Smart garage-door opener controllers give your existing garage-door opener smart capabilities. A controller makes sense for anyone who wants to monitor the status of and make changes to their ordinary garage-door opener through an app or with voice commands. It’s also an easy way to remotely let your neighbor into your garage to borrow a rake.
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Even if the above sounds like you, there are some factors to consider before you buy to make sure that a smart controller will work for you.
First, you need a steady Wi-Fi connection in the area where your garage-door opener is located. None of these devices operate optimally without a decent connection, no matter how well reviewed they are. If your speeds are slow and the connection is spotty, a smart controller might not be a good fit, unless you boost your Wi-Fi with a range extender or otherwise improve the connection in your garage.
Compatibility with your existing garage-door opener is another important consideration. Tailwind and Genie offer compatibility checkers for you to confirm whether your opener can support a smart controller. Confirming the type of opener you have before you buy will help you narrow down your options — or you may find out that your opener already offers some degree of smart functionality.
Most owner manuals also say that you need a ladder for the installation. Depending on how high your current controller is mounted, that may be true, but I comfortably got away with a smaller stepladder rather than a full-size ladder. Check the distance to your controller beforehand and you might be able to avoid hauling out (or having to borrow) a bigger ladder.
Picking test models is eye-opening in part because the Chamberlain Group, which owns Chamberlain, Liftmaster, and Craftsman, owns about 70% of the US garage door opener market, according to a study. And Chamberlain announced in October that forthcoming Liftmaster and Chamberlain opener models will not be controllable by third party opener controllers, such as our current picks. That also means those devices won’t have the ability to be integrated into popular smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, or Google Home.
Chamberlain does sell the Smart Garage Control with myQ, and offers integration with a select group of third-party brands but we don’t recommend it for most people (see Other good smart garage-door opener controllers).
With those issues in mind, we came up with guidelines to determine which remaining opener controllers would make the cut for testing. First, we determined that a smart garage-door opener controller must:
In addition to satisfying that list of requirements, any smart controller we tested would ideally:
We’ve been testing smart garage-door opener controllers since , and our testing has changed over time. In general, when we test a smart controller, we’re looking for:
Because garage doors pose a potential grave hazard to people, pets, and objects that may be in their path, garage-door opener controllers have unique and somewhat intricate safety requirements.
In order to be sold in the US, garage-door openers must meet safety requirements specified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission; these are based on standards devised by UL Standards and Engagement. That includes being able to reverse direction if an obstacle is in the way, for instance.
There are further requirements, dubbed standard UL 325, for when either the garage-door opener itself or a separate accessory, such as a smart garage-door opener controller, enables “unattended operation.” In lay terms, that means the ability to trigger the opener when you aren’t within physical range of it, either by using an app or with a voice command, but also by automated operation. In particular, UL 325 stipulates that an opener controller “alone or in combination with the operator system shall provide an audible and visual alarm signal.”
It’s a bit confusing because it’s possible to buy garage-door openers and controllers that are UL 325-certified and others that aren’t. For clarity on why, we consulted Stephen Kuscsik, manager, principal engineers of Appliances, Specialty Appliances, Components at UL Solutions, for further explanation. He said, “Not only [is it] important that the accessory functions correctly, but also that the accessory doesn’t interfere with or compromise the existing unattended operation functionality and safety that is built into the operator.”
As a result we feel it’s our responsibility to recommend only controllers that meet the standards for UL certification, since a non-compliant model may potentially override or disable safety features.
This model installs easily, has a reliable geofencing feature, and provides broad compatibility with both garage openers and smart- home apps.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Control4, Crestron, Google Home, Home Assistant, Hubitat, Samsung SmartThings
The Tailwind iQ3 2.0 Smart Automatic Garage Controller offers an excellent combination of easy installation, straightforward app control, an intuitive auto-open and auto-close feature, and support for a huge variety of smart-home platforms. Tailwind even says the iQ3 2.0 will work with "all known garage door openers on the market today.” It’s impossible for us to test every model out there, but we’ll keep tabs on this claim.
It is yellow-button-proof. In the past, Tailwind and other brands have sometimes had to devise workarounds in order to be compatible with Chamberlain and LiftMaster garage- door openers and their signature yellow “learn” button (, used for programming the open/close signal).
Tailwind says the previous workaround it supplied for free to customers is no longer required — its new smart controller is designed to work with all Chamberlain, Craftsman, and Liftmaster models out of the box, including the previously incompatible newer ones.
It’s car-friendly. The iQ3 2.0 is compatible out of the box with Android Auto, Android Automotive OS, Google Built In, and Apple CarPlay. And unlike many controllers, the Tailwind app offers auto-open and auto-close. It’s a great feature, and it works well, letting you come and go without ever fumbling for a remote control or thinking about the garage door after you’ve left.
Auto-open and-close requires having a paired to your car, and Tailwind even gives you options if either your or your car is incompatible.
