and we've used it enough to warrant a review. The system has been installed for 4 months. I was in search of a system that was cost-effective, simple to use, and able to work with some of our existing security devices, and one with no monthly fees. I didn't set out to use Wink Lookout simply because we already used the Wink Hub 2. It seemed like a natural choice but I still did some due diligence. One of the systems I really liked was Simplisafe, it met my needs from the features, devices available to aesthetics. It had the option for professional monitoring but the biggest issue I had was that in order to use the smart home integration, you have no choice but to pay a monthly fee. After taking everything into consideration, I decided on Wink Lookout as part of our smart home security system.

Installation

There are bundles available for purchase that includes the Wink Hub 2. Since we already had the hub, I bought the products ala carte direct from the wink.com. I purchased 3 door and window sensors, 1 siren and chime, and 1 motion sensor. The installation went smoothly. For the sensors, you simply remove the tab and the hub will recognize a new device. Due to the installation of multiple sensors, it's important that you install and label them on the app one at a time otherwise you will lose track as to which door or window you've installed the sensor. It isn't difficult to figure out but save yourself the trouble by being organized from the beginning. We placed them on two exterior doors on the main level and one in the basement. The hub immediately recognized the sensors and I had no trouble pairing them. The motion sensor with mounting magnet was easy to install and point to your desired spot.

Pros

If you're looking for a DIY system that doesn't require any monthly fees or contracts, this is a good option. The Lookout system allows you to add compatible devices such as a smart lock and Wink-compatible cameras as part of your security system. The Wink hub allows you to set 'robots' to effectively arm and disarm the system based on parameters you set. The functionality is similar to IFTTT. If you live in a small apartment or condo, this may be enough to keep tabs on your home if paired with a camera. It's reasonably priced at $165 for 5 devices. The system has worked perfectly since installation, the sensors and siren worked well at detecting activity and sending alerts.

Cons

Some people might find that not having the monitoring option to be a negative but for someone like me who is looking to self-monitor, it's a good solution. Lookout lets you manage notifications and view activity. That's it. It's quite rudimentary and only allows you to turn notifications off and on for devices as well as system-wide alerts. There's no camera so in addition to this system so we also use the Canary all-in-one as part of our security system. Stay tuned for a Canary review but I'm mentioning it here because it's part of the automation I've created for our home.

Automation

The first thing you should do is manage notifications on your devices. You will receive every single notification when activity is detected on any of the devices added to Lookout and it will drive you crazy. Let's get to the automation, as I mentioned earlier, Wink uses what they call 'robots' to automate based on your location, time of day, or a trigger by a product or sensor. The robots are not limited to security products, they can be used for any devices paired with the Wink hub. Since we're talking about security, this isn't a complete list but here's how I automated some of my security devices.

Robot for motion: Motion detected for a specified block of time (at night) will turn on the basement siren and notify me.

Robot for leaving home: Motion & doors are enabled and Canary is set to 'Away' when I leave home.

Robot for coming home: Motion and doors are disabled and Canary is set to'Home' when I arrive home.

Robot for family members visiting: When smart lock is unlocked, Canary is set to 'Home' and motion is disabled.

The siren comes with the option to sound a chime instead of the siren. You can set a robot to sound a chime (doorbell sound is available) when your garage or front door opens as an alert that someone else is home. The robots are easily deleted when you no longer have a need for it. You can also easily disable a robot temporarily. Verdict: The Wink Lookout security system offers good value but you have some work to do with setting your own automation.

  • Wink Look Out-compatible Products
  • Wink Hub / Wink Hub 2
  • Wink App (6.5+)
  • Apple® or Android™ smart device
Wink Look Out is a free, in-app service that helps you stay connected to your home no matter where you are. Get notified with real-time alerts about activity around your home and quickly decide how to respond.
Wink Look Out is a new service in Wink where you can keep track of activity around your home in a single place. Receive instant alerts when activity is detected, know the exact sensor that tripped right away, and view recent/previous activity.
The Look Out icon will appear in your Wink Products screen when you have at least one Look Out-compatible product connected to Wink. By default, the Look Out icon will be ordered last in your Products screen, however you can always rearrange your product icons in your Wink app if you like. If you don’t have any Look Out-compatible devices, then you will not see Wink Look Out in your Wink app until you have added a Look Out-compatible product.
You can add any Wink-compatible alarm, camera, doorbell, door / window sensor, garage door, lock, and motion sensor to Wink Look Out.

Wink Lookout Review

How do I add more security products to Wink Look Out?
If you have connected a Look Out-compatible device to the Wink app, then you can easily add it to Look Out by tapping on the Settings menu in the top right corner of the Look Out main page, and then tapping on “Manage Devices”. From the “Manage Devices” page, you can select which products you want to add to and remove from Look Out.
Look Out works with any Wink-compatible alarm, camera, doorbell, door / window sensor, garage door, lock, and motion sensor.
What kind of device activity will trigger Look Out notifications?
Wink Lookout ReviewOnce Look Out is turned on, you will receive “Wink Look Out” branded notifications when Look Out detects activity from the following events:
  • - Lock “Locked” & “Unlocked” events
  • - Camera / Doorbell “Motion Detected” events
  • - Motion Sensor “Motion Detected” events
  • - Door / Window Sensor “Opened” & “Closed” events
  • - Garage Door “Opened” & “Closed” events
Does Look Out integrate with camera video recording?
Yes! If you link your Arlo account to Wink and add your Arlo camera to Look Out, you will get alerts when your Arlo camera detects motion and you will be able to view these video clips in Look Out.
When activity is detected by Look Out, you can take the following set of actions:
  • - Dismiss the recent activity alerts
  • - Turn Siren On (if you have an alarm or siren added to Look Out)
  • - Call 911 (this will open a phone call)
  • - Call A Contact (this will open your phone’s contacts)
How long will I be able to access previous activity in Wink Look Out?
In Wink Look Out, you can retrieve previous activity up to 60 days. The Wink Look Out activity feed displays all activity that occurred while Look Out was turned on, as well as when activity was dismissed or when Look Out was turned on or off.
Can I use Wink Look Out if I already have security products on my Wink account?
Yes, Look Out works with any Wink-compatible alarm, camera, doorbell, door/window sensor, garage door, lock and motion sensor.
If you have connected a Look Out-compatible device to the Wink app, then you can easily add it to Look Out by tapping on the Settings menu in the top right corner of the Look Out main screen, and then tapping on “Manage Devices”. From the “Manage Devices” screen, you can select which products you want to add to and remove from Look Out.
Can I create a Widget or Robot to turn Look Out on and off?
No, if you would like to turn off alerting from Look Out, you can tap the bell button on the Look Out dashboard and switch it to “Alerts Off”.
Do I need to allow push notifications from Wink in order to use Look Out?

Wink Lookout Reviews

Yes, you will need to enable push notifications from Wink in your phone’s settings in order to use Wink Look Out. Once Look Out is turned on, you will receive notifications when Look Out devices detect activity. Notifications coming from Look Out will be branded “Wink Look Out”.
Look Out is currently designed to be used by a single user, however your Look Out-compatible devices can still be shared with other users through each device’s settings.
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