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How to install a smart lock

Updated September 18, 2026

If your door already has a standard deadbolt, most smart deadbolts go in the same holes with a screwdriver. No drilling and no wiring. Schlage says the Encode installs in minutes with a screwdriver and needs no hardwiring. You only need a drill if your holes are the wrong size, there is no deadbolt hole, or the maker's template says so.

How long makers say it takes

These are maker claims for an ideal door. Give yourself an hour the first time.

Before you start

1. Measure door thickness, backset and hole size. The common size is 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches thick, a 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch backset and a 2-1/8 inches hole. Use the fit checker.
2. Turn your current deadbolt with the door closed. It should slide out with no rubbing. If not, fix the strike plate first.
3. Charge your phone, install the maker's app, and have your WiFi password ready. Many locks join 2.4 GHz WiFi only.
4. Renters: get written permission first.

The usual steps for a full smart deadbolt

1. Unscrew the old deadbolt from the inside. Pull out both halves and the bolt.
2. Put in the new bolt. Most can be set for either backset. Check the arrow or the word "up."
3. Pass the outside unit's cable through the bolt and the hole. Do not pinch it.
4. Mount the inside plate and the inside unit. Tighten screws snug, not hard. Over-tight screws can bind the bolt.
5. Put in the batteries and follow the app to set up and calibrate the lock's direction.
6. Test ten times with the door open, then ten with it closed.

Schlage offers step by step interactive instructions in its app. Most makers have install videos. Follow your lock's manual when it differs from this list.

A retrofit lock is even simpler

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock replaces only the inside thumb turn. You keep the outside and your key. August's FAQ gives its size as 2-7/8 inches across and 1-3/4 inches deep, so check the room around your thumb turn. It only fits single cylinder deadbolts, per August's support page.

When you might need to drill

• No deadbolt on the door yet. You need a new hole with the maker's template.
• The hole is smaller than 2-1/8 inches. The listing for the eufy C220 says it fits bores under 54 mm by removing a spacer, but not a small hole.
• The handle is too close. Yale's listing asks for 4 inches center to center between the deadbolt and the handle.
• Mortise locks. Yale's support page says a mortise prepped door is not compatible with its locks.

Picks that list an easy install

• eufy C220: the listing says 15 minutes without drilling. Caveat: owners report battery life below the claim.
• Wyze Lock Bolt v2: Wyze says about 20 minutes on most US doors. Caveat: we did not see its fit numbers.

If a job needs a new hole in a metal or fire rated door, call a locksmith. See all seven picks.