A smart lock has two ways in: the keyway and the digital side. When you buy a home, change tenants or lose a key, both need attention. We rekey the physical cylinder on locks that have one, factory reset the lock, remove every old user and code, and set it up fresh under your account, on-site anywhere in San Diego County.
What you get
- Physical keyway rekeyed on Schlage, Kwikset, Yale and most others
- Factory reset and ownership transfer in the app
- Old codes, users and phones removed
- Wi-Fi reconnected and firmware updated
- Key matched to your other doors if you want one key
What rekeying a smart lock actually means
People ask us "can you rekey a smart lock" and the honest answer is: which half? A keypad deadbolt with a key override has a normal pin-tumbler cylinder behind that keyway. That cylinder can be rekeyed exactly like any other lock, so the previous owner's metal key stops working.
The digital side is separate. Codes, app users, linked phones and the Wi-Fi connection all live in the lock's memory and in the previous owner's account. Rekeying the cylinder does nothing about those. A full reset does.
We handle both in one visit, and we explain what we changed so you know exactly who can open your door afterward. For background, read can a smart lock be rekeyed.
Which smart locks can be rekeyed
Most popular models keep a physical keyway, and most of those can be rekeyed on-site.
- Schlage Encode, Encode Plus and Sense use a standard Schlage C keyway. Rekeyable, and we can match them to your other Schlage locks.
- Kwikset Halo, Halo Touch and SmartCode use SmartKey cylinders. Rekeyable in minutes, and we can set them to match your existing Kwikset keys. See Kwikset SmartKey rekeying, or the DIY steps in our SmartKey rekey guide.
- Yale Assure Lock 2 comes in keyed and key-free versions. The keyed version uses a standard residential keyway we can rekey; the key-free version has nothing to rekey and relies on the reset.
- Ultraloq, Eufy and Lockly models usually include a key override. Whether the cylinder is rekeyable or needs to be swapped varies by model, and we confirm on-site.
- August and Level Bolt retrofits keep your existing exterior deadbolt, so we rekey that deadbolt as usual.
Need smart lock rekey & reset today?
Call or text with your address and door count. You get a firm price before we roll.
The digital reset, done properly
A factory reset wipes codes and users, but the ownership link in the manufacturer's cloud can outlive it. Schlage, Yale, August and Kwikset each handle ownership transfer a little differently, and a lock that still shows up in a stranger's app is a lock that is not really yours.
Our reset sequence: factory reset at the lock, confirm the lock no longer appears as owned by another account, add it to your account as the owner, rejoin Wi-Fi, apply any pending firmware update, then rebuild your codes and users from scratch. If the previous owner is reachable, releasing the lock from their account first makes this cleaner, and we will tell you exactly what to ask them for.
Moving into a home that already has a smart lock
Resale homes in Rancho Bernardo, La Mesa and across the county increasingly come with a smart lock the seller installed years ago. New builds in Eastlake and Otay Ranch often include a builder-installed keypad lock whose default codes are the same on every house on the street.
Treat either one like any other lock you did not install: assume the seller, their agent, the builder's crew and a handful of contractors all have a way in. Rekey the cylinder, reset the lock, and set your own codes. We usually do this as part of a new-home rekey, so every door, the smart lock included, works on your key and your codes the day you move in. The full move-in checklist is in rekeying after buying a home in San Diego.
One key for the smart lock and every other door
A smart lock override key is only useful if you have it with you. The easiest way to make that true is to key it alike with your garage entry door, side gate and any other lock of the same brand. Then the one key on your ring opens everything, and the keypad handles the day-to-day.
This works when the locks share a keyway: Schlage with Schlage, Kwikset with Kwikset. If your other doors are a different brand, we can often swap the smart lock's cylinder or the other locks' cylinders so they match. Ask when you book and we will bring the right parts.
Locked out of your own smart lock
Lost the admin code, changed phones, or inherited a lock with no account access? Once you show us the home is yours, we can factory reset most locks at the hardware level and rebuild access from zero. If the batteries are dead and there is no key, many key-free and fingerprint locks accept emergency power at the keypad, and we carry what is needed to get you back in. When a cylinder has been damaged or the lock itself has failed, we cover repair options on our smart lock repair page.
Smart Lock Rekey & Reset: common questions
Can a smart lock be rekeyed like a normal lock?
If it has a physical keyway, usually yes. Schlage, Kwikset and keyed Yale models use standard residential cylinders that a locksmith can rekey on-site. Key-free models have no cylinder to rekey; for those, a factory reset and new codes are the equivalent step.
Do I need to rekey a smart lock if I just change the codes?
Changing codes does nothing about the metal key. Anyone with the old key can still open the door. If you did not control every copy of that key, rekey the cylinder as well. The two steps together are what make the lock yours.
The previous owner still has the lock in their app. Can you fix that?
Yes. A hardware factory reset removes the lock from the old account for most brands, and we then register it under yours. If the previous owner can release the lock from their app first it is faster, and we will tell you what to ask them for.
Can you make my smart lock key match my other doors?
Yes, when they share a keyway. Schlage Encode matches other Schlage locks and Kwikset Halo matches other Kwikset locks. If brands differ we can often swap a cylinder so a single key still works everywhere.
I lost the only key to my smart lock. What now?
For most keyed smart locks we can rekey the cylinder and cut new keys without the original, using the lock itself. Kwikset SmartKey cylinders that have lost their working key need a reset with a special tool or a cylinder swap, which we also do on-site.
More answers on the FAQ page. Not sure what your door has? Send us a photo and we will tell you.
Where we do this
We do this everywhere in San Diego County, same day in most cases. Some of the places we cover:
Related guides
- Can a Smart Lock Be Rekeyed? Brand-by-Brand Answer – Most smart locks have a key override that can be rekeyed like any lock. The answer for Schlage, Yale, Kwikset, August, Level, Ultraloq, Eufy and Lockly.
- Should You Rekey After Buying a Home in San Diego? – Yes, rekey on move-in day. Which doors to rekey, what to do about the garage, gates and mailbox, HOA and ADU quirks, and a San Diego move-in checklist.
- How to Rekey a Kwikset SmartKey Lock (and When It Fails) – Rekey a Kwikset SmartKey in a minute with a working key and the learn tool. Exact steps, the mistakes that jam it, and what to do when you have no key.
- Smart Lock Battery Died and You're Locked Out? Do This – Locked out by a dead smart lock battery? How to get in now with the key, a 9-volt or USB power, what to do once inside, and how to stop it happening again.
Ready to get it done today?
Call or text for a straight answer and an upfront price. Mon–Fri 7am–8pm · Sat–Sun 8am–6pm.