What’s a smart home if you’re still struggling to get through the front door with merely a key? One of the best ways to upgrade your house to smart-home standards is with a smart digital lock for your doors. The right digital lock will keep you and your loved-ones safe, while improving the ease of entry when you need it most.

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I’ll admit, I’ve been waiting for smart door lock technology to improve a bit, and thanks to Schlage’s Encode deadbolt, I’m fully confident that we’re finally at that sweet spot where technology meets personal security.

Top 10 Reasons Why it’s Time to Switch to a Wifi-Enabled Digital Lock for Your Front Door

A digital lock makes your home accessible in all the best ways, while keeping your home secure from unwanted guests. Make an informed decision when purchasing a digital deadbolt lock, as not all brands will provide the same ease and security that you should be looking for.

  1. Quite possibly the best reason to make the switch now, particularly to Schlage’s Encode digital door lock, is that it’s so easy to install this smart technology to your home. It took me about 30 minutes to get the deadbolt set up and running properly.
  2. If you’re making an extra income through Airbnb, using a digital lock with smart wifi enabled makes it super easy to give your temporary tenants access to their rental without needing to hang around to give them a key. With the ability to create 100 lock codes on the fly with the SchalgeHome app, it’s incredibly easy to set up temporary codes that will expire whenever you want it to (ie. make sure your renter can’t get back in after 11am the next day if that’s your policy.) You will know exactly when your renters are coming and going from your rented space, as the app can send push notifications to your phone when the door is locked / unlocked.
  3. Everyone living in your home can have their own personal code (from 4 to 8 digits). Know exactly when each family member comes or goes through the digitally locked door throughout the day. My mother-in-law absolutely LOVES the ease of getting inside without having to search for her key. I’m totally her favourite thanks to this smart-home addition.
  4. Make it easy for your dog-walker and weekly cleaning service to enter without having to keep track of keys. Give them scheduled access codes that you can delete at any moment. What this means, is that they can only enter your house during the days and hours that you grant them access to. Don’t be caught off guard by your walker showing up and walking in whenever they please.
  5. Don’t get caught with a dead battery! Thanks to Schlage Encode’s WiFi connection, know when you need to change your digital lock’s batteries on time.
  6. In Canada, smart home digital locks are not allowed to have the ability to unlock just by walking up to it with your smartphone, which is actually a good thing. While that kind of tech is pretty cool, it’s also not anywhere near secure from hacks. That NFC tech could be easier to crack than the glass pane on your front door.
  7. If you’re like me, you just might be prone to checking that you’ve locked your front door more than once before going to bed. With WiFi-enabled digital locks, you have a number of ways to ensure your door’s deadbolt is definitely locked without getting out of your comfortable bed to check one more time. Simply open the app to check the lock’s status, or tell Google / Alexa to lock your door. With Schlage’s Encode digital lock you can’t unlock a door with Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa, which ensures your home is safe from unwanted voice-enabled access.
  8. No need to break a basement window if you forgot your key at home; or worse, if you lost it while out doing your day-to-day things. Consider yourself lucky if you’ve never had a family member call begging for you to come home now, please, because they can’t find their key and can’t get in.
  9. Make sure your lock and digital keys are kept up to date with current digital locking technology. Schlage’s WiFi-enabled locks firmware and apps are continuously updated to keep up with security features that your home needs.
  10. Don’t get stuck searching for your key when you need to get inside asap. Whether your hands are full, carrying a heavy load of groceries, or if you’re SUPER EAGER for a bathroom break, not having to dig deep or search every pocket for a key is a massive bonus.

Doors Open Toronto 2019 at City Hall with Schlage #DOT2019

To celebrate the upcoming July 2019 release of Schlage’s Encode digital lock (smart WiFi deadbolt), a few of Toronto’s tech-obsessed influencers were invited to join in on the fun at the Doors Open celebration at City Hall.

Group photo behind Mayor Tory's very clean desk while checking out his office at City Hall with Schlage during Doors Open Toronto.
Checking out Mayor Tory’s office at City Hall with Schlage and Toronto’s tech influencers during Doors Open Toronto. (I didn’t get the memo to wear a black jacket, oops!)
Mayor of Toronto's office podium, inside City Hall.
This podium is where Mayor Tory shares his opinions with Toronto while in-office at City Hall.
Incredible collection of sports swag fills five cabinets in Mayor Tory's office at Toronto's City Hall.
The Mayor’s Office is just FULL of sports swag. I can only imagine what might be on the shelves now since the Raptors won the NBA Finals! Go Raptors Go! #WeTheNorth
The rarely-open observation deck near the top of City Hall in Toronto.
A view from Toronto City Hall’s observation deck. This deck is open to the public for only a few days every year. Apparently you can watch fireworks from here!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5NOWTheJD/
Schlage Keyless Race contest held on the main floor of Toronto's City Hall. Two contestants would try to answer trivia questions as fast as possible to earn a possible digital key to the Schlage digital door lock. The first person to open their door wins.
Schlage’s Keyless Race event held during Doors Open Toronto at City Hall.
Invited to a lovely lunch at Taverna (steps away from Toronto's Jurassic Park - We the North!) Local techies were gifted a Schlage Encode door lock to test and review.
Over a delicious lunch at Taverna, we tech enthusiasts were all gifted the Schlage Encode digital door locks to take home and review.

