Is Your Schlage Lock Blinking Red? Here’s Why!

A smart home is incomplete without a smart lock. A smart lock is not merely a lock that allows you the comfort of keyless access to your home but a device that allows you to smart access your lock using home assistants and mobile apps. So whether you lose keys often, need to set guest user codes for your Airbnb, or wish to avoid spending extra money for replacing keys for the house renters, smart locks are a smart purchase for you.

When it comes to smart locks, Schlage smart locks have a great reputation in the market. The locks offer some great features and a sound security system and are tough to pick. I have recommended Schlage smart locks to many of my friends and family, including my sister, and all of them have been quite satisfied with the locking system. 

Unlike regular locks, smart locks have several features and several ways to indicate things. Recently in one of my articles about how to change code on Schlage lock, one of the readers commented about facing the issue of Schlage smart lock blinking red. While a red light may cause you to worry, it is normal to see a red light on your Schlage smart lock.

A red light on a Schlage smart lock, in most cases, indicates low batteries. However, if you see a red light upon entering the user code, you may be entering an incorrect user code. A red light on the Schlage lock may also indicate incorrect programming of the lock.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the reason why your Schlage lock is blinking red.

Indicator Lights On Schlage Lock Keypad

A Schlage lock has a Schlage button located on the keypad, which acts as the status light to indicate more than one thing. Different colors and patterns of light represent different things on the Schlage button. These indicator lights will help you troubleshoot when your Schlage lock is not working.

Here are a few indicators that you will see on the Schlage button of your Schlage lock keypad.

A Green (✔) Light: You entered the correct user code.

A Solid Red (X) Light: You entered an incorrect user code.

A Flashing Red (X) Light: The battery of your Schlage lock is critically low

Flashing Yellow Light Upon Entering The user code: The battery of your Schlage lock is low

We will learn about the possible reasons and solutions to the red light on your Schlage lock in the next section of the article.

Why Is Your Schlage Keypad Lock Blinking Red?

You now have a fair idea why you may be facing the issue of the Schlage smart lock blinking red. In this section of the article, we will discuss the reasons and resolutions for the same in detail. 

A Schlage lock may be flashing a red light on the keypad because of one of the following reasons. 

Your Schlage Lock Battery Is Low

Schlage smart locks use four AA batteries to operate the locking mechanism of the lock. The lifespan of batteries in your Schlage door lock depends upon various factors like how often the door lock is used, what type and brand of batteries are used, and the climate. The average lifespan of batteries in a Schlage lock is around 1500 hours, but this number can vary depending upon the mentioned factors.

The smart lock has a status light to indicate that the batteries are low. If the status light flashes red, it means it is time to replace the lock batteries. Sometime before your Schlage lock starts flashing red to indicate critically low battery, it starts flashing a yellow light upon entering the user code to indicate that the low battery of your lock requires attention.

In case your Schlage lock batteries are low or dead, here’s how you can change the batteries of your Schlage lock in a few minutes. 

Step 1: Remove the screws of the Schlage door lock using a Phillips-head screwdriver securing the cover on the inside of the door.

Step 2: Locate the screws that secure the battery cover of the Schlage lock. You will find either one or two battery covers, depending upon the model.

Step 3: Use the screwdriver to unscrew the screws.

Step 4: Now pull the battery covers out from the Schlage smart lock.

Step 5: Remove the old batteries from the lock and install new batteries keeping in mind the positive and negative terminals of the batteries. If your Schlage door lock runs on a 9 Volts battery, remove the battery from the cover and disconnect the wire cap from the head of the battery. Then install a new 9 Volts battery and connect the wire cap to its top. In the end, carefully insert the battery back into the battery compartment.

Step 6: Place the battery cover back in its place and secure it with the help of screws.

Step 7: Position the lock over the lock cover attached to the door. Once the lock fits appropriately, secure it using the screws.

To read more about Schlage lock batteries in detail, read my article about Schlage lock battery replacement.

You Are Programming An Incorrect User Code

A Schlage lock has two types of codes associated with it- the programming code and the user code. The programming code of a Schlage lock is a 6-digit code that is used to put the smart lock into programming mode. The code does not unlock the smart lock and only enables you to perform functions like changing or deleting the user code, activating or deactivating the vacation mode, etc. In comparison, a user code is a 4-digit, routine code that works as the key to your lock. 

You may set up to 19 user codes on your Schlage locks, of which one would be the primary user code, and the rest are the guest codes. The user code of your Schlage smart lock must be different from the first four digits of the programming code.

In case you try to set a user code with the digits identical to that of the programming code, your Schlage lock will flash a red light, and you will not be able to set the user code. To troubleshoot the issue, try setting a user code with digits different from the first four digits of the programming code.

You Are Entering An Incorrect User Code

When you enter the user code or the guest code to open your Schlage door lock, a green light will indicate that the code you have entered is correct and the lock is now open. However, in case your Schlage lock light is blinking red, it means you are entering the wrong user code. In this case, try entering the correct user code again to unlock your lock.

A red light may also be encountered when you are unsuccessful in adding a new user code to your Schlage lock. The possible reason for this could be that you have already exceeded the maximum number of possible user codes. To fix the issue, you will have to delete an existing user code before adding a new one.

FAQs

Q1. Despite entering the correct user code, a red light is flashing when I enter the code on my Schlage lock keypad. Why does it happen?

Answer – Upon entering an incorrect code, you will see a solid red light on the keypad. A flashing red light upon entering the code on your Schlage lock keypad indicates that your lock batteries are low and need to be replaced. You may follow the steps given in the article to replace the batteries.

Q2. How many guest codes can I add to my Schlage door lock?

Answer – You may add up to 19 codes, including the primary and guest user codes.

Q3. Upon entering a valid guest code, my Schlage lock blinks red, then green. Why is it happening, and how to fix it?

Answer – A Blinking red light followed by a green light indicates that your Schlage lock is in vacation mode and can only be accessed using the primary user code. Hence, you will not be able to unlock your lock using the guest code.

To deactivate the vacation mode on your Schlage lock, type your 4-digit primary user code on the lock keypad and wait till the Schlage button flashes orange and beeps three times. Then press the Schlage button and number 4 simultaneously till the Schlage button turns green. The green light indicates that the vacation mode on your lock is now deactivated, and you can access it using the guest user codes.

Conclusion

A red light on any of our devices can make us feel stressed for a while. And why not? Usually, a red light indicates that your device needs attention which may also mean a massive expenditure. Well, not in the case of Schlage smart lock. A Schlage keypad lock blinking red is not a major issue and can be trouble shooted easily following the steps given in the article. 
If you, too, were wondering ‘why is my Schlage lock blinking red,’ the article must have helped you find a solution. If you have any more queries related to Schlage locks, write to me in the comment section.