Can I also use my smartphone to open my garage door?

So, one of your coworkers showed the office how he can now open and close his garage door from his smartphone. WOW! No more remotes!

Now it’s your turn to ask yourself if you too can open your garage door with your smartphone. Here is a guide that will shed some light on this subject.

Not all door openers can be controlled with a smartphone

First, be aware that not every brand of garage door opener has this option. Let’s take a look at those openers that are the most popular ones, LiftMaster, Chamberlain and Craftsman. If your door opener isn’t one of these three brands, read this information to know if compatibility is possible.

Keep one year in mind – 1998. Why? That was the year the Chamberlain company and its trademarked LiftMaster and Craftsman brands, started offering its SECURITY+ system.

You don’t really remember when your door opener was installed? No problem. Look on the metal housing of the motor and you should see written Security+, Security+ 2.0 and if it was manufactured after 2012, the “MyQ” logo. Another way of making sure is by looking for the “Learn” button. It should be a yellow square, a purple square or a yellow circle. There should also be a sticker on the motor that will give you the opener model number and its date of manufacture.

Okay, I have a door opener made after 1998…

We’re off to a good start… Take a step ladder and go check the color of the Learn button. Remove the plastic cap that protects the lightbulb and see if the button is:

• Orange: then it’s a door opener made between 1996 and 2005, equipped with the Security+ system
• Purple: a door opener made between 2006 and 2014, equipped with the Security+ system
• After August 2012, the button is Yellow, and is equipped with the Security+ 2.0 system
• and since the middle of 2017, Wi-Fi (the logo is seen on the motor chassis) has been integrated into door openers in addition to having the Security+ 2.0 system. This button is also Yellow.

Note that the dates mentioned about are approximate. There could be a difference of a few months and one year could be superimposed over another.

So how do I go about this?

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+” mentioned:

You will need two accessories to be able to link your door opener to the MyQ app.
→ One 888LM wall control panel. Be aware that 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).

For your information, be aware that since August 2017, Chamberlain and LiftMaster door opener come equipped with MyQ technology and integrated Wi-Fi. With the Wi-Fi system, you can add peripheral devices like home lighting and also interact with the biggest name in integrated home technologies like Apple HomeKit and Google Home.

To learn more…

Contact us anytime toll-free at 1-877-794‑4223. We know door openers and garage doors better than anyone. We will be able to advise you and explain the best choice based on your needs, even if yours are very specific. We can also send you a quotation by Internet.

You can also come and meet us at our showroom. As well, why not use our Design Centre to select the garage door style that most suits you. Need some inspiration? Our image gallery is just the place!