Last Updated on June 10, 2026
To reset a Yale smart lock, pull the battery cover and batteries, remove the inside back plate to reach the reset button (just right of the PCB cable), then press and hold that button while you reinsert the batteries for at least 3 seconds and release. The lock factory-resets, wiping every code and connection, and you do not need the old code to do it. Re-enter the master PIN to set it up again. This works on virtually all Yale electronic deadbolts.
A Yale factory reset is the fix when you move into a home with a Yale lock, lose a paired phone, suspect a code is compromised, or the lock starts acting up. It erases all user codes, the Wi-Fi or Z-Wave connection, and settings, returning the lock to out-of-the-box state.
How to factory reset a Yale lock
- Remove the small Phillips screw at the top of the battery cover and take off the cover.
- Remove the batteries.
- Remove the back plate to reach the reset button. Take out the three Phillips screws (one on each side of the battery compartment and one on the bottom).
- Find the reset button, just to the right of where the PCB cable connects.
- Press and hold the reset button while you reinstall the batteries, hold at least 3 seconds, then release.
- Remove the batteries, reinstall the back plate (do not pinch the wiring harness), then reinstall the batteries and battery cover.
Where is the Yale lock reset button?
The reset button is on the interior (inside) assembly, not the keypad. Pull the battery cover and the back plate, and you will see the circuit board with a ribbon (PCB) cable. The small reset button sits just to the right of where that cable connects. On Yale lever locks like the nexTouch it is in a similar spot on the inside chassis. There is no reset hole on the outside keypad, so you always work from inside.
How to reset a Yale lock without the code
You do not need the master PIN or any user code to factory reset a Yale lock. The reset is physical, the button plus a battery power cycle, so it wipes a lock full of someone else’s codes exactly the same way. That is what makes it the right move when you move into a home and do not know the previous owner’s codes.
Which Yale locks these steps cover
These steps cover virtually all Yale electronic deadbolts, with or without an expansion module (Z-Wave, Zigbee, or Connect by August), including the Yale Assure SL (YRD256/YRD456), Assure Touchscreen (YRD226/YRD426), Assure Push Button (YRD216/YRD416), and the newer Assure Lock 2. On Yale lever locks like the nexTouch, the same logic applies but the reset button sits in a slightly different spot.
How to reprogram your Yale lock after a reset
After the reset, the lock is back to factory state. Re-enter or set the master PIN, then add your user codes, and reconnect the lock to the Yale Access app and your smart-home hub if you have a module. If you moved in, also rekey the key override so the previous owner’s physical key no longer works. Have other smart locks? See reset a Kwikset and reset a Schlage.
If your Yale lock will not reset
Use fresh batteries and hold the reset button the full 3 seconds while the lock powers up, the most common reason a reset fails is a weak battery or letting go too soon. Make sure the battery pack seats fully when you press the button. If it still will not reset, the bolt binds, or it keeps dropping its connection, the install is usually the culprit.
When to call a locksmith
If the lock will not reset, the bolt binds, or it keeps dropping its connection, ACME installs and troubleshoots Yale smart locks, see smart lock installation and lock repair.
