How to program garage door remote?

Conveniently, a garage door remote allows you to open or close the door without having to get out of your car. You may need to know how to program your garage door remote if you change it, it breaks, or if it's ever lost or stolen.

How Does the Garage Door Remote Work?

In an older garage door remote, you will find small code switches that turn on or off. The same set of code switches is present in the garage door opener controlling the door. Newer remotes use a rolling code technology. This type of garage door remote functions by changing the code each time the remote is pressed. A radio frequency allows the remote to send a signal to the opener to go up or down.

Garage Door Remote Frequencies

Radio frequencies are measured in megahertz (MHz). The most common garage door remote frequencies are 300 MHz, 310 MHz, 315 MHz, 318 MHz, or 390 MHz. The frequency for a garage door remote or motor is usually printed on them.

Step 1 - Choose a Remote

Match your garage door remote to your garage door opener by using the same manufacturer. The following are some of the companies that sell garage door remotes: Liftmaster, Genie, Allstar, Linear, and Stanley.

Step 2 - Locate the Learn Button

Programming your garage door remote and clearing the current garage door remotes from the opener varies slightly according to the model of your system.

All openers have a learn button. To find the learn button you may have to remove the light cover on the opener.

Step 3 - Program the Remote

To program a new remote into the system, hold the learn button until the indicator light blinks on the opener. While the indicator light is blinking, press the button on your remote. Test the new garage door remote by pressing once to see if the door moves.

A garage door opener can only maintain five remotes or four remotes and one keyless entry, so if a remote is lost, you might have to erase all codes from your opener before you can add a new one. In most cases, erasing remotes from the garage door system is accomplished by pressing the learn button until the indicator light stops blinking. This will usually erase all remote codes and from there, you will have to follow the previous instructions to reprogram all of them.

Programming Remotes That Have Code Switches

Code switches in your garage door remote and opener have to match. This means that the code switches are placed in the same position.