Garage door openers are a modern convenience that allows you to move in and out of your garage with ease. A traditional system uses a mechanical opener that attaches to your garage ceiling and garage door. When you push the button on your garage door remote, it transmits a radio signal that sends a code to the operator. This code acts as an open command and sends your garage door into motion.
Although traditional garage door openers have progressed some, the most technologically advanced opener available is a smartphone opener. These systems forgo a standard remote and use a phone app instead. They are also incredibly versatile compared to old remotes. A smartphone garage door opener offers many benefits that may be a perfect fit for your home.
What Is a Smartphone Garage Door Opener?
A smartphone garage door opener turns your cellphone into a garage door remote. These systems swap typical plastic openers with a remote app, putting the power to open your garage door into your pocket. A smartphone opener uses your home’s Wi-Fi connection to send a signal from your phone to the opener within your garage. This replaces the radio signals that traditional openers use.
What Does a Smart Garage Door Opener Do?
Many smart garage door systems rely on Wi-Fi and communication between several devices to open your garage door. The three main devices at play include your:
- Cellphone: You can use your opener app to send an open or close command to the opener. When you do so, the signal first travels to your Wi-Fi router.
- Wi-Fi Router: When a command signal reaches your router, the device passes it on to the opener.
- Opener: The opener’s Wi-Fi sensor receives the command and carries out the appropriate action.
Though your command signal follows an indirect path to the opener, the transfer happens in an instant. When you press the open button on your phone, your garage door should respond promptly.
Four Benefits of Smart Garage Door Openers
Because smart garage door openers are Wi-Fi-enabled, they offer many advantages over traditional systems. In general, smart openers give you greater visibility, control and security with your garage door. Check out some of the additional benefits you can expect with a smart system:
1. You Can Open and Close Your Garage Door From Anywhere
One of the most convenient smart opener capabilities is the fact that you can operate your garage door from your phone — this is true whether you’re standing in front of your garage, sitting at the coffee shop down the street or relaxing in a vacation home in another state. As long as you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can control your garage door.
This feature can be extremely helpful, especially in some of the following situations:
- When you forget to close your garage door: Your smartphone opener app can tell you whether your garage door is open or closed at any moment. If you think you forgot to close the garage door, there’s no need to call a neighbor or ask someone to check. Simply pull up your app, close the door and know that your home is protected.
- When you need to let someone into your house: There are many situations when you may need to let someone into your home, but you don’t want to give them a spare key. Whether a dog-sitter, house-sitter or a friend, you can use your app to open the garage door and grant access to your home at any time.
- When you’re going for a run or walk: If you’re jogging or walking outdoors, it can be a pain to bring your phone and house keys — especially if your outfit doesn’t have adequate pockets. With a smart opener, all you need is your cellphone. You can lock your house, leave through the garage door and use the opener app when you return.
2. You Can Integrate a Smart Opener With Other Smart Home Features
Many smart garage door openers work seamlessly with the other smart home devices you own. For example, a Wi-Fi-enabled LiftMaster device can pair with the following devices through the MyQ app:
- Smart locks: Smart locks put your keys into your phone. If you have a LiftMaster smart garage door opener, you can use the same app to open Yale | LiftMaster Smart Locks. You can control your smart locks from any location with the MyQ app, which makes it easy to grant access to your home. Your smart locks also show an activity log, so you can pinpoint when a certain door was opened or closed.
- Smart cameras: You can add a smart camera to your garage door opener to track motion and provide up-to-date security footage. When you sync your device with your garage door opener app, you can monitor your garage all in one place. Some smart garage door openers come with a built-in camera for a streamlined option.
You may also be eligible for other services and connections. For example, several cities — including Seattle and Eastside, Washington — qualify for Key by Amazon. This service allows you to choose in-garage delivery when you order Amazon Prime packages.
If you choose in-garage delivery, your MyQ app will give you a four-hour delivery window on the day your package arrives. Right before your package is delivered, the app sends an “arriving now” notification. Upon arrival, the driver will request for your garage door to be opened, their information will be verified, and the app will open your garage door. Once the driver leaves your package inside your garage, they will wait until the garage door is completely shut before they move on.
3. You Can Pre-Schedule Openings and Closings
A smart opener may allow you to schedule times for your garage door to open and close. This can be convenient in a variety of situations, including:
- Before you leave for work in the morning.
- When you come home from work in the evening.
- When your kids get home from school.
Wherever you notice consistent departure or arrival times throughout your day, you can automate your garage door to keep up. You can also program your garage door to shut automatically if it is open for too long. Your opener app gives you the freedom to customize your garage door to your needs and schedule, which means you’ll have one less thing to think about.
4. You Don’t Have to Mess With the Inconveniences of Traditional Remotes
Using an app to open your garage door eliminates several inconvenient realities of a traditional opener. Some of the advantages include:
- Easy access: You don’t have to purchase multiple opener fobs for your family members when you have an opener app. Your spouse and kids can download the opener app for free and have instant access.
