Back at CES 2022, Schlage introduced the Encode Plus Deadbolt, the first smart lock in North America to support Apple’s Home Key feature that lets you unlock your door via NFC using just an iPhone or Apple Watch. The Encode Plus has been in short supply since launch, but I finally got my hands on one and have spent the last few months testing it out.
I have some prior experience with Schlage’s HomeKit-enabled smart locks thanks to the Schlage Sense, and my Encode Plus review unit is the same Schlage Sense with Camelot trim in Edge Bronze to match my other door hardware. A satin nickel color option is also available for the Camelot trim, and the more modern Century trim is available in an additional matte black option with these two colors.
Installation and setup
If you’ve ever installed Deadbolt before, you’ll find the hardware installation process for Encode Plus very straightforward. Even if you don’t, it’s not a particularly complicated process. Removing your existing deadbolt usually requires taking out a few screws on the inside of the lock and pulling the two sides apart to remove the main part.
Once that’s done, it’s easy to remove the bolt by taking out a few screws from the edge of the door, and then a few screws to remove the strike plate where the bolt slides into the door jamb if you want to replace it.
It’s essentially the same process as installing the Encode Plus, with some added complexity from the need to feed wires for the keypad to the indoor unit. The Encode Plus uses a metal plate on the inside of the door to initially hold the two sides of the lock together, and then screws the bulkier interior unit onto that plate.
From there, it’s just a matter of installing four AA batteries in the holder, sliding the holder into the indoor unit, and sliding the cover to hide all the internals.
Configuring the lock for operation is also very easy, and can be initiated from either the Schlage app or the Home app. Either way, HomeKit will prompt you to scan the code to add it to your Home app, and then ask if you want to set up Home Key access. It was a quick setup process and I had no problems with it. You can also set up additional access codes to allow pets, house sitters or other visitors to enter without having to enter your master code.
Lock details in the Schlage appWith Apple’s Home app setup, other members of your family can also access Encode Plus status, automation and home keys, but due to frustrating ‘HomeKit’ issues years ago, I wasn’t able to test this functionality. For some reason, I haven’t been able to share my ‘HomeKit’ home with my wife for years because she never gets my invitation.
In the process of trying to set it up again for this review, it forced me to lose my own HomeKit home and set up every HomeKit device in my house from scratch. It’s been a few months and some of them are still stuck after a full reset, claiming they are linked to another house that I can’t remove them of course because no one owns that house.
operation
Compared to the previous Sense, the Encode Plus works almost identically for the most part, with both locks offering keypad and traditional key access from the outside with most of the electronics and battery housed on the inside of the door. It’s a much larger setup than the new Level Lock+, but it’s not an unusual arrangement, and Schlage managed to shrink the internal unit a bit with the Encode Plus over the Sense.
With HomeKit–locked, both Sense and Encode Plus appear in the Home app across Apple’s platforms, making it easy to see their status with the rest of your smart home devices. You can also include them in Home app automations and scenes, making them work hand-in-hand with those other devices if you want.
What separates the Encode Plus from the Sense is of course the Home Key support, which means you don’t need to type a code into the keypad or use a physical key to unlock your door. All you need to do is your..
You can configure home keys to require authorization before unlocking the door, or with express mode they can automatically trigger it to unlock without authentication or requiring you to bring the key to your device. Express Mode means you can unlock your door momentarily even if your iPhone runs out of battery, taking advantage of the last little reserve power in the phone’s battery to give you a couple of hours of cushion.
Home key in Wallet app on iPhone – Access code description is automatically blank in screenshots but visible in appThe Wallet app on your iPhone and Apple Watch houses your lock’s home key, which looks like a high-quality metal card that fits in with the rest of your cards but has that extra little touch you’ve come to expect from Apple. turns around The Home Key card in the Wallet app doesn’t have much functionality, but it does let you see the manual keypad access code linked to it, offers a toggle for Express Mode, and provides a way to quickly jump into the Home app to configure it. Other settings.
