Garage door opener remote controls are incredibly useful for homeowners and can make life a little easier, however, when they fall into the wrong hands, it can put your family at risk. Incidents in several cities highlight the importance of using modern technology in safe and smart ways. With the assistance of a reputable garage door repair company, you can enjoy easy access to your garage without compromising your home’s security.

LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. residents report thieves are using garage door openers

In late September of 2019, residents in Des Peres in West St, Louis County, were alarmed to discover that vehicle theft and break-ins were occurring. According to local news network KSDK, it appeared to be more than just a single car thief behind the operation, as numerous people were affected. In addition to breaking into the cars, thieves were also using garage door remote controls that have been left in the unlocked vehicles to get inside of the victim’s homes. What’s especially unnerving for homeowners is that once carjackers get into the car and use the garage door remote control found in it to access the house, they can then steal the car keys and take off with the vehicle. Police used social media to spread the word of the crimes and warned residents to be more vigilant and to remember to always lock up their vehicles.

2 days later MADISON, Wisconsin burglar gains access to a home via garage door opener

As alarming as the incidents in St. Louis County were, they are unfortunately not isolated. Thieves in other places around the country have been using remote garage door openers found in vehicles to gain entry into people’s homes. Just 2 days after the report came out in Missouri; Channel 3000 in Madison, Wisconsin reported a similar incident. In this case, the burglar was able to steal both the victim’s car and her purse after gaining access to her home.

The victim had left her car window open, allowing the thief to get inside of her vehicle. Then, using the garage door opener, he or she was able to get inside the victim’s home. Perhaps the scariest part of the entire crime is that the victim was asleep inside of her home in the early morning hours when the thief broke in. Her handbag was later recovered in another stolen vehicle, while her 2016 Honda was still missing at the time of the report. Luckily, she was not harmed. The fact that thieves can enter your home by using your own garage door remote while you’re completely unaware is truly scary.

Garage Door Remotes in Vehicles – Huntington Beach Police Department Warning

In May of 2018, the Huntington Beach Police Department put out a warning to residents regarding vehicle theft in the area. According to a post on their official Facebook page, they were seeing a rise in theft from unlocked vehicles. The increase was particularly notable in the Northwest neighborhoods and the Harbor. Police aimed to remind residents that unlocked vehicles sometimes lead to crimes of opportunity, and when thieves get ahold of the garage door opener, they can then engage in residential burglary by easily accessing the victim’s home.

The Huntington Beach police shared a helpful guide to remind people of the types of items that are frequently left inside of vehicles that are attractive to thieves. These items include handbags, gym bags, keys, wallets, cell phones, laptops, and loose credit cards. The police also advise never leaving the keys inside of the car and to avoid leaving the garage door opener inside of the vehicle whenever possible.

Preventing garage door break ins

It’s important to understand that while the technology for garage door opener remotes has advanced greatly over the years, it still has some level of vulnerability. Determined thieves can find a way to get into the garage and enter the home, especially if they’re able to easily get a hold of the remote control. In addition to keeping your vehicle locked at all times, you can also take additional security measures that are also convenient. There are several easy and practical ways that homeowners can protect themselves and prevent garage break-ins:

Carry the remote control with you or buy keychain remote control: As discussed, a remote control stored or sitting in the vehicle is attractive to thieves. If your car door is open and they can grab that remote, they can get into your garage with ease. Not only can they steal your car, but they can use the remote to open your garage door and get inside of your home right away or even come back at a later time. That exposes you to burglary as well as vehicle theft. Rather than leaving the remote control inside of your vehicle, keep it with you at all times. You can carry it in your purse, laptop bag, or pocket, but for added security and peace of mind, consider using a keychain remote. It looks and feels similar to modern car keys and is small and compact in size. When you bring your car keys inside, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that the garage door remote is inside with you as well. Upgrade your automatic garage door opener system to work with an app and set it up to alert you when the garage door is open: Another convenient option offered by Chamberlain is the myQ app. It can send out real-time alerts when your garage door is opened or closed. This lets you keep tabs on your family and know when someone has come in or out of the garage. If your garage door is left open for a period of time, you can set up the app to send you an alert to notify you of that. You can also turn the lights off and on and open and close the garage door from anywhere at any time. Another great feature allows you to set up daily schedules, perfect for when you’re out of town or on vacation. You can also invite as many as 3 guests who use the myQ app to control your garage door opener, as well. Another feature that’s rolling out in select cities is Key by Amazon access for garage deliveries. This is currently available to some eligible Amazon prime members. How-to Geek offers a thorough guide to help you set up and use the myQ app. Follow the simple steps to start receiving alerts when your garage door opens. You can even program it to send you push notifications only within a specific timeframe. Program your car to your garage door opener: If you have a newer vehicle, you can program your garage door opener to your car. By using the HomeLink feature in your vehicle, you will no longer need to carry the actual garage door opener remote with you at all. This can all be done in just a matter of minutes using the buttons located on the vehicle’s rearview mirror. For new Chamberlain and Liftmaster garage door openers, older cars need to be programmed through a Repeater AKA Compatibility Bridge: The HomeLink Compatibility Bridge was created as a way to allow compatibility between a vehicle’s HomeLink system and new garage door opener systems by Chamberlain, LiftMaster, or Craftsmen. It’s been available in many vehicles since 2007 and works with almost all gate and garage door opener systems. It conveniently eliminates the need for a hand-held remote in your car or on your person. In September of 2011, LiftMaster introduced a HomeLink Repeater kit due to an update to their new garage door opener line’s new system, called Security+ 2.0. This radio system improved range and eliminated interference. HomeLink version 4 was introduced in vehicles starting in 2008. For vehicle owners who aren’t able to program their HomeLink system with the Security+ 2.0 garage door opener, the HomeLink Repeater Kit could be the answer. It works with vehicles made from the year 2000 onward. It comes with a new remote controller and a repeater that can accept and convert the non-compatible HomeLink security signal. Installing and programming the system takes just a few simple steps. LiftMaster notes that not all newer vehicles have the Security+ 2.0™ code in the HomeLink system. This is because some automotive companies opted not to include HomeLink’s newer version, for whatever reasons. This can even vary between makes and models, with some including the technology and some not. The repeater kit makes it possible for older vehicles and those that do not have Security+ 2.0 rolling code the ability to become compatible. Use the Lock Button, AKA Vacation Mode on a Multi-Function Wall Console: The lock feature can be turned on and off with the Lock button. This will prevent the door from being able to be opened with the hand-held remote. The push bar and keyless entry will still be able to open and close the door even when this feature is used. Activating the lock button is simple. Just hold down the lock button for 2 seconds and see the push button indicator light flash. It will continue to flash as long as the lock button is on. To turn it off, press and hold the lock button for 2 seconds. When the push bar indicator light stops flashing, the lock button is off. In a crime alert from August of 2019, the Newport Beach Police Department recommends: “If your garage door has a remote shutoff button on the wall-mounted control, located in the garage, consider locking the door nightly.” The remote shutoff feature they’re referring to is the lock button.

Enhance Your Home’s Security

Keeping our families and homes safe in the digital age is more affordable and easier than ever with various residential access management systems. As automatic garage door openers and their remote-control technology has evolved and advanced, the security and convenience have improved, however, it is not fool-proof. There are easy ways to keep your vehicle and your home more secure. Contact your local garage door repair company to find out more about how you can utilize modern technologies and methods to keep your home and family safe.