How to Use Your Smartphone to Open Your Garage Door

Did you recently see a friend or a coworker with a fancy smartphone app that got rid of their garage door opener? Now they can open and close their garage without even being home – perfect for so many situations.

Now you want to do the same thing with your smartphone, and we don’t blame you. Here is a guide that will help you understand how this works.

Smartphones can’t open all garage doors.

First, it’s important to realize that not all garage doors can be connected to a smartphone. Some of the most popular garage door openers come from the brands LiftMaster, Chamberlain, and Craftsman. While we know that these are usually able to be connected to a smartphone, you may need to read this information to know if compatibility is possible with other brands.

Another thing to keep in mind is the year 1998. In 1998, the Chamberlain company and its trademarked LiftMaster and Craftsman brands, started offering its SECURITY+ system. That is the system that can be connected to a smartphone.

Of course, you may not know if your system is newer than 1998, and that’s ok. Take a look at the metal housing of the motor and you should see a label that says Security+, Security+ 2.0, or (if it was manufactured after 2012), the “MyQ” logo. Finally, look for the “Learn” button. This will let you know if your opener can be connected to a smartphone.

My connector has one or more of these logos. Now what?

If your garage door opener does appear to be the type that can be connected to a smartphone, it’s time to do a little more investigating. First, get a closer look at the “Learn” button by removing the plastic cap. You should see either an orange, purple, or yellow button.

• Orange means it’s a door opener made between 1996 and 2005, equipped with the Security+ system
• Purple means it’s a door opener made between 2006 and 2014, equipped with the Security+ system
• Yellow means it was manufactured after August 2015 and is equipped with the Security+ 2.0 system
• Alternatively, a Yellow button could be a newer version from 2017 that is equipped with Wi-Fi (the logo is seen on the motor chassis) and has the Security+ 2.0 system.

These are approximate dates and could vary by a few months or up to a year.

So how do I connect the opener to my smartphone?

Based on the model you own, here is how you can connect your garage door opener with the MyQ^TM app. If you have a:

• Door opener with only “Security+”:

  You will need two accessories to be able to link your door opener to the MyQ app.

  → One 888LM wall control panel. This comes standard with the 8500C model,

  → and one Internet Gateway (828LM).

• Door opener with Security+ 2.0 and MyQ:

  You will only need the Internet Gateway (828LM).

Additionally, if you have a model with the Wi-Fi system, you can also add other devices like home lighting, and connect your garage door opener to the biggest name in integrated home technologies like Apple HomeKit and Google Home.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about garage door opener integration, call us at 905-684-8161. We know door openers and garage doors better than anyone, and can help you determine what works best for your needs. We can also send you a quotation by email.

Feel free to visit our showroom to see this technology in action. And if it’s time to replace your garage door, use our Design Centre to select the garage door style that most suits you. Need some inspiration? Our image gallery is just the place!