- Unlimited range: Traditional opener remotes require you to be within a certain range to open your garage door. A smart opener simply requires a Wi-Fi connection.
- Reliable hardware: With traditional openers, you may have to deal with dead batteries or broken and worn-down buttons. As long as your phone is in good shape, your smartphone opener won’t get run-down.
Four Drawbacks of Smart Garage Door Openers
Like any piece of technology, a smart garage door opener has its drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the potential disadvantages of a smart opener compared to traditional technology:
1. You Need to Have Certain Technologies in Place
A smart garage door requires some baseline technology in order to operate. Before you install your smart opener, you need:
- A smartphone
- Wi-Fi
- A garage door manufactured before 1993 with a photo eye
- A Wi-Fi-enabled garage door opener
Approximately 81 percent of Americans have a smartphone, and 89 percent have a Wi-Fi connection at home. For many families, the only potential purchase may be a garage door opener that uses Wi-Fi. If you need to purchase additional equipment, it may be more expensive to set up a smart garage door opener than a normal opener.
Garage door opener manufacturers like LiftMaster offer several different Wi-Fi-enabled options, so you can find a compatible model that fits your garage door size and budget.
2. Smart Technology May Be Hackable
Most technology can be hacked with enough expertise, and Wi-Fi is no different. Smart garage doors could be hacked through your Wi-Fi connection, although it would be more challenging than hacking a traditional fixed code opener.
To gain access to your system, hackers need your Wi-Fi password. If you have a simple, common or easily guessed password, your Wi-Fi could be vulnerable to attacks. However, hackers may still be able to break in using advanced tools and techniques if you have a complex password.
The likelihood of someone launching an advanced cyberattack on your garage is probably slim, but smart openers offer the following security features just in case:
- Password protection on the opener app.
- A log of each time your door is opened and which device it was opened from.
- Security encryption between your opener and Wi-Fi router.
- Security encryption between your opener and other smart devices.
- No OpenSSL to protect against security issues.
It’s important to remember that losing a traditional opener remote is also detrimental. A lost or stolen opener allows a thief to gain access to your garage door with no digital trace.
3. You Could Forget or Lose Your Phone
Your phone is with you almost all the time, but what if something happens to it? If your phone is damaged, lost, stolen or out of battery, it may be difficult to open your garage door. In this situation, a family member could use their app to open or close the garage door for you, or you could open the door manually with a button.
Whatever the case, using a smart garage door opener relies on your phone functioning properly, which is not required for a traditional opener. Many Wi-Fi-enabled garage door openers are sold with traditional remotes, which you can use in place of your phone if needed.
4. There’s No Wi-Fi When the Power Goes Out
A traditional garage door opener will continue to work when the power goes out because it uses radio signals. A smart garage door opener relies on Wi-Fi, which means you need an alternate plan for power emergencies. Be sure to look for a smart garage door opener that has a battery backup. Wi-Fi models can often rely on battery backup for one to two years as long as the battery is in good condition.
To prevent the possibility of being stranded in a power outage, you need to keep track of and replace your opener’s battery. Depending on your opener model, the device may flash a specific light to indicate the need for a battery change. This is a relatively minor drawback, but it could cause a major inconvenience without proper ongoing care.
How Do I Use My Phone to Open My Garage Door?
To get started with your smart garage door opener, there are a few steps you’ll need to take:
- Have a Wi-Fi-enabled garage door opener installed: Smart openers are only compatible with Wi-Fi garage door openers. Continental Door can install a new Wi-Fi door opener or a hub to adapt your existing opener.
- Make sure you have an adequate Wi-Fi signal in your garage: Your garage door opener must be able to pick up a Wi-Fi signal from your router in order to function. To test your signal strength, safely stand on a ladder and hold your phone in the area where your opener will be installed. If the Wi-Fi symbol shows at least two bars, your signal will be strong enough to support your opener.
- Adapt as necessary: If you have less than two bars of Wi-Fi signal, you’ll need to adapt in some way. You may need to move your router within 50 feet of your opener to give it an adequate signal. If this isn’t possible, consider purchasing a Wi-Fi range extender that you can position inside or near your garage.
- Connect your opener to the manufacturer’s app: When you have the proper equipment and signal, you can download the manufacturer’s app and pair your device to the opener. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete this step. If you call a professional for your installation, they may be able to assist you with syncing.
When your system is complete, you can use your smart opener right away.
Why Choose MyQ Smartphone Garage Door Opener?
There are many advantages to enjoy when you invest in a smartphone garage door opener. Using your smartphone to open your garage door is convenient, and the app monitoring features can give you peace of mind. When you use a smart opener with MyQ, you can also connect your app to a wide variety of smart devices. MyQ serves as a streamlined yet powerful hub for your smart home items.
At Continental Door, we can help you select the best smart garage door opener for your situation. Our knowledgeable experts are ready to upgrade your garage with unparalleled customer service. If you’re in the Greater Spokane area, contact us for a free estimate today!
