The Encode app has a battery life monitor. You can look up where the remaining power is currently at. Perhaps being paranoid about somebody hacking the lock should be more of a concern. to me - but it's not. A good feature of the lock is that it logs date/time/user for each event. The downside that I've experienced is that the times are not always accurate. Usually they are but it can't be absolutely relied upon.
When you set up an access code for your guest you can enter a start & stop date & time. Once the code is entered it doesn't matter if your wi-fi is working or not. the code is set internally in the lock and will continue to function. The wif-fi connection is important for maintaining the access codes, but not for usage.
The Encode does use up batteries but the 'every six months' rule is pretty safe. It uses 4 AA batteries and they are easy to replace. We've had guests replace them before.
The one caveat I'll throw out there is that Schlage puts a sticker on the lock underneath the plastic casing (which is real easy to remove). This sticker has the default master code written on it. Pull this sticker! I also change the master codes on all of our locks so that they all have the same super-secret master code. That way I don't have to keep a log of master codes.
I'm guessing that within a year or two other companies will have competitive locks so this is one of those areas that bears keeping an eye on.
Hmmm, the 2 Schlage Encode locks I have installed have that sticker on the inside of the board. You have to remove the entire lock to see it.
Ahhhh - Michael you are right! My bad. That said, it is easy to get at and I always pull it off. I can remove a lock and re-install it with a screwdriver in less than 5 minutes.