It’s not much harder than changing a standard lock on your home.

Here’s what to do.

The Basics

For this guide, we’re installing aSchlage Encodesmart lock.

A person holding an S23 Ultra on the medical information entry screen, with some emergency sirens around it.

The tricky part is connecting them all.

Then you could be sure the lock powers up before it’s in the door.

If you want to perform this test, you should check the instructions for a factory reset process.

A woman looking frustrated surround by smart home tech.

After running the test, factory-reset the lock.

Start with finding the two screws on the interior thumb turn piece.

The key assembly should be loose, pull that off.

All cameras and smart hub from Reolink that made it to works with home assist certified.

Now on the side of your door, look for the bolt that slides out when you lock it.

Unscrew the two screws and pull the bolt assembly out.

Look in the door hole to see if the bolt interior centers with your door well.

A Schlage Encode Wi-Fi lock on a green door.

You’ll notice three holes in the assembly—those should be as close to the center as possible.

Then, plant the two screws to lock the bolt in place.

Next, find the outdoor assembly piece to the lock.

A standard thumbturn on a lock,with two red arrows pointing to two screws.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

Pay attention to the long thin bar and the electronic wire.

Insert the assembly to your door.

As you do so, thread the thing bar through the middle hole of the bolt assembly.

The key assembly of a lock, slightly tilted out of the door.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

It should be the only hole the bar fits through.

Carefully side the wiring beneath the bolt hardware.

You want to confirm hardware won’t pinch the wiring.

Article image

This is particularly common with tall keypads.

Some smart locks include a steel or plastic plate that goes against the interior of the door.

Grab that, and fire off the wire from the front assembly through it.

Article image

This will lock everything in place.

With some locks, you’ll attach the interior assembly with the two long screws without the metal plate.

Connect the wire from the outdoor piece to the interior assembly.

A lock cavity with a bolt in it, and lines crossing through the vertical and horizontal center.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

Usually, the interior piece contains channels to fire off the wiring through and prevent pinching.

Now all that’s left to do is insert your batteries.

The first time your lock turns on, it will test which way the door faces.

A Schlage Encode assembly with a red box around a wire assembly and bar.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

It’s normal for it to lock and unlock several times as part of that process.

The door lock hole interior, showing the wiring running beneath the bolt assembly.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

A metal plate with two screws and a power wire sticking through it.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

An interior lock piece wired to the rest of the lock.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

A close up of a Schlage Encode lock, showing stabilizing screws.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek