Sciener smart locks are managed through the TTLock / Sciener app and, for developers, through an open API. Understanding how the app, the cloud and the lock fit together is the key to getting the most out of the platform β whether you are a homeowner with one door or an integrator connecting thousands of locks to a booking system.
The three layers
The platform has three layers:
- The lock (and gateway). The hardware on the door. The lock holds credentials and makes authorisation decisions locally; the gateway optionally bridges it to the internet.
- The cloud. The backend that stores your account, locks, users and permissions, and relays commands and events between the app and the locks.
- The app (and API). The TTLock / Sciener app is the user interface for managing everything; the API exposes the same capabilities to your own software.
What the app does
For most users, the app is all they need. From it you can:
- enrol and revoke credentials (fingerprints, passcodes, cards, mobile keys);
- generate time-limited passcodes for guests or contractors;
- view a full unlock history per lock;
- receive real-time alerts (unlock, low battery, door-left-open);
- trigger a remote unlock (with a gateway);
- group locks and assign permissions per user.
The app is available for iOS and Android and supports multiple administrators, so a team can share management of a property.
What the API adds
When you want access control to be part of a larger workflow, the open API lets your software do everything the app can β programmatically. Typical integrations include:
- Hospitality: a PMS or channel manager creates a time-limited passcode when a booking is confirmed and revokes it at check-out.
- Property management: onboarding a new tenant automatically enrols their credentials across the relevant doors.
- Corporate: provisioning/deprovisioning access from an HR or identity system.
- Custom dashboards: pulling unlock events into a central operations or security view.
The API exposes locks, users, passcodes, unlock events and remote commands as resources you can read and write.
How a typical integration works
A hospitality integration, for example, follows this flow:
- A booking is created in the PMS.
- The PMS calls the API to create a time-limited passcode on the relevant lock, valid from check-in to check-out.
- The PMS sends the code to the guest by email or SMS.
- The guest enters the code at the door; the lock authorises locally and logs the event.
- At check-out, the code expires automatically (and the PMS can revoke it sooner if needed).
Because authorisation happens on the lock, the integration does not create a real-time dependency β even if the PMS or the API is briefly unavailable, the guest's code still works.
Choosing app vs API
- A few doors, hands-on management: the app is all you need.
- Many doors, or credentials tied to bookings/tenancy: the API pays for itself by automating the credential lifecycle.
- Mixed: use the app day-to-day and the API for the high-volume, repetitive workflows.
Getting started
If you are an end user, install the TTLock / Sciener app and follow the pairing flow described in our installation guide. If you are an integrator, contact our team for API documentation and credentials, and explore the product range to see which devices fit your deployment.