Skip to main content

Schlage locks and Google Home team up to make your smart home safer

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you have a Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt, your front door just unlocked a new capability.

Schlage announced that its smart locks will now work with Google Home, Google Assistant on Android devices and the Google Assistant app on Apple devices. The company first announced in January it was working on the integration at CES 2018, and the feature went live on Tuesday, May 29.

Recommended Videos

“Schlage has been at the forefront of IoT security solutions since launching the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt in 2014,” Rob Martens, a futurist at Allegion, the maker of Schlage locks, said in a statement. “This new integration and functionality is a testament to our ongoing commitment to raise the bar for innovation, convenience, and security and to support consumers’ choice of IoT platform.”

The update enables users to lock their door and check whether it’s locked or unlocked with their voice. Users can activate the capability by saying, “OK Google, is my door locked?” or, “OK Google, lock my door.” However, the upgrade does not include the ability to unlock the deadbolt with your voice.

Using the new functionality requires the Schlage Sense Wi-Fi Adapter, which Schlage sells separately $69. The adapter also enables users to remotely access their lock using the Schlage Sense app on iOS and Android devices.

The Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt lets users create up to 30 unique access codes, schedule access codes and look at past activity to identify which codes were used when.

The smart locks already work Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. Schlage introduced the ability to lock and check the status of your door via Alexa in October and added the ability to unlock it by speaking a pin earlier this month.

For security reasons, the Alexa unlock feature is disabled by default. To enable the functionality, users must log in to their Amazon Alexa app and then create a PIN. After three incorrect voice code attempts, the feature will be disabled.

The Google Home update makes the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt more competitive with other smart locks, such as the August Smart Lock and the Kwikset Obsidian, which are also compatible with Google Assistant.

The Schlage Connect and Schlage’s Connected Keypad do not yet have compatibility with Google Assistant. Consumers now await the next update, wondering whether that will include compatibility with these other smart locks and the ability to unlock your door via voice command.

Kayla Matthews
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kayla Matthews has written about smart homes and technology for Houzz, Dwell, Curbed and Inman. She is a senior writer for…
Eufy’s new smart lock is the company’s first with Matter support
The Eufy Smart Lock E30 on a white background.

Eufy, a smart home brand from Anker, has officially revealed the Eufy Smart Lock E30 -- the company’s first smart lock with Matter support. It’s now available on the Eufy store for $170, and it looks like a nice addition to Eufy's smart lock lineup, joining products like the Video Smart Lock S330 and Smart Lock S230.

If you love syncing all your smart home gadgets together and creating powerful automations, the Smart Lock E30’s Matter compatibility is a big win. This allows you to control the device via hubs like Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Amazon Alexa, giving you more flexibility than you’ll find on most other smart locks.

Read more
The Google Home app is getting a long-overdue feature
The Google Home logo on a Pixel phone.

According to the sleuths over at Android Authority, the Google Home app is about to get a much-needed feature that I'm honestly shocked hasn't been added yet: a search bar.

If you've never used the Google Home app before, it's sort of the command center for all things smart home in the Google smart home ecosystem. If you only have a few smart home devices, it's easy enough to navigate — but if you have an extensive smart home setup, you could have upwards of 50 devices listed in the app. If you don't take time to organize and label them, it gets unwieldy fast.

Read more
The Yale Code is a unique alternative to traditional smart locks
The Yale Code installed on a door.

The Yale Code is a new electronic lock that borrows many features from smart locks like the Assure Lock 2, yet it isn't technically a smart lock. It lacks support for Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Matter. There's no mobile companion app. It can't even connect to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Instead, it lets users customize "smart" features directly on the lock itself -- positioning the Yale Code as a unique combination of smart and traditional lock.

This non-connected keypad lock can be manipulated with either a physical key or via its digital keypad. Passwords can be created and edited directly from the keypad itself, eliminating the need to download companion mobile apps or connect to third-party smart home platforms. That should appeal to anyone looking for a quick install process or less inclined to use their smartphone to manage their front door. Despite its lack of traditional smarts, the Yale Code still offers features typical of smart locks -- including an Auto Lock feature that locks the deadbolt after a certain period of inactivity as passed.

Read more