Kwikset Halo Select vs. Schlage Encode Plus: Matter or Home Key?

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Choose the Schlage Encode Plus if you want to unlock with an iPhone or Apple Watch. Choose the standard Kwikset Halo Select if Matter compatibility and Kwikset’s rekeyable cylinder matter more. Both offer Wi-Fi app control, codes and a backup key. Their biggest differences are how you enter and what happens when you choose a smart-home connection.

This comparison covers Halo Select, not Halo Select Plus. The Plus is a different Kwikset model with Apple Home Key. Buying the wrong version would change the answer before you even install it.

The Halo link opens Amazon search results. Select the standard Halo Select, not Halo Touch, original Halo or Halo Select Plus. Confirm the finish and seller before ordering.

Kwikset Halo Select vs. Schlage Encode Plus at a glance

On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see both models.

Feature	Halo Select	Encode Plus
Apple Home Key	No; separate Select Plus has it	Yes, compatible iPhone / Watch
Matter	Yes, over Thread	No
Own-app remote access	Built-in Wi-Fi / Kwikset app	Built-in Wi-Fi / Schlage Home
Keypad / fingerprint	Touchscreen codes / no fingerprint	Touchscreen codes / no fingerprint
Backup key	Yes, SmartKey rekeyable cylinder	Yes, Schlage C keyway
Published code capacity	250; management depends on mode	100; Schlage Home management
Door-open sensor	Included; check mode support	No equivalent door-status sensor
Power	4 AA batteries	4 AA batteries
Hub requirements	For Matter: controller + border router	Apple Home remote features: home hub

Neither is a fingerprint lock. A fingerprint-resistant touchscreen means a surface designed to reduce visible marks, not a biometric reader. Neither of these two models provides UWB hands-free unlocking.

The short answer: Matter flexibility or Apple tap-to-unlock?

For a household that already uses iPhones and Apple Watches, we would lean toward the Encode Plus. Home Key gives you a specific everyday benefit: tap a compatible device at the lock instead of opening an app or typing a code. Family members who prefer a PIN can still use one.

Halo Select makes more sense when you specifically want Matter-over-Thread control, or when keeping compatible Kwikset keys is important. Its SmartKey cylinder can be rekeyed to a compatible existing key using Kwikset’s procedure. That can matter more than another phone feature if the rest of the house already uses the same key.

For ordinary Wi-Fi app control, there is no automatic winner. Both can provide remote lock management without a separate proprietary bridge. Compare the actual offer, finish and software features you need rather than paying extra for a badge you will not use.

Halo Select and Halo Select Plus are different locks

Standard Halo Select supports Apple Home through Matter, but Apple Home compatibility does not give it Apple Home Key. You can control a compatible lock in the Home app without being able to tap an iPhone at its keypad.

Kwikset separately sells Halo Select Plus with Apple Home Key. If you want Kwikset, Matter and Home Key together, compare that exact Plus model before ordering. Do not assume a standard Select will gain the same feature through a software update.

Schlage has a similar naming trap: the regular Encode and Encode Plus are different. This article compares the Encode Plus BE499, the Home Key model. Our Encode versus Encode Plus guide explains that choice.

Halo Select’s connection choice changes the features

The most important Halo Select caveat is easy to miss: Wi-Fi and Matter are operating choices, not a promise that every Kwikset app feature carries into your Matter app.

With Wi-Fi and the Kwikset app, the lock offers remote management and app features such as access-code schedules, history, door-status information and geofencing. Its included door sensor can help distinguish an open door from a closed door. That is useful if you want to know whether someone left the door ajar, rather than only whether the deadbolt is locked.

Matter over Thread puts supported lock control inside a compatible smart-home platform. It requires compatible Matter-controller and Thread-border-router functions; one suitable hub can provide both. A phone or a Wi-Fi router does not automatically cover those requirements.

The tradeoff is feature availability. Kwikset’s platform-by-platform Matter chart shows differences in code management, scheduling, event history, door status and automatic locking. Check the column for your chosen platform before switching modes. Do not buy the lock for a particular Kwikset Wi-Fi feature and assume it will remain available through Matter.

That matters for something as ordinary as a dog walker’s recurring code. Remote lock/unlock support tells you very little about whether the app can create that schedule. Start with the job you need the lock to do, then check the platform’s supported features.

For more choices using the same standard, see our Matter smart-lock buying guide.

Encode Plus: Home Key without requiring Matter

Encode Plus works with Apple Home and Apple Home Key. It also has built-in Wi-Fi for the Schlage Home app. Schlage explicitly confirms it is not a Matter lock; its Thread capability for Apple Home does not change that. Thread is the network connection, while Matter is a separate interoperability standard.

