If you already own a motorized garage door opener, even one with a belt drive or chain drive, you can use one of the simple add-on accessories above for smart garage door control. If you’re looking for a whole new opener mechanism and you want a smart device, you can find smart opener and door sensor options from manufacturers like Chamberlain, LiftMaster and Ryobi.
Smart garage door controllers come in a few variations. Generally, a controller attaches to your existing opener with a double-sided adhesive strip. In most cases, you will need to attach two small wires to the open and close command nodes on your existing garage door opener.
Smart garage kits also typically include some sort of sensor to attach to your garage door. This sensor detects and transmits the status of your garage door, so the controller knows exactly if the door is open, closed, or somewhere in between, and with the garage door opener app, it can send you a push notification if your garage is open when it shouldn’t be. It also typically serves as a safety sensor.
The ability to connect to a Wi-Fi signal is essential to ensuring your new smart garage door and remote control works the way you want. On the smart side, an add-on controller connects to your Wi-Fi networkwhich is easy enough. You have a strong 2.4GHz internet connection that reaches your garage. Normally, a companion app will guide you through adding your device to the network, as well as the general installation.
Garage door opener app features and smarts vary by brand. One app offers geofencing, scheduling, remote access, and voice control, while another app can simply make your smartphone a carbon copy of your garage door controller.
Deciding which smart garage door opener controller is best for you depends on what control features you want most and what smart home platforms you use in your home (such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit). Whatever your requirements, there’s likely a smart garage door opener and app out there that will meet your needs.