I quickly found that I needed to hold my iPhone or Apple Watch quite close to the Encode Plus before registering to unlock it. It’s not terribly surprising for NFC as a very short-range wireless communication technology, and it’s good for preventing inadvertent activation of the lock, but it made home key functionality less convenient than I’d hoped.
Instead of taking my phone out of my pocket, I prefer to use my Apple Watch whenever possible for tasks like this or to make payments with Apple Pay, but in this case I found using my Apple Watch a bit awkward.
With a protruding door frame just to the left of the lock, I have to bend my wrist a bit awkwardly to get my watch close enough, and that’s after pushing up my coat or sweatshirt sleeve a bit to reveal my watch. And then it takes a moment before it registers and unlocks the door. If I want to unlock the door I find it more convenient to just use the keypad to type in my access code, but your mileage may vary.
But there arises another minor problem. As for Sense, the numbers on the Encode Plus keypad are extremely faint under normal lighting conditions, making it difficult to see where they are. They light up when you press a button on the keypad, but that’s an extra keystroke and a moment of uncertainty every time you enter your code.
Illuminated keypadThere’s a set of wireless signal icons bracketed by “5” to show you where to hold your device for NFC unlocking, and they also help point you to the keypad at a glance, but it would have been nice to have a full set so the keypad numbers are equally visible without the need for illumination. .
Using a slightly contrasting color for the keypad numbers will make them easily visible in daylight while still having illumination to help when it gets dark. It’s not a big deal and it only takes a moment to press the extra key to turn on the illumination, but better contrast for the numbers is a simple improvement I wish they’d made in the seven years since Sense was introduced.
Inside the door, the reduced size of the unit compared to the Sense is a welcome change, though it never bothered me on the Sense. A keyed lock cylinder, electronics, and requiring four AA batteries to power the Encode Plus, it’s still on the bulky side, so be aware if you’re looking for a clean aesthetic.
In addition to reducing the size of the indoor unit, there is another change of note on this side of the door. While the Sense had a tactile circular knob to manually lock the deadbolt from the inside, the Encode Plus used a rotary lever. The operation is basically the same (turn to the door jamb to lock, move to unlock), but the lever design makes it easy to see at a glance from across the room whether the door is locked.
I find the mechanical operation of the Encode Plus significantly quieter than that of the Sense, which is great for not disturbing the other occupants of the house or startling my cat when entering late at night.
wrap up
Overall, I found the Encode Plus to be an excellent addition to Apple’s ‘HomeKit’ ecosystem. It’s easy to install, has a fairly clean look, and gives you a variety of options for unlocking your door.
I’ve got a few nits to pick with it, mostly around the proximity required for NFC to trigger it and visibility issues on the keypad, but overall it’s a worthwhile addition if you’re considering a ‘HomeKit’ lock. It’s one of your only options with Home Key support, and Apple’s implementation of that feature is as slick as you’d expect, and hopefully it will continue to improve with features like easy key sharing via iMessage and other apps.
My ‘HomeKit’ frustrations weigh on me a bit, though I admit they aren’t Schlage’s fault and aren’t specifically related to the Encode Plus in this latest case. But in general I . I’m certainly hoping that things will improve with the new Home architecture that’s finally rolling out for real in iOS 16.4, but especially given the hiccups caused by Apple pulling the upgrade from the iOS 16.2 update, I’m not holding my breath.
Even with HomeKit’s overall woes, I enjoy having dozens of smart switches, lights, locks, and more around my home at my fingertips wherever I am, and the Encode Plus fits right in.
The Schlage Encode Plus costs about $320 at retailers like The Home Depot and Lowe’s, but availability can be spotty.
Note: Schlage/Allegion provided Encode Plus to MacRumors for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors may be an affiliate partner with some of the vendors mentioned in this article and may earn a commission on purchases made through links in this article.
