How to Use the LockTech Cube to Decode a Kwikset Smart Key Cylinder

Working with modern residential locks requires more than traditional tools, especially when dealing with advanced systems like the Kwikset SmartKey. For professional locksmiths who regularly service residential properties, the LockTech Cube provides a fast, reliable way to decode and rekey Kwikset Smart Key cylinders even without the original key.

This guide explains how the tool works in real scenarios and walks you through decoding and resetting a SmartKey cylinder step by step, while also highlighting its limitations so you can use it effectively.

What Is the LockTech Cube?

The LockTech KW1 Cube is a compact, professional-grade tool designed specifically for Kwikset Smart Key cylinders using the KW1 keyway. It performs two distinct functions:

• Decoding — reads the wafer positions inside the cylinder so you can cut a matching key

• Resetting — rekeys the cylinder to a brand-new key without any original key required

Who Should Use the Cube?

The Cube is built for professional locksmiths who regularly encounter Kwikset Smart Key service calls. It's especially valuable in these real-world scenarios:

• Multi-lock jobs: When a property has multiple Smart Key locks that all need to match, decoding one cylinder gives you the bitting and a working key or all the rest. Huge time saver.

• Lost key lockouts: When no working key exists, and the homeowner is locked out.

• Misprogrammed cylinders: When a DIY rekey attempt went wrong, the lock no longer accepts any key.

• Tenant turnovers: Rental properties and Airbnbs that use Smart Key locks often require quick, keyless resets between occupants.

Understanding the Kwikset Smart Key System First

Before you use the Cube, it helps to understand what you're working with. Kwikset introduced the SmartKey system in 2007 as a bump-proof, pick-resistant alternative to traditional pin-tumbler locks. Instead of the classic stack of pins and springs, Smart Key cylinders use five wafers that interact with a sidebar mechanism. This sidebar design is what makes them highly resistant to traditional picking, but it also creates a unique decoding challenge.

The catch? The system was designed so that rekeying always requires a working key. No key, no rekey, at least not through Kwikset's official process. That's exactly the gap the Cube was built to fill.

The Smart Key uses the standard KW1 keyway and the existing Kwikset depth-and-space system, with five positions per wafer across six possible depths. Reading those depths accurately is the core skill the Cube makes simple.

The Four Parts of the Cube

The Cube is a four-component tool, and everything snaps together into a single compact unit, so you can't lose any pieces in the field.

1. The Body — The main housing that accepts the cylinder. The cylinder only fits one way fully, which keeps your orientation consistent.

2. The Decoder Pin (Probe) — used for decoding. It's marked with six depth indicators and slides into positions one through five along the decoder side of the body.

3. The Reset Comb — Used for the resetting process. Engages the wafers during the sidebar-release step.

4. The Reset Probe — Holds the sidebar in place once it drops, so you can rotate the cylinder freely to the 90° reset position.

When not in use, the decoder pin is stored in its dedicated hole, the reset probe locks onto its slot, and the comb and other components snap into their pockets.

How to Decode a Kwikset Smart Key Cylinder With the Cube

Below is a step-by-step walkthrough of the decoding process.

Step 1: Remove the Cylinder

Remove the Kwikset Smart Key cylinder from the lock housing on the door. You'll be working with the cylinder in hand, not the lock installed on the door.

Step 2: Insert the Cylinder Into the Cube Body

Slide the cylinder into the Cube's body. It will only seat fully in one correct orientation — if it doesn't go all the way in, rotate it and try again. You'll feel it snap into place.

Step 3: Set Up the Decoder Probe

Take the decoder pin (probe) and position it on the decoder side of the body. You'll see numbered positions 1 through 5; these correspond to the five wafer spaces inside the cylinder.

Step 4: Check the Sidebar Window

Look at the sidebar window on the Cube. Before you begin reading, make sure the sidebar is all the way down. This is important when inserting the decoder probe: it will push the cylinder slightly counterclockwise, and the sidebar must be fully seated for accurate readings.

Step 5: Read Each Wafer Position

Insert the decoder probe into position 1. Look at the probe, and the number of dots on the probe showing above the body of the cube is the wafer or cut depth number. That number corresponds directly to the cut depth for that position.

Step 6: Record Your Bitting Code

Write down the five depth readings in order. That's your bitting code. You now have everything you need to cut a working key on your key machine.

Step 7: Cut and Test Your Key

Use your bitting code to cut a new key on the appropriate KW1 blank. Test it in the cylinder. Done.

That's the full decode, typically completed in under three minutes once you're comfortable with the tool.

Pro Tip: When to Decode vs. When to Reset

Here's a simple rule to follow on every Smart Key call:

• Decode when you have multiple locks at the same location sharing the same bitting. Decoding one lock gives you a working key you can verify against all the others, saving you from resetting each cylinder individually.

• Reset when you only have one lock to deal with, and you just need it working on a new key quickly.

Both functions live in the same Cube. You choose your approach based on the job in front of you.

The Reset Process: A Quick Overview

For jobs where resetting makes more sense, here's the short version:

1. Insert the cylinder into the body on the reset side.

2. Use the sidebar window position the sidebar in the middle (not fully up or down), so it has play in both directions.

3. Insert the reset comb. You're looking for spring tension, not a solid flat wall. If you feel spring tension, you're in the right spot.

4. Once you feel the spring, rock the cylinder back and forth slightly, and you'll see the sidebar drop.

5. Use the reset probe (or any thin tool) to hold the sidebar down.

6. Remove the comb, then rotate the cylinder to the 90° indicator mark.

7. Insert your new key fully into the cylinder.

8. Rotate the key back. The cylinder is now reset to that key and ready to reinstall.

Why the Cube Belongs in Every Locksmith's Pouch

Kwikset Smart Key locks are everywhere. They're in rental properties, condos, short-term rentals, and suburban homes across the country. And because homeowners can rekey them themselves, locksmiths often arrive to find locks in unknown states, misprogrammed, keyless, or failed.

The Cube turns those calls from a loss (destroy and replace the lock) into a billable service call (decode, reset, done). It's compact. It's intuitive. Everything snaps together, so nothing gets lost. And it works every time, even when there's no original key in sight.

Where to Get the LockTech Cube

The Kwikset Smart Key Reset & Decoder Cube (SKU: ACU-LT-D-R) is available at CLK Supplies.

👉 Buy the LockTech Kwikset Smart Key Reset & Decoder Cube at CLK Supplies 

Final Thoughts

The LockTech Cube isn't just a tool; it's the professional answer to one of the most frustrating service calls in the locksmith trade. With a simple four-part system, clear decode positions, and a fast reset workflow, it turns a previously destructive situation into a clean, professional outcome.

Decode. Reset. Move on. That's what the Cube does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Cube work on all Kwikset Smart Key locks?

Yes, it's designed for KW1 keyway Smart Key cylinders, which cover the vast majority of Kwikset Smart Key deadbolts and knobs.

Do I need the original key to use the Cube? 

No. That's the whole point. The Cube was specifically designed to operate without an original key.

Can I use the Cube to rekey a SmartKey lock to a Schlage or other brand key? 

No. The Cube resets cylinders within the Kwikset KW1 depth-and-space system. You can only rekey to another KW1-compatible key.

How long does it take to learn? 

Most locksmiths get comfortable with the decode process within their first two or three uses. The snap-together design and numbered positions make it very intuitive.

Is it worth it for locksmiths who only occasionally see Smart Key jobs? 

Yes, because when a Smart Key job comes up without a working key, the alternative is telling your customer you can't help them. The Cube gives you the answer they need.