As dreamy as an everlasting battery sounds, and as far as technology has come from simple lock-and-key mechanisms, the reality is that no battery is immortal (yet). Eventually, after many months of safeguarding, that smart lock battery will drain. What happens if your smart lock battery dies?
The good news is that we call these locks “smart” for a reason. Before their batteries die, most smart locks will let you know that they’re running low on juice. They will give you plenty of time to swap out the battery, which is often quite a straightforward process.
Read on to learn what happens if your smart lock battery dies and how you can keep your smart lock ticking for the long haul.
How Long Does a Smart Lock Battery Last?
Every smart lock is a bit different, based on manufacturer and model. These differences can affect battery life, as can the use case of the lock itself. The battery of a highly trafficked lock will deplete sooner than that of a lightly used one.
With that in mind, most smart locks last for about 6 to 12 months on a single set of fresh batteries or a fresh charge.
Network-connected and Wi-Fi locks can be an exception to this rule, though, often lasting a few months at a time before requiring a change of batteries. Lockly models last 6-9 months in optimum use-case scenarios. Some models with extended battery life or Lithium rechargeable batteries and solar-enhanced charging last even longer.
Even when your smart lock’s battery starts to run low, you’ll typically still have plenty of time before it dies.
For instance, Lockly smart locks can still operate for up to 300 cycles on a low battery.
What Happens If Your Smart Lock Battery Dies?
Before your smart lock battery completely dies, most modern keyless locks and smart locks will give you an ample amount of warning. Usually, this low-battery alert comes in the form of a flashing light, a different-colored LED, a touchscreen indicator or an audible notification. Lockly smart locks will make a continuous beeping sound and flash a “low battery” icon on the touchscreen when it’s time to replace the battery.
Let’s say you missed the warnings or were unable to replace the battery in time. So what happens if your smart lock battery dies? A lock that has run out of battery will not become a security hazard. The lock won’t suddenly open on its own for an intruder. Instead, you will notice three main signals:
- Your lock will no longer respond to digital inputs.
- Its touchscreen or keypad won’t function or display.
- It will also no longer respond to any apps it’s connected to.
In short, you won’t be able to communicate with your smart lock via these means when the battery is dead.
How to Access Your Home if Your Smart Lock Dies
Even if you know exactly what happens if your smart lock battery dies, you might still find yourself locked out of your house or stranded on the stoop with your fresh haul of groceries. If you happen to have one of our Lockly smart locks, you can
- Connect a 9-volt battery to the bottom of your smart lock enclosure to provide temporary power. As long as you’re holding the battery lead against the contact points, the screen will activate and you’ll be able to enter your access code.
- Use the supplied physical backup key to unlock the door.
- If the battery is starting to fade, you can simply swap it with a provided extra battery back ( only available with vision elite).
- Your lock may have an emergency manual override protocol, which involves disabling the lock from the inside of the battery cover. Your user manual should detail this process if available.
Stay Charged, Stay Safe!
When your smart lock battery dies, you will, of course, need to replace that battery. While various smart locks require a wide range of battery types — from lithium-ion batteries to 9Vs to C batteries to AAAs or AAs — the battery installation process is typically quite simple.
In most cases, you’ll simply need to unscrew the screws holding the battery cover in place, remove the dead batteries, pop in fresh batteries and replace the battery cover.
That said, don’t worry if smart lock battery issues have you feeling a little drained. Lockly’s Knowledge Base can help guide you through all sorts of smart lock-related issues.
Feel free to reach our customer service team from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST on weekends at (669) 500-8835. You can also email us anytime at help@lockly.com, and we’ll be happy to help you recharge.
Sources:
Great Valley Lock Shop - What To Do If Your Keyless Lock Battery Dies
Rated Locks - How Long Do Batteries Last in Smart Locks?
GoKeyless - What To Do If Your Keyless Lock Battery Dies