Android users whose cars aren’t equipped with Bluetooth and all iPhone owners to need a $20 battery-powered vehicle sensor to enable the auto-open and auto-close feature.
I have an iPhone, so for our testing Tailwind sent me a vehicle sensor in addition to the main kit. The car sensor installed seamlessly in minutes, and it consistently closed the door for me automatically when I drove away and opened it when I returned.
It’s the smartest of the smart garage-door controllers. No other smart controller I tested had as many optional smart-home integrations as the Tailwind. They include consumer favorites like Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home support and they also include Control4, Crestron, and more enthusiast options like, Home Assistant, Hubitat, and Samsung SmartThings.
There’s no camera (for now). Tailwind currently doesn’t offer a camera for you to check a live video feed to confirm the status of your door. The company told us that it is working on a camera, as well as an LED garage light but it delayed their releases to focus on the second-gen smart controllers. The company does not yet have details on when these products are expected to arrive.
For more details, read Tailwind’s privacy statement.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri Shortcuts, Google Home
The Genie Aladdin Connect Garage Door Controller is easy to install, works reliably, and controls up to three garage doors (though each extra door needs a sensor). Its smart features are modest — you can schedule it to close at certain times or automatically after being opened — but you can boost its IQ by pairing it with a smart platform, like Alexa or Google.
It’s especially simple to install. Most smart garage-door controller companies provide some sort of mounting hardware or adhesive tape (or both) to install their devices. I found Genie’s system the absolute best of the bunch. Due to a little removable bracket on the back of the device and hardware provided in the box, feeding screws through the slots of a standard garage-door-opener hanging kit is foolproof (here’s an example). Bigger washers prevent the screws from falling out, and they hold the controller nicely in place without your having to mess with uncooperative adhesive tape. You’ll have to install the Connect only once, but it’s a nice touch that makes it a standout.
You can share door control with family and friends. Genie lets multiple people have control of your garage door by downloading and installing the app. That’s a real help for anyone who may have several cars in their household but limited door remotes. It’s also great for family and friends who visit, if you tend to use the garage as your main entrance and keep the other doors locked. In case that sounds worrisome, you can opt to get notifications whenever the door is triggered, and there is a log that keeps track of who has accessed the door and when.
You have the option to use physical buttons. Most smart controllers are little gizmos you attach directly to your garage-door opener near the ceiling and otherwise immediately forget about. The Genie Aladdin Connect Garage Door Controller connects your garage opener to Wi-Fi but also has three large physical buttons, giving you the option of using it as a wall-mounted control panel. Genie provides a large coil of wiring to make it possible to route your wiring from the garage opener to a convenient wall, for easily opening and closing the door (though you do have to split and strip the wires yourself). Of course your opener probably already has a remote button, but this allows you to put one in an additional location if you need it.
You’ll need third-party apps to enable smarter features. The Connect doesn’t have built-in features like auto-open or auto-close; if those are important to you, you’ll need to integrate it with a third-party smart app.
The best option for creating a geofencing workaround — which opens or closes your garage automatically — is possible if you create a custom Routine in the Alexa app. It’s still janky, though, since you have to recite a PIN code to Alexa in order to have the door open.
Link to DR-PARKING
I also used the Google Home app to create an automation called “I’m home,” which turned on the living room light whenever the garage door opened. It worked consistently each time I tried it.
In addition to Google Home, the Connect is compatible with Alexa and Siri Shortcuts. The Genie Connect app provides a direct link to Siri Shortcuts; this is especially helpful so you don’t have to deal with crafting a customized shortcut, which is often a confusing process. (Every app that supports Siri Shortcuts should do this!)
Few features and no geofencing. As noted above, out of the box the Connect and the app provide few actual smart features. There’s no camera option and, unlike Tailwind’s app, the Aladdin Connect app does not have auto-open and auto-close geofencing capabilities.
For more details, read Genie’s privacy statement.
If you worry about privacy or prefer to store your data locally rather than in the cloud: The iSmartgate Pro is a good controller, but at $180 it’s double the price of our pick. It supports all of the main smart-home platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. You also have the option to add an iSmartgate-branded camera for an extra $60 or to add one from a long list of supported third-party cameras.
If you don’t care about smart integrations or voice control: The $30 Chamberlain Smart Garage Control with myQ may work, though we have strong reservations recommending it to anyone who may want actual smart functionality. In our tests, it was the easiest smart controller to install, and the price is low for the core kit. However, it’s only integrations are with partners like Alarm.com and Ring; it also supports IFTTT, which charges a monthly fee for more than two automations. Without the ability to integrate easily with other smart devices, this Chamberlain model doesn't even really qualify as a “smart” garage-door opener controller.
Of particular concern is that Chamberlain has consistently added and then dropped various smart-home integrations over the years, making its offerings unpredictable from one day to the next. (Its own customer support was confused about the current options when I called.) And more recently users have been upset that the myQ app pushes ads that you can’t turn off. If you have no intent on using smart home features for your garage door, and can swallow being advertised to, then it’s worth considering.