Is phone control worth adding to your opener?
Check the door is shut from the office, let a tradesperson in, get a notification when the kids get home.
The short answer
- Phone control opens, closes and checks the door from anywhere, and tells you when it’s used.
- It’s built into the Garador Genius; a kit adds it to most other Garador openers.
- Safety beams are required with it, and are fitted as part of the install.
What it does
The question people ask most is “did I shut the garage?”, and the app answers it. Beyond that: open the door for a courier or a tradesperson and watch it close, give each family member their own access, and get a notification whenever the door moves. It works on Apple Watch too.
Which openers have it
The Garador Genius has phone control built in. For other Garador openers installed since August 2016, a smartphone control kit adds a hub and the same app features. If you are buying a new door, the simplest path is a Genius or Genius HD with it included.
Why safety beams come with it
The ruleBecause a phone can close the door when nobody is there to see it, New Zealand’s standard for garage door openers has required safety beams on new smartphone-controlled installs since 1 December 2020.
Beams stop the door starting to close if anything is in the opening, and reverse it if the beam is broken on the way down. They are a good idea on any automated door, phone or not.
Is it worth it?
Yes, if anyone in the house has ever driven back to check the door, or if the garage is your main way into the house. If the garage is detached and rarely used, an ordinary remote and a keypad may be all you need, and we’ll say so.
Keep reading
Buying guide
Sectional, roller or Flex‑A‑Door: which suits your garage?
Care and repairs
How often should a garage door be serviced?
Garage doors
See all the doors
Free measure and quote
Talk to the team that installs them.
Free measure and quote, or a repair or service, from Garador Auckland in Albany.