Troubleshooting Poor Battery Life for the Encode Series

The expected battery life for the Schlage Encode Series (BE489, BE499, and FE789) is 6 months. If your batteries are not lasting 6 months before requiring a change, this is considered poor battery life.

Common Causes for Poor Battery Life in the Encode Series

• Using Lithium or Low-Quality Batteries: These types of batteries may not provide optimal performance for the lock.
• No Wi-Fi Connection or Weak Wi-Fi Signal: A lack of connection or a poor signal causes the lock to continuously search for a network, draining the battery.
• Excessive Lock Usage: Less than 10-15 lock unlock cycles​a day is acceptable. Higher usage than​that could cause higher battery drain.
• Dual Pairing with Schlage Home App and Apple HomeKit (Exclusive to Encode Plus): While the Encode Plus can pair with both the Schlage Home app and Apple HomeKit, doing so means the lock communicates with both the Schlage Cloud and Apple Home. This dual communication significantly increases battery consumption.

Thankfully, there are solutions for each of these issues to help optimize battery life and ensure smooth operation.

Improving Battery Life 

1. Replace Batteries

• If you are using lithium or low-quality alkaline batteries, replace them with name-brand alkaline batteries. This change should significantly increase your lock's battery life.

2. Check Your Lock's Wi-Fi Connection

A weak or missing Wi-Fi connection can cause the lock to continuously search for a network, draining the battery.

• Check your Wi-Fi signal strength
  If you have a fair or weak Wi-Fi  signal, please view: How to Improve Wi-Fi Signal in Your Home
• If you have a good or excellent Wi-Fi Signal, please attempt a soft reset to restore the lock's connection to the cloud.

Perform a Soft Reset:

1. Retract the Bolt.

2. Remove the Battery Cover.

3. Remove the Battery Tray.

4. Keep the battery tray removed for 10 seconds. 

5. Reinsert the battery tray back into the compartment, ensuring it is securely seated and connected.
    

6. Extend the bolt to the "locked" position.

7. Retract it back to the "unlocked" position. 

8. If your lock is paired to the Schlage Home app or any other 3rd party app logout from the app and then log back in; the lock's data is stored in the cloud and will not be lost.

By restoring the Wi-Fi settings, the lock will stop continuously searching for a network, conserving battery life.

3. Resolving Dual Connection Battery Drain Issues

When the lock is paired with both Apple HomeKit and the Schlage Home app, it communicates with both the Schlage Cloud and Apple Home, leading to faster battery depletion. To optimize battery performance, it is best recommended to delete the lock from both applications, perform a factory reset on the lock, and then pair it with only one app—either the Schlage Home app or Apple HomeKit.

Remove the Lock from Apple HomeKit:

• Open the Apple Home app and navigate to the lock.
• Follow Apple Support instructions for removing a device from HomeKit.

Remove the Lock from the Schlage Home App:

How to Delete a Lock from the Schlage Home App

 

Factory Reset the Lock:

Factory Reset a Schlage Encode Lock

After the reset, pair the lock with only one app.

• To Pair with Apple HomeKit: Follow HomeKit Pairing Instructions for pairing the lock to HomeKit.
• To Pair with the Schlage Home App: Follow Schlage Home App Pairing Instructions to complete the setup. 

By ensuring the lock is connected to only one app, unnecessary communication will be eliminated, significantly extending battery life.

If you are still experiencing rapid battery drain after preforming these steps, please submit a ticket.