Accessing Smart Lock Apps via PC

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Accessing Smart Lock Apps via PC

Drew SygitBusiness Member
Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 13k+ posts · 9k+ votes

Looking into doing an STR for a client.

Challenge is all the Smart Locks we've looked at can only be managed from a cell phone:(

We want to use our remote workers to do this, so they will need to do so from their laptops.

What Smart Lock can be accessed from a laptop?

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Jon Martin
Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
5d

With Hospitable you are able to do it. Not sure how it maps and figures it out, but I've been able to do it almost seamlessly through the desktop and mobile app.

Without that, no clue.

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  • Jon Martin
    Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5d

    With Hospitable you are able to do it. Not sure how it maps and figures it out, but I've been able to do it almost seamlessly through the desktop and mobile app.

    Without that, no clue.

    1Reply
  • Lee Futcher
    Technology · Vancouver, BC · Member since 2026 · 79 posts · 8 votes
    4d

    Drew, I’d flip the problem around. Instead of finding a lock your remote team can open from a laptop, set it up so nobody has to touch the lock at all.

    Pick a lock that connects to your booking system. Each reservation then creates its own door code before check-in and deletes it after checkout. Your remote workers live in the booking system on their laptops, which is where they need to be anyway.

    Two things I’d add before the first guest:

    1. A one-page lockout plan: who answers at 11pm, where the backup code lives, and who drives over if the battery dies.

    2. A check-in message that goes out automatically with the code, so the code and the instructions always arrive together.

    Will your remote team be handling the guest messages too, or just access?

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  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4d

    I use Lynx automation and it can be managed on a desktop. It integrates with many locks but we prefer Schlage Encodes.

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  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 472 posts · 174 votes
    2d

    I’d test the desktop setup with the exact tasks your team needs: extend a code for late checkout, update it when reservation dates change, and confirm it expired. Try it from a separate staff login too, so you can see what the team can actually access. Being able to view a lock on a laptop and being able to handle the whole guest-access workflow are two different things.

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  • Collin Carbery
    Member since 2026 · 5 posts · 0 votes
    18h

    I'd echo Lee's advice. I manage 8 STRs using August/Yale locks with Uplisting as my PMS. Once your PMS handles access codes, the need to manage locks directly from a laptop largely disappears. Codes are automatically generated for each reservation, activated at check-in, and expire at checkout. Reservation changes are handled through the PMS as well.

    Just make sure your specific lock model is compatible with your PMS and check whether it requires a separate Wi-Fi bridge or hub.

    I'd also echo Lee's point about having a documented backup plan. Batteries die, Wi-Fi goes down, and sometimes codes simply don't sync. No amount of automation helps when the lock itself isn't responding.

    I use "GrantKey" for all our properties. It's an inexpensive, automated backup system that works entirely through text messaging. Guests don't need to download an app or reach anyone. They just text, verify their reservation, and receive backup access instructions. It's a little peace of mind knowing someone doesn't have to be glued to their phone 24/7 in case a smart lock fails.

    Whatever solution you choose, definitely have a backup that doesn't depend on someone answering the phone at 2 AM.

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