Ask HN: Have you ever had to hack into your own home?

[Quinzel]

I locked myself out of my house today. I lost the key. Who needs a key though when you can just go through window instead?

What’s your favourite way to hack a house?

I’m semi-asking so that if this happens again, I might know an easier way in.

[swah]

In our building, someone discovered that a 2L plastic bottle can be used to open a door from the outside. This trick has come to the rescue of numerous neighbors over the years, especially when the door accidentally shuts due to the wind or playful kids.[1]

I locked my kid in the car recently too - found out that even regular car windows are pretty hard to break.

[1] Looks like a "brazilian trick" should be specific to cheapish doors ofc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Ki4Uj5LAI

Btw this is the purest use of the internet... no discussion, no politics, just people needing help and thanking the guy for the help.

[Mezzie]

As a latchkey kid before cell phones who often misplaced small objects, I've broken into my own houses/apartments fairly regularly. (Now I do the boring 'keep a spare key at work (which is within walking distance))'

But I think my favorite ways are using a butter knife to jimmy locks + shimmying across a balcony/ledge with a neighbor's sword to cut my way in through an otherwise inaccessible window. Removing a door by the hinges is fun.

The easiest way to break into a home depends a lot on the home itself. You're basically memorizing the house as a system and noting what the system's weak parts are.

[Quinzel → Mezzie]

> “shimmying across a balcony/ledge with a neighbour’s sword to cut my way through”

probably the most interesting one I’ve ever heard!

[Mezzie → Quinzel]

College kids do crazy stuff!

[vijayr02 → Mezzie]

I think the interesting / crazy bit is that your neighbour had a sword lying around. Why?

[Mezzie → vijayr02]

We were weebs lol. I think it was a video game sword.

[Quinzel → Mezzie]

Was it a genuine sword or some kind of genuine replica type thing?

[Mezzie → Quinzel]

Oh absolutely a terrible replica. Real mall ninja hours.

[Quinzel → Mezzie]

That’s hilarious. Amazing. In my subjective opinion, you definitely win for the best house “hack”.

[vijayr02 → Quinzel]

& slash

[rzzzwilson]

I live on the 14th floor, so "going through a window" isn't an option. I keep a spare key hidden on my vehicle where it can't fall out but can be retrieved with some effort.

[YaBa]

My kid got locked out while I was away. Lauched Telegram, sent my Home Assistant bot a message to open the door covers; sent new message to unlock door and turn off the alarm. Done.

[Quinzel → YaBa]

That’s so next level!

[mtmail]

"hacking a house" sounds a lot like burglery. Hide a spare key outside the house.

[quickthrower2 → mtmail]

not if it is you own surely?

[VoodooJuJu]

>hack into your home

>hack a house

Can you just say "break into a house"? Such a weird way to put it, "hack". I get it's Hacker News, were all nerds here, but some things shouldn't be nerdwashed as a "hack", this is one of them.

[runjake]

Cat doors. Bump keys. Door shims.

Or look under the obvious places for a key (doormat, plant pots, on top of porch lights/door frames, under big rocks, etc.

And yes, people are this obvious in the real world.

[throwaway10965]

Yeah, but I called a hacker to do it for me (15th floor apartment). He picked the lock.

[quickthrower2]

picked an internal door lock once. because the key was locked inside. it is remarkably easy to do; taking 5 minutes having never done it before by watching youtube and using a paperclip.