Why Choose Schlage For Your Smart Home?

Schlage has been in the safety business for quite sometime. They’ll be celebrating their 100th anniversary next year!

Over lunch it was emphasized, “The products we make matter.”

Schlage is home to designers and engineers that have a deep respect and drive to make our world as safe as possible through the ability to create an unbreakable barrier between us and the world at large when we need it most.

Historical tidbit: Patented in 1909, Walter Schlage’s first invention was a door lock that also had the ability to turn lights on and off.

Sounds like Mr. Schalge was already working towards #SmartHomeGoals more than a hundred years ago!

While there are many options out there for digital locks, it’s comforting to know that Schlage has been perfecting their craft for nearly a century. Their expertise and craftsmanship is noticeable in every product.

Easy to Install Schlage Encode Digital Door Lock – Smart WiFi Deadbolt

I was absolutely excited when I found out that Schlage was gifting me their brand new Encode digital door deadbolt lock to review.

The Encode will be available in retail stores by July 2019, but can be found right now at Amazon.com (ships to Canada) if you would rather it delivered to your door.

Environmental-friendly minimal packaging encases the Schlage Encode WiFi enabled digital lock.
Was happy to see that the digital lock had minimal packaging to help our planet.
A few parts that make up Schlage's latest digital deadbolt.
A few of the digital door lock components for easy installation. It’s awesome that the lock comes with 4 AA Duracell batteries for instant usage.
The deadbolt itself has an extender to fit most (if not all) exterior door lock spots.
The bolt has an extended (which we had to use) so that this digital lock can fit most doors that are set up with conventional locks.
For those that have installed deadbolt locks before, the only notable difference for Schlage's digital door lock is the one wire that connects both sides of the lock.
If you’ve ever installed a deadbolt before, the biggest difference is that this digital lock includes a wire that connects both sides of the door lock.
Super simple to connect the one wire for the Schlage Encode digital door lock to work.
It’s a quick snap to connect both sides together.
Have the brand new Schlage Encode door lock installed within about 30 minutes. No expertise required.
In under thirty minutes we had the old lock off, and the new one securely in place!

Schlage Home App for Encode Digital Door Lock Password Setup

Download the Schlage Home app for   Android or   Apple.

When open, the app will ask you to choose your lock to set up the digital door lock codes.

Schlage Home App Android Encode | Geek Life: Augmenting Reality

Step 2/4 is to scan your personal QR code (embedded inside your lock) to connect your lock specifically with your app.

Step 3/4 is to pair your smartphone / tablet with the installed Schlage Encode lock. If pairing doesn't work right away, restart your phone/tablet to get it to work.

Please note: if you can’t get your lock to pair with your device, you might simply need to restart your smartphone. I tried a few times without success at first, and then realized I likely needed to reboot my phone since I had installed the app only moments before.

Schedule when your digital door lock will work throughout specific days and hours.

Give your digital lock extra security by ensuring it only works during certain times of the day. Perfect if you have someone that routinely stops by (dog walker, cleaning service), without giving them full access to your house at all hours of the day. If your cleaning service only shows up on Thursdays, make the digital lock code only available on Thursdays.

Sometimes you need to let someone in when you're nowhere near your house. If you run an Airbnb property, easily create temporary codes that will only work during their stay - no need to stick around to make sure you get your key back!

Sometimes you need to let someone in when you’re nowhere near your house. There have a been a few times where my sister was to meet me at my home, and she arrived earlier than I anticipated. If I’m out running errands, I can let her in immediately, instead of making her sit on my front porch until I got home.

Also, if you run an Airbnb property, easily create temporary codes that will only work during their stay – no need to stick around to make sure you get your key back!

Disclaimer: Schlage has provided their Encode, WiFi-enabled, digital lock for Geek Life to review, along with a VIP experience to Doors Open Toronto and a meal at Taverna, as noted above. All opinions belong to the author, and were not influenced in any way by the reviewed company.