All categories/Tech & Smart Home/Smart Locks/Schlage/Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt
Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt

Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt

Scored on 232 verified owner verdicts, from 1,389 comments read across 6 communities
TL;DR
Owners overwhelmingly find the Encode reliable and easy to manage remotely and love the built-in WiFi and HomeKey unlocking, though battery life on WiFi is a frequent frustration and the lock is pricey with limited third-party smart-home integration.

81% of 232 verified owners recommend the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

See the problems 37 owners report →

What 232 owners say
1,389 comments reviewed · scored on the 232 clearest verdicts
81%
Recommend
188 owners
3%
Neutral
7 owners
16%
Don't recommend
37 owners
Last 6 months:30% recommend(20 recent verdicts)↓ trending down 56pts vs older reviews
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
81%
227
Other forumsHome Assistant, Smartthings
75%
4
Independent blogsino affiliate links
100%
1
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiowner comments
30%
23
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
100%
3
No clear verdictiSetup, tips & quirks
12

Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 81%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Rock-solid, reliable operation · 45 · 19%
  • Remote code control and notifications · 25 · 11%
  • Built-in WiFi, no hub needed · 15 · 6%
  • Apple HomeKey tap to unlock · 15 · 6%
  • Physical key and keypad backup · 10 · 4%
What owners flag
  • Battery drains fast on WiFi · 28 · 12%
  • Connectivity drops, occasional dead units · 18 · 8%
  • Expensive for a deadbolt · 16 · 7%
  • Limited, locked-down smart-home integration · 15 · 6%
Who it's for
A great fit if
  • Airbnb and short-term rental hosts managing guest codes
  • Apple households wanting HomeKey tap-to-unlock
  • People who want built-in WiFi without a separate hub
  • Homeowners wanting remote codes and access alerts
Look elsewhere if
  • Buyers on a tight budget
  • Deep Home Assistant or voice-unlock power users
  • Those unwilling to manage frequent battery swaps on WiFi

Synthesized from what Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt owners say — not a spec sheet.

How buyers rate it elsewhere

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

1,389 reviewed · 210 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit▲ recommend

I have the Schlage Encode Plus HomeKey lock. HomeKey fucking rocks. I love having my house key in wallet. It is so unbelievably slick.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

The Schlage encode is actually not designed to stand up to that level of humidity. I learned this after going through their customer support for each lock that stopped working.

Reddit— neutral

I have tried every lock on the market and the only two that actually make sense are the Yale Assure YRD256 (the keypad only deadbolt--no key) and the Schlage Encode

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I have 2 Schlage Encode Plus locks set up in Thread Mode (confirmed and viewed inside the Eve App in Thread Network) at a house that has 4 brand new new Apple TVs and a HomePod Mini

YouTube— neutral

Schlage locks come with a larger than universal back shield, which means most likely you will need to enlarge the hole on your door if you went from Wiser to shlage.

Reddit▲ recommend

Smart door lock (Schlage Encode) for my mom's place. It sends notifications for each user's access codes when the door is locked or unlocked.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

Spent a week mucking about with this Schlage encode smart wifi deadbolt and this is the only thing that got it going. Only problem is that turning 5 GHz back on I lose it again.

Reddit▲ recommend

went with the schlage encode, can never go back to a normie lock again.

YouTube— neutral

I had to delete the lock from the Schlage home app and reconfigure it after only a week as it would not see my wifi suddenly

Reddit▲ recommend

Replaced our August Smart Lock Pro with a Schlage Encode Plus. It’s been rock solid for about 6 months now. Works quickly. Supports Homekey. Been very happy

Reddit— neutral

in the last few weeks upgraded to the Schlage Encode Plus specifically for HomeKey, there are some things I like and dislike.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

We've got 3 schlage encode smart locks. They'd be great cuz at least half the time, they don't work even if you put in the correct code. That's what I call, extra security!

Reddit— neutral

My only dislike on it is the rather loud motor, but overlooked that with the other features it has.

Reddit▲ recommend

Went from an older Kwikset electronic deadbolt (not “smart”) to the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt, which I love and is HomeKit compatible.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

It eventually got reliable but it just doesn’t do enough to justify its cost. Its auto lock function is useless because it can’t detect if the door is closed or not.

YouTube— neutral

Have used Schlage Encodes for 5 years. SUPER thirsty on the AA batteries.

Reddit▲ recommend

We recently purchased the Schlage Encode smart Lock. It has WiFi and you can add/delete door codes remotely.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

This past week, the deadbolt lost connection to wifi and, after troubleshooting, the only thing that I could do to get it working again was a factory reset.

Reddit— neutral

I have the Schlage Encode on my front door. It is an excellent smart lock as a standalone unit, but it will not fully integrate with any other smart home platform. Schlage claims it works with Google Home and Alexa but neither has been reliable for me to lock the door at 10pm each night.

Reddit▲ recommend

We use Schlage Encode and I get a notification when a door code is used.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

but it drops off the wifi all the time and is very difficult to reconnect. It could be an issue with my internet, but it’s been a major headache either way.

Reddit▲ recommend

It's great because you can give your walker a unique code, they don't have to have a key. You can disable their code anytime too. And with the app on your phone you get a notification every time the door is unlocked, and what code was used to unlock it.

Reddit— neutral

I just picked up a Schlage Encode because it has WiFi built in. If you only want one smart lock overall then it's a decent buy since you won't need an additional hub.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I have Schlage Encode smart locks but honestly the old school lock box with the lock and key is just as easy if not easier. No worries about internet outages or dead batteries. I'm slowly going back to just lock boxes.

Showing 124 of 210

Common problems & things to know

Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.

Redditⓘ good to know

I have noticed that my Eve Smart Plugs and Schlage Encode Plus lock, plus a few Eve Sensors (all thread) sometimes take a few seconds to update status.

Redditⓘ good to know

That's the case with my Schlage Encode Plus. The part that actually works to secure the door seems to be mostly indistinguishable from the Schlage dumb deadbolt that I replaced.

Redditⓘ good to know

my Schlage Encode Plus lock that had been running flawlessly since I installed it months ago.

Redditⓘ good to know

I have a Schlage Encode Plus and I use to experience the same issue every few days it will go offline, what worked for me I restarted my router.

Redditⓘ good to know

I have a Schlage Encode Plus which is connected with Thread. It isn’t connected through WiFi even though initially I had it setup on WiFi

Redditⓘ good to know

The dirty secret about the Schlage Encode Plus is if you don’t have a lot of Thread devices with router capability, you’ll get d

Redditⓘ good to know

Charging them is rare, several months between charges. That’s our main front door, so it sees the most use

Redditⓘ good to know

Then I got a Schlage Encode Plus. Using Thread. I’m at 12 months and battery is at 48%.

Redditⓘ good to know

Mine was doing that occasionally from the start. Perhaps because it was in a hot sunny location? Support sent me a replacement lock which is doing better.

Redditⓘ good to know

Mine was on thread and WiFi. I had to reset it up with no knowledge of the WiFi to get good battery

Redditⓘ good to know

At 20% and under, mine takes twice as long to unlock.

Redditⓘ good to know

My schlage lock is really loud