ButterflyMX Virtual Keys are the next step in access innovation. They take the form of QR & PIN codes that you send to your visitors like friends, family, and service providers (think anyone you’d want to give a key to your building to). Virtual keys free you from the burden of worrying about a physical key that needs to be passed along to someone. Instead, virtual keys can be created in the ButterflyMX mobile app and can be passed along at your convenience.
Virtual keys are designed with your security in mind. You get to approve when virtual keys can be used and you can always see who is using them. They can also be deleted at any time.
Let’s learn how to create Virtual Keys with ButterflyMX.
Features
- Send friends, family, and guests virtual keys for managed access that you can revoke at any time.
Prerequisites
- You must have a ButterflyMX account
- You must have our mobile app on iOS or Android
- Your property owner or managers must enable virtual keys for your use. If virtual keys are unavailable in your mobile app, please talk to your property owner or manager about turning them on. We cannot turn them on.
How to issue and use virtual keys:
- Open the ButterflyMX mobile app
- Press ‘+ Virtual Key’
- Choose a type of virtual key
- Name your virtual key
- Select when your virtual key will be active
- Choose an expiration date
- Click the “Create Key” button
- Share your virtual key via text message or email
- Your guest receives the virtual key via a text message or email
- Your virtual key is received as a QR code with instructions
- To use the virtual key, a visitor clicks “Virtual Key” on the ButterflyMX intercom
- The visitor lines up the virtual key (QR Code) with the intercom
Step 1: Open up the ButterflyMX mobile app
Launch the ButterflyMX mobile app on your smartphone.
Step 2: Press the ‘+ Virtual Key’ button
Hit “+ Virtual Key”.
Step 3: Choose a type of virtual key
Choose your type of virtual key.
You can create a key with a custom duration, recurring access, business hours, full-day use, or a one-time key.
Step 4: Name your virtual key
You’ll then need to name your virtual key. In this example, we’ve named the virtual key ‘dog walker’.
Step 5: Select when your virtual key will be active
If you’ve chosen to create a virtual key with custom duration or recurring access, you’ll need to select the days of the week and times of day that you want your virtual key to be active.
If your dog walker comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2:20 and 3:20, choose those options.
Step 6: Choose an expiration date
Lastly, you’ll need to determine when the key expires (note: once your virtual key is created, you cannot adjust these settings).
Step 7: Click the “Create Key” button
Click the “Create Key” button. Once the key is created, hit “Share Key Now”.
Step 8: Share your virtual key via text message or email
Enter the phone number or email address of the contact you’d like to send the key to and then hit “send”.
Step 9: Your guest receives the virtual key via a text message or email
Your guest receives the virtual key via a text message or email.
This is what they will receive:
Step 10: Your virtual key is received as a QR code with instructions
Your recipient will receive some instructions about the key and the link to the key itself. When they click on the link, they’ll see more details about the key, including the ability to save it in their Apple Wallet and the QR code.
Step 11: To use the virtual key, a visitor clicks “Virtual Key” on the ButterflyMX intercom
Once your guest is at the door, they’ll click the ‘Virtual Key’ button on the video intercom.
Pro tip: you do not have to click the ‘Virtual Key’ button on the intercom. You can just show your virtual key to the intercom, and if it’s valid, the door will open.
Step 12: The visitor lines up the virtual key (QR Code) with the intercom
They will then see a prompt to line up the virtual key on their smartphone with the smart video intercom as shown below.
Once lined up correctly, they’ll hear a chime and see a notification that the door is open. For security purposes, our video intercom will take a time- and date-stamped photo of the person who used the virtual key, which will be stored for review in your mobile app for 365 days.
