Almost every new garage door opener today is "smart." But the term covers a lot of ground. Here's what actually works and what's marketing.
What Smart Openers Actually Do
- Open and close from your phone, from anywhere with internet
- Real-time alerts: door opened, door left open for X minutes
- Activity log: see exactly when it cycled, who opened it (per user)
- Integration with Amazon Key for secure in-garage deliveries
- Integrations with Tesla, Genesis, Apple Home (varies by model)
What They Don't Do
- Make your door faster or stronger
- Replace the need for safety eyes
- Work in a power outage without battery backup
LiftMaster myQ vs. Genie Aladdin
myQ has the deeper integration ecosystem. Aladdin is solid but a smaller universe. Both work fine for the core use cases.
What About the Subscription?
Basic myQ app is free. Some integrations (Amazon Key, certain IFTTT recipes) used to require subscriptions; check current terms. We're not fans of mandatory subscriptions for basic features.
Is It Worth It?
For ~$50–$100 extra at install: yes, easily. Even just "did I close the garage?" peace of mind covers it.