PRIME HARDWARE BUYING GUIDE

Passage, privacy, entrance and dummy: door handle functions explained

Two door handles can look identical on the shelf and behave completely differently once they are on a door. The difference is the function — what the handle does when you turn it, and whether it locks. Choosing the wrong function is the most common reason hardware gets returned or a door needs re-prepping, so it is worth five minutes before you order.

• Passage: latches, no lock
• Privacy: locks from inside, no key
• Entrance: key operated
• Dummy: fixed pull, no latch
• Australian door sizes and backsets
• Room-by-room selection table

The four functions at a glance

Function	What it does	Locks?	Typical doors	Also needs
Passage	Handle retracts a latch from both sides to hold the door closed	No	Hallways, linen cupboards, media rooms, walk-in robes	Tube latch and strike, hinges, door stop
Privacy	Latches, plus a turn or snib inside that locks the handle	Yes, from the inside only	Bathrooms, ensuites, separate WCs, bedrooms	Privacy latch or adaptor with emergency release, hinges, door stop
Entrance	Key operated from outside; turn or key on the inside	Yes, with a key	Front and rear entry, external laundry, garage-to-house, store rooms	Mortice lock and cylinder (or deadlatch), hinges, door stop
Dummy	Nothing mechanical. Fixed to the door face as a pull only	No	Inactive leaf of a door pair, robes, pantries, cupboards	Ball catch or magnetic catch to hold the door shut, hinges, door stop

Passage: the standard internal door

A passage function is a latching, non-locking set. Turning the handle on either side pulls back a sprung latch so the door opens, and the latch holds the door closed when you let go. There is no locking mechanism of any kind.

This is the right choice wherever a door needs to stay shut but never needs to be secured: hall doors, linen and broom cupboards, media rooms, walk-in robes, most cupboard doors on hinges. It is also the safer choice for rooms where an occupant should not be able to lock themselves in, which is why passage sets are common in children's bedrooms, playrooms and some aged-care and childcare settings.

Privacy: bathrooms, bedrooms and anywhere you want the door held shut

A privacy function latches like a passage set, and adds a small turn, snib or push button on the inside that locks the outside handle. There is no key. Instead, every privacy set includes an emergency release on the outside — usually a coin slot, a small flat release, or a pinhole that takes an emergency key — so the door can be opened from the corridor if someone inside needs help.

Privacy is the correct function for bathrooms, ensuites, powder rooms and separate toilets, and it is the usual choice for adult bedrooms. Because the release is deliberately simple to operate, a privacy set gives occupants control of the door without creating a room that can be locked shut against you.

Entrance: any door that needs a key

An entrance function is key operated. In Australia this is most often built from a mortice lock body with a euro cylinder and a lever on rose or plate, though integrated entrance sets and deadlatch-style sets are also common. The decision that catches people out is not the handle — it is the cylinder configuration.

• Single cylinder: key on the outside, thumbturn or snib on the inside. The door can always be opened from inside without a key.
• Double cylinder: key on both sides. More secure against someone reaching through broken glass, but it means nobody can get out without a key.

Entrance sets are also where keying matters. If you want your front door, rear door, garage-to-house door and external laundry all to open with the same key, the cylinders need to be ordered keyed alike as a group rather than bought individually. That is a decision to make before the order goes in, not after.

Dummy: a handle that does nothing, on purpose

A dummy handle, sometimes listed as a fixed handle or a dummy trim, has no latch and no moving parts. It screws to the face of the door and exists to be gripped. Because there is no latch, something else has to hold the door closed: a ball catch mortised into the top edge or the leading edge, a magnetic catch, or a roller catch.

The three most common uses are the inactive leaf of a double or French door pair, wardrobe and pantry doors where you want the handle to match the rest of the house, and any door where a full lockset would be wasted. Dummy handles are supplied as each, not as a pair, so a door that needs a handle on both faces takes two.

Which function belongs on which door

Room by room, for a typical Australian home. Treat this as the starting point and adjust for how the household actually uses each space.

