Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt Lock for Front Door – Keyless Entry with App or Touchscreen – Works with Alexa, Hey Google, & Airbnb – Create Codes for Guests – Matte Black

Quality Lock With Many Features
The instructions in the box plus an installation video that popped up on my phone when I scanned a barcode in the user manual made this a rather easy installation process. I replaced a basic mechanical Schlage deadbolt lock, so the holes were already there.I like the many features such as assigning temporary access codes, auto-locking after a specified time, being able to control and configure everything via the free Schlage Home app and various other things. Now our house-sitter won’t lock herself out of the house again when we are away on vacation.It has a BHMA Grade 1 rating, according to the specifications sheet, which is considered the best of the best in locks.You can create from 4-8 digit access codes and store up to 100 different codes via the app.I also like that it is WiFi compatible right out of the box and it doesn’t require an aftermarket hub to connect it through. Mine quickly found and connected directly to my home network router. It only works with 2.4GHz, not 5GHz. Not a big deal with me, I have both. It is Android and iPhone compatible, works with Alexa, Google Assist and my Ring security camera app.So far, I haven’t found anything that I do not like about this Schlage Encode. After slightly more than six months since I installed this it shows 39% battery life in the app with WiFi enabled the entire time, so it drops about 10% per month. It looks nice, too. I will update my review if something changes.Here are some hopefully helpful hints to pass on after reading some other reviews where people were having trouble.1. If the battery life on yours is short, make sure that the lock bolt does not bind. There should be no extra friction when you manually operate the lock via the lever, whether you do that with the door open or closed.2. If you cannot see the keypad numbers at night, press the Home button in the bottom left corner of the keypad to wake it up and then you can enter the access code.

Total Trash
Got the lock and installed it. The directions are straight forward. Locked worked great the first day.Some things to note.• The hole where the bolt goes into the door was too small for this lock, so I had to make it a little bigger even though I had just removed another Schlage lock from the hole.• The screw holes on the striker plate for the frame side of the door did not line up with existing holes. They send you two plats but neither worked so I had to leave my old plate there. Couldn’t drill new holes because the old ones were too close.• During installation of the lock itself you put the number pad in place from the outside and then attach a plate to the number pad from the inside. Don’t over tighten the screws on the plate. Tighten them just enough to keep the key pad from moving around. If you over tighten you will find the screws to attach the inside part of the lock are too short.Now for the problem I really have. On day two my app, I am using the Schlage app, says I have no locks. I can unlock and lock the door by hand and I get notices on my phone, but I cannot use the app to lock or unlock the door or add new pass codes. Good thing I wasn’t depending on the phone app to let anyone in the house. At this point I will never be able to rely on the lock for that issue. I attempted to reconnect the phone app to the lock, but the lock just flashes a red light and beeps.Right now, I honestly would not recommend this lock to anyone who will ever rely on using the phone app to open the door. If you just want a push button deadbolt then it appears to work for that. In my opinion having that luxury is certainly not worth $250.Little more information on steps I took to rectify this problem. Other than calling the Schlage folks for help. Oh, I did that too, but they will only help you during their business hours and that happens to be when I am at work myself. Also, don’t try their website troubleshooting because that just runs you in circles.• Deleted and reinstalled the app. Could not connect.• While following the directions on the app I randomly pushed the button on the inside of the battery pack. The phone actually paired with the lock but the lock would not connect to my WiFi so I could not proceed.• Factory reset the lock and repeated the steps of connecting including pushing the button on the battery compartment. Connected to the phone but no Wifi.• Removed and replaced the battery and reset the lock. Still no Wifi.• Provided my user information to my son who downloaded the app on his Android. He followed the directions on his app and everything worked great.Even though the app shows I have no lock paired with my phone I still get messages when someone locks and unlocks the door. Strange things. Since the lock and app are completely unreliable I will be sending it back.Oh, and why does the app need to have access to my location? That in not information that is relevant to me operating a lock.****Update**** The lock magically reappeared in the app after being gone for two days. I guess they updated the app to fix the WiFi problem. I will continue to use the lock and app up to the point where I am out of time to return the lock. At that point if everything is still working I will come back and update my rating. For now I’m keeping it at 1 star.****Update II**** I have been using the lock since it started working again. I have not had issues since. My wife actually purchased a second one and we now have on on the front and back door. They both have worked mostly flawlessly since the app was updated.****Update III**** This thing is the biggest piece of crap. I have had this lock installed for about 8 months now. I have the issues listed above. The lock sucks down batteries is constantly losing connection with my family’s phones and now it has completely stopped working. Oh and be ready to reset the lock and reconnect it EVERY time you have to change batteries.Update: lock died after 5 yrs. If you have $200 to spend on a digital lock and the convenience is worth it to you go for it. For me, a $200 lock should last a long time. I had 2 of these locks. One failed just inside the warranty window and Schlage replaced it. The other died in 5 years and Schlage will do nothing.

After much research, I finally bit the bullet and bought a Schlage Encode, and I’m so glad I did. I love this lock! Installation instructions (especially the online interactive instructions) made it easy to install, although I did have to make a few minor modifications because it didn’t quite retrofit to my old lock fittings. Now that it is installed, everything seems to be working perfectly. The Schlage Home app makes it super easy to lock/unlock the door (great to do from the car when you have an armload of shopping or from bed if you’re not sure the door is locked), set up user codes for specific dates and times (which I need for my Airbnb guests) and notify me when the door is locked and unlocked. It can be set up to automatically lock or not after the door is open (great for when people leave to ensure the door is locked). I’m so happy not to have to take my key with me when going out. Definitely worth the price.

I had door installers put these on a new door for me (not a locksmith). Then I had someone else set it up for me. The app works great, takes only 1-2 seconds to respond. I was a little lost at first but the guide on Schlage’s blog helped me out a lot. Easy to set up new users and virtual keys. Love it! It looks really pretty too ^_^ I bought mine with the matching handle and interior door levers 🙂