Yale began as a small lock shop in the 1840s, when Linus Yale refined the ancient pin-tumbler concept into a cylinder design that shaped modern door hardware. That core idea still sits at the heart of many Yale cylinders, while the brand itself has grown into a global name under the ASSA ABLOY umbrella, showing up in homes and apartments across more than a century of everyday use. Think sturdy metal, familiar keys, and a reputation built on simple reliability rather than flash. 

Today, Yale folds that heritage into connected locks you control with codes or an app, and the latest models speak Matter over Thread for low-power, local control through your preferred smart home app. The company’s Matter setup guidance calls for a Thread border router, and reviewers note the new Yale Smart Lock with Matter focuses on clean design, straightforward access, and broad platform support without piling on extra gimmicks. It’s old-school security meeting new-school radios, with the pin-and-spring legacy humming along beneath the smart features.