If you already own a motorized garage opener, even one with a belt drive opener or a chain drive, you can use one of the easy add-on accessories above for smart garage door control. If you’re in the market for a whole new opener mechanism and you want a smart device, you can find smart opener and door sensor options from makers such as Chamberlain, LiftMaster and Ryobi. 

Smart garage door controllers come in a few variations. In general, a control attaches to your existing opener with a double-sided adhesive strip. In most cases, you’ll 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 type of sensor to attach to your garage door. This sensor detects and transmits your garage door status, so the control accurately knows whether the door is open, closed or somewhere in between, and with the garage door opener app, can send you a push notification if your garage is open when it shouldn’t be. It also usually serves as a safety sensor. 

The ability to connect to a Wi-Fi signal is key to ensuring your new smart garage door and remote control work the way you want them to. On the smart side, an add-on controller connects to your Wi-Fi network, which is easy enough. You’ll need a strong 2.4GHz internet connection that reaches your garage. Typically, a corresponding app will walk you through adding your device to the network, as well as the general installation.

Garage door opener app features and smarts differ from brand to brand. One app may offer geofencing, scheduling, remote access and voice control, while another app may just make your smartphone a duplicate of your garage door controller.

Deciding which controller is the best smart garage door opener for you comes down to 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). No matter your requirements, there’s likely a smart garage door opener and app out there to meet your needs.

Smart garage door opener FAQs