Smart garage door control for roller doors

Quick answer

Yes. A smart receiver connected to your roller door's control box lets you open and close it from a phone app over Wi-Fi, check whether it's open, get alerts and share access with family. Most electric roller doors can take one, either on a new door or as an upgrade. Keep it secure by changing default codes, using strong passwords and installing updates.

Can a roller garage door be controlled from a phone?

Yes, an electric roller garage door can be controlled from a phone by adding a smart receiver that connects the door's control box to your Wi-Fi and an app.

The receiver sits alongside the existing controls, so your remotes, wall switch and any keypad keep working as before. Smart control can be added to a new door for £95–£245 inc VAT, or fitted to an existing electric door for £129–£279 inc VAT, as long as the motor and control box are compatible. Manual doors need converting to electric first. See our smart roller doors page for the options.

Smart control doesn't change how the door itself works. The motor and limits stay the same and the receiver sends the same open, stop and close commands that a remote does, but because the door can now move out of sight we only enable it where both a safety edge and photocells are fitted, and we re-test them when the receiver goes in.

What do I need for app control to work?

You need an electric door with a compatible control box, a power supply for the receiver, a reliable Wi-Fi signal in the garage and the app on your phone.

Wi-Fi is the part that catches people out. Garages are often at the edge of a home's coverage, and brick, metal doors and distance all weaken the signal. Check the signal on your phone standing by the roller box before you order. If it's weak, a Wi-Fi extender or mesh point nearer the garage usually helps. We check compatibility and the power supply at the survey or visit, and the receiver is set up and tested before we leave.

What can smart garage door control do?

Depending on the system, smart control lets you open and close the door from anywhere with a connection, see whether it's open or closed, get alerts, and share access with other people.

Remote operation. Open the door for a delivery or a family member while you're out.
Status and alerts. See the door's position and get a notification if it opens or is left open. Some systems need a position sensor for this.
Sharing access. Give family members their own login and remove it when it's no longer needed. Some apps allow time-limited access.
Activity history. Some apps show when the door was opened and by whom.

Remote operation when you can't see the door depends on the safety edge and photocells working properly, so keep up the monthly safety test in our safety guide.

Are keypads and remotes still useful with smart control?

Yes, remotes and keypads are still useful, because they work without a phone, Wi-Fi or an internet connection.

A wireless keypad by the door lets anyone with the code open the garage without carrying a remote, which suits children coming home from school or a neighbour who checks the house. Added to a new door, a keypad is £79–£149 inc VAT, and extra remote handsets are £39–£69 inc VAT each. Domestic remotes use rolling codes, which change every time the button is pressed so a recorded signal can't simply be replayed. Choose a keypad code that isn't obvious, such as a birthday or house number, and change it if you think someone else knows it. Keypads and extra remotes for an existing door are covered on our remote and keypad upgrades page.

How do I keep smart garage door control secure and private?

Keep smart control secure by changing default codes and passwords, using a strong Wi-Fi password, installing updates and removing users who no longer need access.

Change any default PIN, keypad code or app password straight away.
Use a strong, unique password for the app account and turn on two-step sign-in if it's offered.
Keep your router and the receiver's firmware updated when updates are released.
Look at who has access from time to time and remove old users, such as former tenants or tradespeople.
Don't share codes in group chats or write them on the keypad.
Check what activity data the app stores and who can see it.

Treat your garage app like a front door key. Anyone with access can open the garage, and possibly reach the house through an internal door.

What happens to smart control in a power cut or Wi-Fi outage?

In a Wi-Fi or internet outage the app stops working but remotes, keypads and the wall switch carry on, while in a power cut the door needs battery backup or the manual override.

Battery backup keeps the motor running for a limited number of cycles. Added to a new door it is £149–£279 inc VAT. Ask whether the smart receiver itself is supported by the battery unit, because this varies between systems, and remember the app also needs your router to have power. Our power cut guide explains using the override.

Questions

Can I add smart control to my existing roller garage door?

Usually, yes, if the door is electric and its control box is compatible with a smart receiver. We check the motor, control box and power supply on a visit, fit and pair the receiver, set up the app with you and test it. If your existing control box isn't compatible, we'll tell you what would be needed before any work is done.

Is it safe to open my garage door when I'm not at home?

It can be, but only where the door is set up for it: we enable app control only on doors with both a safety edge and photocells, with the commissioning and risk assessment covering use out of sight, and we re-test the door when the receiver is added. Only close it remotely when the app confirms its status. Notifications and status checks help you confirm the door has closed. Test the safety devices monthly, and think about who could be near the door, such as children or pets, before you operate it remotely.

Do smart garage door receivers need a subscription?

It depends on the system. Many receivers work through a free app, while some offer optional paid features such as extended history or integrations. We'll tell you what the system we quote includes and whether any part of it carries an ongoing cost, so there are no surprises after it's fitted.