Smart Locks for French Doors

French doors present a locking challenge that standard single doors don't: two door leaves, a multipoint or flush-bolt system on the inactive side, and — on exterior installations — direct weather exposure at the strike point. Most smart locks on the market are engineered around a single-door deadbolt or cylindrical lock, so not every model translates cleanly to a French door pair. Before you buy, it helps to understand which leaf a smart lock actually secures, how it interacts with any existing multipoint hardware, and whether the housing is rated for outdoor exposure if your doors face the exterior.

FrenchDoors.com is an independent research platform, not a retailer — we don't sell hardware and we aren't a locksmith. This guide is meant to help you narrow down which smart locks are realistic candidates for a French door installation, and where a professional's opinion is worth getting before you buy. If you're also researching hardware beyond the lock itself, browse our full French door hardware guide for handles, hinges, and weatherstripping.

What to Look For

A handful of criteria separate a smart lock that will actually work on your French doors from one that looks good on paper but doesn't fit the hardware you have.

• Multipoint lock compatibility: If your French doors use a multipoint locking system (common on higher-end or European-style units), confirm the smart lock is designed to integrate with — or replace — that mechanism. Many retrofit smart locks assume a standard single-point deadbolt.
• Active vs. inactive leaf: Smart locks are installed on the active leaf — the door with the primary lock and handle. The inactive leaf's flush bolts typically stay manual; plan for that leaf to remain a physical, non-smart lock point.
• Deadbolt vs. mortise lock body: Confirm which lock type your door currently has. Deadbolt-style smart locks are the most widely compatible; mortise locks (common on older or premium French doors) require a smart lock specifically designed for a mortise body, or a locksmith-assisted retrofit.
• Weather resistance: For exterior-facing French doors, look for a housing rated for outdoor exposure — temperature swings, humidity, and direct precipitation can shorten the lifespan of a lock that isn't rated for it.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi locks connect directly to your home network and typically need the least additional equipment. Z-Wave and Zigbee locks require a hub (many home automation systems already include one) but tend to have better battery life. Bluetooth-only locks work at close range without a hub but won't offer remote access away from home.
• Home automation integration: If you already use Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or a SmartThings/Z-Wave hub, check compatibility before buying — not every lock supports every ecosystem.

Product Recommendations

These are five widely available smart locks worth evaluating for a French door installation, based on published manufacturer specifications. Compatibility with your specific door hardware should still be confirmed before purchase.

A Wi-Fi deadbolt with built-in Apple Home Key support, letting you unlock with an iPhone or Apple Watch tap without a separate app. It carries a BHMA Grade 1 security rating — the highest residential security grade — which matters for an exterior-facing active leaf.

Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt

• BHMA Grade 1 — highest residential security
• Built-in WiFi with Apple Home Key
• Alexa and Google Assistant compatible

Fits standard deadbolt prep on the active leaf of French doors. Not designed for multipoint lock systems.

$270–$320 as of 2026

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A modular system with interchangeable connectivity modules (Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or none), so you can add smart functionality later without replacing the whole lock. Its slim profile is worth noting on French doors, where hardware sits close to the glass and stile width is often narrower than a standard entry door.

Yale Assure Lock 2 Smart Deadbolt

• Modular: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Z-Wave
• Slim low-profile design
• Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant

Fits standard deadbolt prep. Slim profile suits narrower French door stiles. Active leaf installation only.

$180–$250 as of 2026

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The August Smart Lock Pro is a retrofit design — it replaces the interior side of an existing deadbolt while keeping the exterior hardware untouched. The lock itself communicates via Bluetooth; the included Connect Hub bridges it to Wi-Fi for remote access and voice assistant integration. For French doors where preserving the existing exterior hardware matters — especially on an active leaf with matching handles — this retrofit approach avoids replacing visible hardware on the outside of the door.

August Smart Lock Pro + Connect Hub

• Retrofit — keeps existing exterior hardware
• Bluetooth + Wi-Fi via Connect Hub
• Alexa and Google Assistant compatible

Installs over existing deadbolt on the active leaf. Does not change exterior appearance — ideal when matching French door handle sets.

$130–$180 as of 2026

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The Schlage Connect is a Z-Wave Plus deadbolt with a built-in touchscreen keypad for code entry. Z-Wave communicates through a smart home hub (like SmartThings or Wink) rather than directly over Wi-Fi, which makes it a strong choice for homeowners already invested in a Z-Wave-based home automation system. It carries a BHMA Grade 1 rating — the same top-tier security certification as the Encode Plus.

Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt

• BHMA Grade 1 — highest residential security
• Z-Wave Plus — works with smart home hubs
• Touchscreen keypad for code entry

Standard deadbolt prep on the active leaf. Z-Wave requires a compatible hub — not standalone Wi-Fi like the Encode Plus.

$180–$230 as of 2026

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The Level Lock Pro is designed to be invisible — it fits entirely inside the door, replacing the existing deadbolt mechanism without any visible smart lock housing on the exterior. On French doors where hardware is often visible through glass panels, this invisible design eliminates the aesthetic compromise that most smart locks introduce. The Pro model uses Matter-over-Thread protocol and includes Apple Home Key support for tap-to-unlock with an iPhone or Apple Watch.

Level Lock Pro

• Invisible — no exterior smart lock housing
• Matter-over-Thread + Apple Home Key
• Works with Apple, Alexa, Google, SmartThings

Replaces existing deadbolt internals on the active leaf. No visible change to exterior hardware — best option when glass panels make hardware visible.

$250–$330 as of 2026

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Installation Considerations

A smart lock is almost always installed on the active leaf — the door panel with the primary lock and handle set. The inactive leaf, secured by flush bolts at the top and bottom of the frame, generally stays a manual lock point; there isn't a strike plate for a smart lock's latch to engage on that side. If your French doors use a multipoint locking system — where a single handle action engages multiple points along the door edge — confirm the smart lock you're considering is designed to work with that mechanism before purchasing. Some multipoint systems can accept a compatible smart cylinder; others require the multipoint hardware to stay fully manual, with the smart lock functioning as a secondary lock point instead of a replacement.

Whether you need a professional locksmith depends on your starting hardware. If your French doors already have a standard deadbolt on the active leaf, most of the locks above are designed for straightforward DIY installation. If you have a mortise lock, an integrated multipoint system, or doors with a non-standard backset or thickness, a locksmith consultation is worth the cost — it can prevent an expensive return on hardware that doesn't fit, and ensures your exterior weatherproofing isn't compromised in the process. For a full rundown of French door hardware beyond locks — handles, hinges, and weatherstripping — see our French door hardware guide.

If you're planning a full door replacement rather than a hardware upgrade, our French door cost guide breaks down unit and labor pricing by material and configuration, including where upgraded locking hardware fits into a project budget. You can also browse our full brand reviews to compare the door manufacturers these locks are most commonly paired with.