New smart locks may not be the most exciting news at CES 2022, but Schlage's latest home security device offers an important feature iPhone and Apple Watch users like me have been waiting for: digital key support!

Schlage's newest home security device offers an important feature iPhone and Apple Watch users like me have been waiting for.

The Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt is an upgraded version of the popular Schlage Encode, one of the best smart locks on the market Schlage's next-generation HomeKit-enabled model is starting to roll out in select cars and hotels ready to support Apple's Virtual Key feature, but it has yet to appear in mainstream smart home devices.

iOS 15 allows iPhones and Apple Watches to carry digital versions of government-issued identification such as house keys, hotel room keys, workplace ID cards, and driver's licenses. This last category has run into some challenges, but it has clearly not dampened interest in virtual keys.

Adding your home keys to your Apple Wallet should allow you to lock and unlock the Schlage Encode Plus attached to your door simply by holding your iPhone or Apple Watch over the deadbolt.August WiFi Smart Lock Encode instead relies on NFC and requires the iPhone or smartwatch to be intentionally held up to the door. to the door.

Of course, this convenience comes with a few points of failure, but nothing that Schrage doesn't seem prepared for. For one thing, thanks to the iPhone's power reserve mode, which has been available since iOS 14, the door may be unlocked for up to five hours even if the phone is turned off. And if that option is not available, or if the phone is lost or stolen, the Encode Plus still has a physical keypad to get inside.

I know a lot about Schlage Encode. So I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Encode Plus can assign dozens of access codes in the app and track when those codes are used; Encode Plus is also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant for multi-device smart home routines and voice control. Again, nothing new here.

However, the HomeKit support is a game changer; while Encode Plus is by no means the first HomeKit-enabled smart lock, the controls and digital key support integrated into the HomeKit app are a great way for Apple's smart home platform and I think more brands and users will soon embrace it; as an avid Alexa user, I've started using HomeKit more. I called the redesigned HomeKit app the most underrated new Apple Watch feature in watchOS 8.

I regularly use my Apple Watch 7 to tinker with the best HomeKit device in my apartment. Using the Apple Watch 7 to actually control it without having to press a button seems like a natural next step, and I may even replace my current Schlage Encode The Encode Plus will be available in the spring and will cost $50 more than the regular Encode It will cost $299, $50 more than the regular Encode. Let's just hope there's no pressure to buy the whole family an Apple Watch so they can enjoy unlocking with a tap.