What's New

When China’s over-60 population reached 323 million at the end of 2025 – crossing the 23% threshold of the total populace – retrofitting homes for an ageing society ceased to be a matter of choice. It became a necessity. And at the very first line of domestic defence, the smart door lock, a quiet crisis had been brewing: a technology that promised convenience was, for millions of elderly citizens, delivering frustration.

But where there is friction, there is fortune. As policy frameworks harden and technology accelerates, the once-awkward fit between smart locks and silver-haired users is morphing from an industry blind spot into the sector’s most promising growth engine.

‘Why won't it open?’

For the past two years, local authorities across China have reported a recurring scene: an elderly resident stands at their own front door, frowning at a fingerprint scanner that refuses to recognize worn skin, or squinting at a facial-recognition camera that demands perfect afternoon light. A senior official from the China National Light Industry Council recently noted that many smart-home products suffer from a lack of precise market positioning and human-centric design, resulting in a wave of low-quality, homogenized devices that fail the people who need them most.

That failure, however, has illuminated a vast commercial vacuum. According to data from All View Cloud, China’s smart lock market recorded retail sales of 19.51 million units in 2025, generating 21.2 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) in revenue. The average price climbed to 1,087 yuan ($160), signaling a shift towards premium features. Yet locks explicitly designed for older adults remain a rarity. AVC’s 2026 White Paper on Smart Lock Trends estimates that age-friendly models account for just 3% to 5% of current market penetration – a glaring mismatch between supply and demand.

Research from the China Consumers Association underscores the human dimension of this disconnect: 54% of elderly users find smart devices "too complex to operate." In the lock sector, the grievances are specific and persistent – worn fingerprints, temperamental facial sensors, and app interfaces with typefaces too small to decipher.

The scale of the opportunity is staggering. Analysts at EO Intelligence project that China's market for age-adapted technology will swell from 555.4 billion yuan (approx. $78 billion) in 2025 to nearly one trillion yuan (approx. $140 billion) by 2030. With over 100 million households now providing home-based elder care, a modest rise in the adoption rate of senior-friendly smart locks to 15% would translate into annual demand for roughly 15 million units – a market worth over 15 billion yuan ($2.1 billion).

The message from the data is clear: it is not that older people reject technology; it is that technology has not yet learned to listen to older people.

A Technological Answer to the 'Silver Fingerprint'

The solution to the biometric barrier has arrived not through better fingerprints, but by looking past the skin. Finger-vein recognition technology, which uses near-infrared light to map the unique vascular patterns beneath the surface, has emerged as a golden key. It bypasses the problems of worn ridges, dry skin, and the natural thinning of fingerprints that come with age.

In 2025, China's tech giants pivoted sharply toward this demographic. Xiaomi launched an enhanced version of its Smart Door Lock 2 featuring finger-vein AI in June, priced at 1,699 yuan. The company touted deep-learning algorithms that "improve with use," alongside AI human-detection for automatic recording of lingering visitors. Months earlier, Huawei unveiled its first AI-powered palm-vein lock, the Smart Door Lock 2 Series, deploying high-definition near-infrared imaging to scan subcutaneous veins. Specialist firms like Loock, a global pioneer in vein-pattern locks, also reinforced their AI-driven home security lineup.

The sales figures are beginning to reflect this shift. AVC reports that palm-vein recognition accounted for 12.3% of retail volume and a significant 21.1% of retail value in 2025 – year-on-year leaps of 6.2% and 10.5%, respectively. Forecasts for 2026 suggest volume share could reach 18%, with value share approaching 30%.

This is more than a hardware update; it is a reimagining of what a lock can be. Industry observers note that AI-powered locks are transitioning from "functional intelligence" to "cognitive intelligence." The next generation of age-friendly devices will aim for seamless recognition, proactive safety monitoring, and interfaces so intuitive they vanish into the background. The lock is evolving from a mere key replacement into a silent guardian for the smart care ecosystem.

Policy Tailwinds and Standardized Trust

Market ingenuity is now being reinforced by regulatory muscle. On 1 July 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) enforced the General Technical Requirements for Smart Elderly Care Home Products. The standard takes direct aim at the sector's pain points: poor age-friendly design and unnecessary operational complexity.

The new rules mandate reductions in operating steps, clear warnings for potential hazards, and strict guidelines on visual displays – fonts must be clear and familiar, icons bold, and screens free of glare. The standard also encourages deeper integration of voice control, fall detection, and remote health monitoring, pushing the industry toward a holistic vision of tech-enabled, dignified ageing.

The stamp of state approval has followed. In October 2025, MIIT published its official catalogue of recommended products for the elderly. High-end models like the Leelen T08S Max with palm-vein and 3D face recognition, and offerings from industry leaders Desman and Wangli, were among those granted official recognition.

Zhang Chonghe, President of the China National Light Industry Council, summarized the mission: "The essence of smart elderly care is to empower people to enjoy life with dignity. With a maturing standards system, these products are moving from 'functional' to 'friendly' – and ultimately, to 'desirable'."

Industry forecasts from AVC suggest a phased evolution: a fledgling phase in 2026 with 3-5% penetration, followed by rapid expansion to 12-18% by 2028, and a trajectory toward 30% by 2030. By then, age-friendly features are expected to be standard on mid-to-high-end locks, woven deeply into the fabric of community safety networks.

Unlocking a New Era

The challenges of making smart locks work for an ageing population are real and tangible. But they are precisely the kind of challenges that propel an industry forward. From the rise of vein-recognition tech to the weight of new national standards, a new ecosystem is taking shape. For manufacturers, the calculus is straightforward: the company that solves a parent's struggle with the front door is the company that opens a new door to its own future.

"If you can solve the problem of Mum and Dad not being able to get in the house," as one industry adage now goes, "you've just found the key to a brand-new business."