What Makes for a Good Smart Lock Access Code?

Smart door locks accessed by way of a keypad are pretty common. You program the lock with an access code, then punch that code in to unlock the door. Most modern locks offer the opportunity to program multiple access codes simultaneously. The question is, what makes for a good access code?

Smart lock access codes are a lot like computer passwords. Go too simple or obvious and you are inviting burglars to walk right into your home. Here is the perfect example: 1234. As easy as it is to remember, it’s not a particularly good access code. Neither is 123456. These are the first codes a burglar is likely to try.

Just as with computers and websites, homeowners need to be a bit more creative with their access codes. If you’d like more information, consider reading a post published by Vivint Home Security back in 2019: Best Practices for Choosing a Secure Smart Lock Passcode.

Avoid Easy-to-Discover Codes

The Vivint post has a lot of helpful tips for choosing smart lock access codes. I will add my own, beginning with avoiding the habit of choosing easy-to-discover codes. A great example of such a code is your birthdate. Mine is August 23, 1965. So for me, 082365 is a bad access code choice. Why? Because my birthdate is easily discoverable.

Do not use the year and month you were born. Don’t use the digits of your street address, the digits in your license plate number, or the last four digits of your phone number. These are all things a clever burglar can discover with a little bit of research.

Choose a Number That Has Meaning to You

Some people choose easily discovered numbers as access codes because they want something they will remember. However, if you stop and think about it, you can probably come up with a number that has meaning to you without being easily discoverable.

Here is an example: I have ten siblings, three children, and seven grandchildren. So I could make a 6-digit access code 100307. Of course, that means I will have to change the code when the next grandbaby is born. But that’s okay. Changing access codes every now and again is good if you can remember them.

Associate Your Code With a Phrase

Vivint recommends creating a memorable passcode by associating it with a phrase. I think that’s a great suggestion. Here’s an example. The phrase ‘my favorite meal is pizza’ gives me four letters to work with: MFMP. Using the corresponding letters and numbers on a phone touchpad, my access code would be 6367.

Any phrase that would be easy enough for me to remember can be referenced to my phone’s number pad should I suddenly have a brain freeze and forget my code.

Use an Old Number from Your Past

While security experts recommend avoiding easily guessed numbers like street addresses and phone numbers, an old number from your past would work just fine. For example, for some strange reason I remember the phone number we had when I was in first grade. That was more than 50 years ago. No one is going to discover that number. Therefore, I could safely use 4593 as my access code. It is in no way associated with anything in my current life.

The main point here is to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to easily discover your access code. It should be something you can remember, so associate it with a phrase or a jingle if you need to. And whatever you do, don’t give your access code to other people.