Home Key is tap-to-unlock with compatible Apple devices. It is not the hands-free UWB experience offered by some newer locks. You still bring the iPhone or Apple Watch to the lock. With Apple’s Express Mode enabled, a tap does not require opening an app or authenticating every time.

For remote management through Schlage Home, connect the lock to a supported 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network. Apple Home remote access and automations have their own home-hub requirements. Follow Schlage’s setup instructions for the route you choose; a “no hub required” Wi-Fi claim should not be read as covering every Apple feature. Schlage also specifies a home hub for sharing Home Key access with other people.

If you want both apps, Schlage documents pairing the lock with Schlage Home and then Apple Home. That keeps the setup discussion practical: you do not have to choose a Matter ecosystem to get Apple tap-to-unlock on this lock.

Android users can use the Schlage app and keypad, but do not receive Apple Home Key. In a mixed household, ask whether enough people will actually use the Apple feature to justify the purchase. Our Apple Home Key lock guide covers alternatives.

Guest codes and door alerts: compare the workflow

Halo Select’s published code capacity is 250; Encode Plus supports up to 100. Those are manufacturer capacities, not a guarantee that every connected platform exposes the same management options.

For a normal household, either capacity is generous. More useful questions are whether you can schedule a cleaner’s access, remove a contractor’s code and see which code was used. Check these in the app and connection mode you will actually use.

Encode Plus offers code scheduling, lock history and notifications through Schlage Home. It also has a built-in alarm for door movement and forced-entry attempts. That alarm is not the same thing as Halo Select’s separate open/closed door-status sensor.

We would not choose between them solely because 250 is larger than 100. A smaller set of clearly named codes with the right schedules is more useful than a large capacity attached to the wrong management workflow.

Backup access, batteries and door fit

Both locks include a mechanical key cylinder, so keep a working backup key somewhere accessible outside the locked home. A key left on the kitchen counter will not help when the batteries are dead.

Halo Select uses Kwikset SmartKey rekeying; Encode Plus uses a Schlage C keyway. Do not assume existing keys fit across brands. If sharing one key across several doors is important, check the current cylinders before choosing a replacement.

Both run on four AA batteries. Use the manufacturer-recommended battery type, respond to low-battery warnings and check door alignment. A bolt that scrapes or binds makes the motor work harder. We would not promise a fixed battery lifespan based only on the connection logo: usage, signal conditions and the door all matter. Our Schlage battery guide covers replacement and common causes of drain.

Both replace the deadbolt rather than simply attaching to the inside of your existing lock. Check door thickness, backset, bore size and interior clearance against the exact installation guide. Do not assume an attractive exterior photo guarantees the interior housing will clear nearby trim or a storm door.

Which is the better buy?

Buy Encode Plus for daily Apple Home Key use. It is the clearer choice between these two when tapping an iPhone or Watch is the feature you want. Its Wi-Fi Schlage Home management also gives the rest of the household a conventional app-and-code workflow.

Buy Halo Select for Matter or compatible-key convenience. It gives you a genuine Matter-over-Thread option plus Wi-Fi operation, but only choose Matter after checking the platform-specific feature tradeoffs. Its door sensor and SmartKey cylinder are practical reasons to consider it even if you start with Wi-Fi.

Compare the complete setup cost. Retail prices vary by finish and promotion. Add any hub you need for the chosen features and any installation or rekeying work. Neither lock needs a separate bridge just for its own Wi-Fi app control; that does not remove the equipment requirements for Matter or Apple Home remote features.

If you want both Matter and Apple Home Key, widen the shortlist instead of trying to make either of these exact models cover everything. Standard Halo Select lacks Home Key, and Encode Plus lacks Matter. The smart-lock compatibility chart helps separate those features.

Kwikset Halo Select

Schlage Encode Plus

Frequently asked questions

Does Kwikset Halo Select support Apple Home Key?

The standard Halo Select does not. It can work with Apple Home through Matter, but tap-to-unlock Home Key is offered on the separate Halo Select Plus. Check the complete model name before buying.

Does Schlage Encode Plus support Matter?

No. Encode Plus supports Apple Home and Apple Home Key, with Thread available for its Apple Home connection. Thread support alone does not make it Matter-compatible.

Can I use either lock without buying a hub?

Yes, for remote control through the lock’s own app using its built-in Wi-Fi and a working internet connection. Halo Select’s Matter mode needs compatible controller and Thread-border-router functions. Apple Home remote access and automations have separate home-hub requirements.

Does either lock unlock with a fingerprint?

No. Both have touchscreen PIN entry and a physical key. Encode Plus additionally supports compatible Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock. Fingerprint-resistant describes a touchscreen finish, not fingerprint authentication.

Will my code still work if the internet goes down?

An already configured local keypad code does not normally depend on the internet for each unlock. Remote app control and cloud-connected features can be unavailable during an outage. Keep batteries healthy and maintain mechanical-key access rather than relying on a single entry method.