If you’ve ever unlocked your security screen door, stepped inside, and then had to unlock the main door straight after — you’ve already experienced the problem that Dual Unlock is designed to solve.

Dual Unlock (also called DualDoor™ by Yale) links your screen door smart lock to your main door smart lock, so that a single credential — one PIN, one tap, one app action — releases both simultaneously. This guide covers:

• What Dual Unlock actually does and how the mechanism works
• What it does not do (common misconceptions)
• Who benefits most from it
• The two Australian products that offer it — and how they differ
• What to check before buying

For door type guidance and screen door clearance measurement — two things to confirm before ordering — see Chapter 04 — Door Type Matching and our Screen Door Clearance Check guide.

This guide was reviewed and updated in May 2026.

Why Unlocking Two Doors Is Annoying

In most Australian homes with a security screen door, the standard entry sequence looks like this:

1. Unlock the screen door
2. Open the screen door
3. Unlock the main door
4. Open the main door

It doesn’t sound like much until you’re doing it while carrying shopping, managing a pram, supporting a mobility aid, or trying to let visitors in from the other side of a screen. That second unlock quickly becomes a daily frustration.

It also creates a practical gap in the convenience promise of a smart lock — you’ve invested in keyless entry, but you’re still doing a two-step unlock on your way in every time. For homes where accessibility matters, see McGrath DDA Smart Locks in NDIS & Disability Housing for the broader accessibility picture.

What Dual Unlock Actually Does

Dual Unlock links your security screen door lock with the main door lock behind it. When Dual Unlock is enabled and you authenticate at the screen door — with a PIN, RFID tag, or app — it simultaneously sends a signal to the main door lock to release as well.

In practical terms: One PIN, one RFID tap, or one app action unlocks both doors together. You authenticate once at the screen door — both locks release simultaneously — and you walk straight in.

The two locks communicate wirelessly within the same smart lock ecosystem. This is why both locks must be from the same brand and platform — you cannot pair a McGrath screen door lock with a Yale main door lock, or vice versa.

How Entry Actually Works

Here’s a typical Dual Unlock entry sequence:

There is no second step, no second credential, and no need to reach through the screen or juggle doors open with your elbow. The same result can also be triggered via the app — useful for remotely letting someone in, which releases both doors at once from anywhere with internet access (when a gateway is connected).

What Dual Unlock Does Not Do

Dual Unlock is often misunderstood. These points are worth being clear about before purchasing:

• It does not automatically open doors. Dual Unlock releases the latch. You still push each door open yourself — both locks unlock, but neither swings open.
• It does not remove individual door control. You can still lock and unlock each door independently when that makes sense — for example, leaving the screen door locked while the main door is open for ventilation.
• It does not reduce security. Both doors remain locked until you unlock them. No credential, no entry.
• It does not work across different brands. Both locks must be from the same product ecosystem. McGrath with McGrath. Yale with Yale. They cannot be mixed.

Who Dual Unlock Is Best For

Dual Unlock is especially well suited to:

• Homes where the security screen door is used as the primary entry point every day
• Families with children, where smooth entry matters and fumbling with two locks is a daily irritation
• People carrying shopping, equipment, or anything that makes two-step entry awkward
• NDIS participants and occupants using a pram, wheelchair, or mobility aid — where minimising manual steps at the door matters
• Anyone letting visitors or tradespeople in remotely via the app — a single remote unlock releases both doors
• Rental property owners where guests or tenants benefit from a smoother, more intuitive entry experience

It is also popular with homeowners who want genuine convenience without any trade-off in security. Both doors remain locked until you choose to unlock them.

Is Dual Unlock Always Enabled?

No. Dual Unlock is configurable — you can enable or disable it through the lock’s app. That means you can:

• Enable it for all users, or only specific users
• Disable it entirely if your household doesn’t need it
• Continue to unlock each door individually whenever that suits

Dual Unlock isn’t about removing control. It’s about removing an unnecessary step from something you already do every day — when you choose to use it.

Which Products Offer Dual Unlock in Australia?

Two products in the Gold Coast Smart Locks range offer this feature. Both share the same core concept under different brand names — McGrath calls it Dual Unlock; Yale calls it DualDoor™.

McGrath Locks • SKU: MLULSDUBKWM

McGrath UltraSecua Dual Unlock

• Screen door lock only — main door lock purchased separately
• PIN (up to 250 codes), RFID (up to 1,000), Bluetooth app, key override
• 28mm short backset — suits most screen door mortices
• WiFi optional via McGrath G2/G4/G5 gateway
• IP66 rated, 2×3V lithium battery (~3–4 years)
• Australian designed and owned

View Product

Yale • SKU: YUR/ENT/KIT2/MBK

Yale Unity ALL-in-One Entrance Lock Kit

• Complete kit: screen lock + main entrance lock + smart keypad + WiFi bridge
• Mifare Classic RFID card, Yale Home App, Bluetooth, PIN via keypad
• 60mm or 70mm backset — standard residential sizing
• WiFi built-in via included Connect Plus Wi-Fi Bridge (2.4GHz)
• Voice assistant compatible (Alexa, Google)
• 10-year mechanical warranty, 3-year electrical

View Product

McGrath vs Yale — Which Approach Suits You?

Both deliver the same core result — one action unlocks both doors. The difference is in how they’re packaged and priced.

The McGrath approach is more modular — you choose and pay for what you need. The Yale approach is all-in-one — a complete system out of the box. For long-term platform confidence on the McGrath side, see Terry’s + LSC + McGrath: Long Term Confidence.

Before You Buy: Check Your Clearance

The single most commonly missed step before ordering a dual-door smart lock setup is confirming the clearance between your security screen door and main door.

Smart locks have a physical depth (projection). When the screen door closes, it passes in front of the main door lock. If the clearance between the two doors is less than the projection of the main door lock, the screen door will physically strike the lock body and cannot close properly. Check clearance before ordering.

See our dedicated guide: Check the Clearance Between Door and Security Screen. And for the full door-type compatibility picture, Chapter 02 — Measuring Your Door in the Smart Lock Buyer’s Guide covers screen door clearance in detail. If you’re not certain, a site survey before purchase confirms compatibility before anything is ordered.

If your screen door has a triple-locking kit, there is an additional compatibility check to run before ordering either Dual Unlock product. The key question is whether your triple kit uses rigid rods or flexible cables — only rod-based kits are compatible. See our cables vs rods guide for the full explanation and brand-specific installation detail.

Related Guides

Not Sure Which Dual Unlock Option Suits Your Setup?

Send us photos of your screen door and main door — we’ll confirm clearance, backset, and which product fits before anything is ordered.