The other day you watched a commercial on TV where a homeowner was able to open and close his garage door using his smartphone. Is this the end of remotes?
You should be asking yourself, “Can my smartphone open my garage door too?” If you’d like to find out more, here’s a short guide that can help you understand what to do.
Which door openers can be controlled with smartphones, and which ones can’t?
The first thing you need to know before embarking on a smartphone adventure is that not all door openers are able to be controlled with a smartphone. In fact, you should familiarize yourself with which openers can open them and which ones can’t.
The most popular brands, including LiftMaster, Craftsman, and Chamberlain, are likely one of the brands that you own. To see if your remote is compatible, read this information posted below!
These three brands were trademarked in the year 1998, which sparked the era of its patented SECURITY+ systems. If you aren’t sure whether or not your garage door opener was installed before or after this year, don’t worry! There is actually an easy way to tell. If you look at your motor’s metal housing, you will see the “MyQ” logo if it was made after the year 2012. You can also look for the “Learn” button on the remote itself, which looks like a purple square or a yellow square or circle. You may also notice a sticker that has the name and date of your model’s manufacture.
If your door opener was made after 1998:
This bodes well for you! The next step is to use a stepladder to look at the color of your learn button on the motor. Take off the lightbulb cap. If the color of the button is:
- Orange: It was made between 1196 and 2005, meaning it has the Security+ system attached.
- Purple: It was made between 2006 and 2014, also equipped with Security+
- Yellow: It was made after August of 2012, has the Security+ logo, and has the 2.0 system
- Yellow: A newer version of the logo is also yellow. In mid-2017, the WiFi logo should also appear on the door openers in addition to the Security+ 2.0 system.
Now what do you do next?
If you read that your garage door opener is able to be controleld from your smartphone, there is a way you can connect it with the MyQTM app. This is easy if you have:
- A garage door opener with the Security+ logo on it: You will need two different accessories to be able to link your door to the app. These accessories include,
- An Internet Gateway (828LM should work)
- A 88LM control panel on the wall, which is the standard inclusion with your 8500C remote garage door opener model
- A garage door opener with Security+ 2.0 and MyQ: You only need the Internet Gateway (828LM)!
Since August of 2017, Chamberlain and LiftMaster garage door openers have all included the MyQ app and WiFi integrated technology. This allows you to access things like lighting and heating in your home, giving you the ability to interface with Google Home and the Apple HomeKit.
Want to learn more? Contact us!
We are available to talk anytime. You can reach us at 1-800-409-3667 to speak to one of our friendly representatives. We know garage doors better than anyone in the industry! We can help you find the best choice in garage doors and remote openers to suit your needs. If you’d like, we can even give you an online quote.
Come and see us in person! Our showroom showcases all of the latest technologies and models available. If you’re checking us out online, feel free to use our Design Centre to look at some of the models you can choose for your home. For more inspiration, check out our online image gallery to see what’s in store!
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