Door	Function	Notes
Front entry	Entrance	Single cylinder inside on a sole exit door; consider a separate deadbolt for insurance
Rear or garden door	Entrance	Key alike with the front door if it is a regular route in and out
Garage to house	Entrance	Often keyed alike; check whether the build requires a fire or smoke rated door and certified hardware
External laundry door	Entrance	Coastal sites should also consider the finish and grade of stainless
Bathroom and ensuite	Privacy	Emergency release on the outside is standard, not optional
Separate WC	Privacy	An indicator bolt is an alternative where the door is very narrow
Main bedroom	Privacy	Passage is fine if the household prefers it
Children's bedroom	Passage	Avoids a child locking themselves in; privacy is workable if an adult can release it easily
Study or home office	Privacy	Worth it if the room is used for calls; passage otherwise
Hallway, linen, broom cupboard	Passage	Standard 60mm backset tube latch
Walk-in robe	Passage or dummy	Dummy needs a ball or magnetic catch to hold the door shut
Pantry or butler's pantry	Passage or dummy	Dummy suits a door that is left ajar much of the time
Media or rumpus room	Passage	Consider acoustic seals separately if noise is the point
Internal French or double doors	Passage on the active leaf, dummy on the inactive leaf	Flush bolts top and bottom hold the inactive leaf
External French or double doors	Entrance on the active leaf, dummy on the inactive leaf	Flush bolts plus a matching strike; consider a multipoint lock on tall leaves
Cavity slider to a bathroom	Sliding privacy set	Flush pulls with an integrated snib and external release; lever functions do not apply
Other cavity or barn sliders	Flush pulls or pull handles	No latch, so nothing holds the door mid-track unless you add a catch
Fire door	Certified latching set	Must self-latch, must use hardware covered by the door's certification, no dummy handles
Commercial store room or office	Entrance	Check the security and durability class required for the traffic level
Commercial WC cubicle	Lock and indicator set	Handing is read from inside the cubicle, which is the opposite of hinge handing
Accessible WC	AS 1428 compliant set	Lever or D-pull operable with one hand without tight grasping or pinching, plus an external release

Three things to check before you order

Common questions

What is the difference between a passage and a privacy handle?

Both latch the door closed. A passage set has no lock at all. A privacy set adds a turn or snib on the inside that locks the outside handle, along with an emergency release on the outside so the door can still be opened in an emergency. Neither uses a key.

Do bathroom doors need a key?

No. A privacy set is the correct function for a bathroom. It locks from the inside with a turn and opens from the outside with an emergency release, usually a coin slot or a small release key supplied with the set. Fitting a keyed entrance set to a bathroom creates a room that can be locked from the outside, which is not what you want.

Can a passage set be converted to privacy later?

Sometimes. Ranges that use a privacy adaptor kit behind the rose can usually be upgraded by adding the kit and swapping the latch, with no new holes in the door. Ranges with an integrated privacy latch generally need the privacy version of the set. It depends on the brand, so confirm the upgrade path before you buy if it is part of the plan.

What holds a door closed if the handles are dummies?

A separate catch. A ball catch mortised into the edge of the door, a magnetic catch, or a roller catch will all hold a door shut against its stop. Without one, a dummy-handled door will simply swing. This is the single most common oversight when dummy handles are ordered.

Are dummy handles sold in pairs?

Dummy handles are sold as each. A door that needs a handle on one face takes one; a door that needs a handle on both faces takes two. Order the quantity you need rather than assuming a pair.

Should my front door have a single or a double cylinder?

Single cylinder is the default for a home's main exit door, because it can always be opened from the inside without a key. Double cylinder adds security where there is glazing next to the lock, but it means no one can get out without a key, which is a serious concern in a fire and can conflict with the National Construction Code on a required exit. Check the requirement for your build with your builder, certifier or locksmith, and factor in any condition your insurer has set.

Which function do I need for French or double doors?

One leaf is the active leaf and takes the working function: passage for internal doors, entrance for external. The other leaf stays fixed with flush bolts top and bottom and takes a dummy handle so both leaves look the same. On tall external leaves, a multipoint lock on the active leaf is worth considering for weather sealing as much as security.

Do sliding and cavity doors use the same functions?

No. Sliding doors use flush pulls and, where privacy is needed, a sliding door privacy set with an integrated snib and external release. Lever sets with rotating handles and sprung latches do not suit a door that slides into a cavity, because the hardware has to sit flush with the door face.

What function is required on a fire door?

A fire door has to latch and close by itself, so it needs a certified latching set and a door closer, and the hardware must be covered by the door assembly's certification. Dummy handles are never appropriate on a fire door, and fixings that breach the door leaf can void certification. Always work from the door's own documentation.

Which function suits a child's bedroom or an aged-care room?

Passage is generally preferred, because it removes the possibility of the occupant locking the door from the inside. Where privacy is wanted, choose a set with a clear, easy external release and make sure carers or parents know how it works and where the release key lives.

How do I know a handle will fit my existing door?

Measure three things: the backset from the door edge to the centre of the existing handle spindle, the door thickness, and the diameter of the existing bore hole and latch face. Bring those numbers with you or send them through, and we can confirm the fit before anything is ordered.

How can I get help choosing the right set?

Call our team on 1800 329 028 or email sales@primehardware.com.au. You can also visit the showroom at 2/249 Annangrove Road, Annangrove NSW 2156, where more than 6,000 products are on display, so you can handle the difference between a passage, privacy and entrance set before you commit to a whole house.

Related guides: Backset explained · Door hardware finishes · All buying guides