Smart Lock Installation in Royal Oak, MI

Yes, technically — through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi weaknesses or an outdated app, in the same way any connected device can be attacked. In practice it is rare, and the exposure is usually the basics: a weak account password, firmware never updated, or a no-name lock with poor software. A major-brand lock with encryption and two-factor authentication where offered, kept updated, is a hard target — and forced entry through the door itself remains the route burglars actually use, which is why the bolt grade and fitting matter as much as the electronics.

You should not be, if you know your lock’s backup route — which is why we walk through it at fitting. Most smart locks warn you first, by app, a flashing light or a beep, and that warning means days to a couple of weeks. With completely dead batteries: models with a key cylinder open with the physical key; many keypad models have emergency contacts underneath for a fresh 9V battery, which powers the lock long enough to enter your code; some newer models take temporary USB power from a power bank. If none of those routes is available to you, call us — it is a standard lockout, and our Emergency Locksmith cover runs 24/7.

No — and this is the detail most often got wrong online. Schlage’s own support is explicit that its Encode locks have no 9V jumpstart; Encode owners use the physical backup key, while the keyless Schlage Touch series is the one with 9V jump contacts. Kwikset SmartCode models generally have both the 9V contacts and a key cylinder, and Yale Assure models have 9V terminals under the keypad — but the key-free Yale Assure SL has no key cylinder at all, by design. Check your specific model’s backup before you need it, not after.

Typically 6–12 months on a set of AA batteries. Wi-Fi models sit at the shorter end because the radio works harder; Bluetooth-only and hub-connected models last longer. Cold shortens battery performance — a real factor through a Royal Oak winter, where January nights run well below freezing — and a door the motor has to fight can cut battery life roughly in half. Heed the first low-battery warning rather than the last one.

Yes, for getting in and out. The keypad, a fingerprint reader, Bluetooth from your phone nearby, and stored codes all work with no internet at all, and the lock runs on its own batteries, so a power outage does not stop local entry either. What needs the internet is the remote side: unlocking from elsewhere, live alerts, and the activity log syncing to your phone. If your router is down, you lose the remote features until it is back — not your front door.

Neither is inherently safer. Both are deadbolts underneath, and both should be judged by the same ANSI/BHMA grades — Grade 1 strongest, Grade 3 basic. A smart lock removes the copied-key problem and adds codes, logs and auto-lock; it adds batteries and software to look after. Installation quality and the door and strike around the lock decide more than the category does — the comparison above lays the trade-off out in full.

Only with your landlord’s permission — get it in writing before you buy anything, because most leases treat a lock change as an alteration. Expect two conditions: your landlord keeps a way in for emergencies (a code or the key), and you remove the lock or restore the original hardware when you move out. The easiest permission to get is a retrofit lock, which mounts inside over the existing deadbolt and changes nothing on the outside of the door — your landlord’s key keeps working exactly as before. Once you have the written yes, we are happy to fit it.

With a retrofit model, yes — it turns your existing deadbolt from inside, so the outside of the door and your current key stay untouched. With a full replacement smart deadbolt, the new lock comes with its own keys; whether it can be keyed to match your other doors depends on the brand and keyway matching what you already have, which is one of the checks we run before fitting.

Most major brands do not charge one for basic use — codes, the app and local control are included. Fees show up when a lock is folded into a monitored alarm service, or an optional cloud tier adds features. If a quote bundles your lock into a monthly plan, ask what stops working if you cancel; on the locks we fit, the answer should be “the extras,” never “your front door.”

Usually. Most residential smart locks are built for a standard deadbolt preparation — 2-1/8 inch bore, 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch backset, door 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches thick. Doors outside that — common on older Royal Oak homes — may need an adapter plate or minor preparation, which we check before fitting rather than discovering halfway through. Send us the lock model and a photo of the door edge if you want the answer before booking.

Often, yes — and the cause is usually the fit, not the lock. A bolt that scrapes the strike makes the motor work hard on every cycle, which drains batteries and eventually jams. We check the door’s alignment and the strike position, correct what is binding, and re-test the bolt travel. If the lock itself has failed, we will say so plainly and quote the replacement before any work starts.

Yes — most of our fittings are customer-supplied locks. Tell us the brand and model when you call, so we can confirm it suits your door before the visit. If it turns out to be the wrong lock for the door, we will show you why at the door and quote your options; we will not force a bad fit and leave you with the problems.