How to Control Your Garage Door with Your Phone

The ability to control, monitor, and secure your home with your smartphone can reduce stress in your life, especially when it comes to your garage. Did you remember to close the garage door when you left for work or to take the kids to school this morning? WiFi-enabled smart garage door openers allow you to receive alerts and check in remotely via your smartphone. Brinks Home™ not only provides monitoring services, it also pairs well with most popular garage technologies. Here’s what you need to know about WiFi garage door openers and how they work:

Control your garage door with your iPhone

Convenience is one of the best things about WiFi-enabled garage door openers for smartphones. A smart door opener means you can lift your door at exactly the right time — when you’re in clear view of your home right before you pull in — so you’ll always feel secure entering your garage. Additionally, you’ll never have to worry about getting stuck outside because your garage clicker isn’t working or the batteries died. (Just make sure you always keep a charging cord handy in case your phone runs low on juice.)

Popular garage door opener technology from brands like Z-Wave, Chamberlain, and Liftmaster integrates with MyQ smart garage hub to take your home automation and garage security to the next level.

For kids heading home after school who may not have a phone, a keychain remote is an excellent option for easy access into the home without fumbling with a traditional lock and key. These fob devices can open the garage door from 500 feet away.

Know whether you left the garage door open

Forgetting to close your garage door is an invitation for break-ins, but it happens to the best of us, especially when we’re distracted. Connecting your smart garage door opener to your home’s security system takes the guesswork out of the equation.

The Brinks Home™ Mobile App, which allows you to monitor your home remotely, comes equipped with geo-services that track your phone’s location. If the Brinks Home app sees you’ve traveled a specific distance from home, it can notify you that the garage door remains open. Simply tap the alert on your phone, and the app takes care of the rest.

Installing a tilt sensor is another great way to securely monitor any lifting or tilting of your garage door above a 45-degree angle, so you’ll be alerted if would-be intruders try to enter.

Control your garage door with your voice

Have you ever realized you forgot to close the garage door after you’ve already loaded your arms with groceries? No problem. Simply connect your home’s security system and devices, including your garage door opener, to your Alexa or Google digital assistant. Not only can you shut the garage doors, but you can also secure the SmartCode deadbolt on your garage’s entry with the sound of your voice.

Protect your WiFi

Yes, hackers can open your garage door simply by accessing your home’s WiFi connection. Here are a few precautions you should take to keep your connection safe and your garage secure:

• Personalize your log-in information. Set a unique WiFi password that includes a long string of random characters. Change these credentials every few months to stay ahead of any security breaches.

• Change your router’s network name, or SSID. Instead of labeling your router as “Pete Smith’s Wireless,” which can tell a hacker exactly which network is yours, consider something random like “Internet123**521.” Just don’t use any significant number combinations, such as your birthday or address.

• Deactivate your router’s remote administration capabilities. Most routers allow remote administration connection by default; unless you’re a developer, however, you probably won’t need this feature. Deactivating remote administration ensures only a computer directly connected to your router via Ethernet cable can gain access.

• Select a router armed with at least WPA2 or, ideally, WPA3 encryption. These are the most recent versions of security for wireless networks, and they prevent hackers from intercepting and gaining valuable information from digital conversations between your home’s router and devices.

• Update your router’s firmware. Perform regular updates to protect your router and WiFi system to protect against security vulnerabilities.

Add other home protection features

Take a layered approach to your home security. In addition to a secure WiFi network and a smartphone-enabled garage door opener, consider tools such as indoor and outdoor security cameras, wireless door sensors, and wireless glass break detectors to ensure all entries to your garage and home remain secure.

Ready to set up your WiFi garage door opener or review your existing home security features? Contact Brinks Home today.

Allison Clark is a senior writer for Brinks Home™. She enjoys educating others on the benefits of smart home security and using technology to simplify everyday life.