Wi-Fi Access Options for Garage Door Openers FAQ

Published on: June 28, 2022

Aladdin Connect™ is the smart home system from Genie® which allows you to monitor and control the status of your garage door from the convenience of your smartphone.  Aladdin Connect makes your garage door opener "smart" by allowing your garage door opener to connect to your home's Wi-Fi. Genie garage door openers can have Aladdin Connect integrated in the opener, or Aladdin Connect can be added to most existing garage door openers made since 1993 using the Aladdin Connect Retrofit Kit.  

There are several questions consumers should consider asking themselves when thinking about purchasing a Wi-Fi enabled garage door opener, or a retrofit kit for an existing garage door opener.  

1. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and product certification agencies, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), have worked hard to help ensure that these products meet a common level of safety. Does the product you are looking at meet common safety compliance standards?
   • Genie Wi-Fi garage door openers and retrofit kit are UL tested and approved. If the option you are looking at does not emit light and sound for at least 5 seconds prior to door movement, then the unit is not compliant with common safety codes.  Read more at: https://www.ul.com/news/convenience-and-safety-working-together-unattended-operation-residential-garage-door-operators

2. Who am I purchasing this access product from? Are they an established, known business or a fly-by-night operation?  Is this business trustworthy? 
   • Can you effectively research and find history on the company you are going to sign up with to help you access your home? If not, what does that mean in terms of purchasing a home access product?  The Genie Company has 60+ years of solid, industry leading products and performance.  Read more at:  https://www.geniecompany.com/policy-pages/About-Us

3. Is the device compatible with my preferred Smart Home Partner? Can I use my existing smart home devices with this product as well?
   • If you are interested in using this device with an existing Smart Home platform in your home, make sure the device you choose is compatible with industry leading Smart Home Partners like Alexa® or Google Assistant®. If the device is not compatible with the smart home platform you use in your home, a lot of the potential for home automation is defeated.  Genie has an extensive Smart Home Partner base to access free of charge including Alexa, Google and Samsung Smart Things PLUS MORE, including the new BenchSentry® product!  Read more at:  https://www.geniecompany.com/aladdin-connect-smart-home-partners

4. The home security camera trend is very popular these days. Protecting the largest movable object that provides access to the home (the garage door) is very important to me.  Are there any out there that use a camera?
   • While some devices do include cameras with their Wi-Fi operator device, those same devices could actually be excluding major camera brands a consumer may already own. By having an open platform with many Smart Home Partners, Genie lets the consumer select or use almost any preferred camera manufacturer, including the one they may already have in their home.  Read more about all of Genie’s Smart Home solutions and Partners here, including the new product BenchSentry® product:  https://www.geniecompany.com/aladdin-connect-by-genie

5. What can I actually do with a Wi-Fi operated garage door opener or retrofit kit? Does this device just allow me to open and close the garage door?  Can I program any rules, setup any notifications or access permissions?
   • Many manufacturers offer similar features here and some are more robust than others. Genie's Aladdin Connect Wi-Fi operated garage door openers and retrofit kit allow you to open and close your door from almost anywhere in the world!  You can also set up time-based rules and notifications including Virtual Keys for others.  Access and tracking features are ideal for use with home delivery, repair personnel or even relatives and friends.  Read more about Aladdin Connect here:  https://www.geniecompany.com/aladdin-connect-by-genie  

6. Who can access a device like this, am I the only one that can use the app or can my family use it? What about close friends or neighbors if I wanted?
   • It is worth it to check out the feature availability of the device prior to purchase. If the device only allows 2 or 3 people to access the app, then it may not be suitable for your family of 5.  If the device does not allow you to customize a user type for each person, understand that your neighbor may be able to access your home whenever they want.  Genie’s Aladdin Connect allows access for you and 19 of your closest friends.  They could be friends or employees or repairmen, etc… all with their own login credentials and access types.  When comparing devices, make sure the features fit your lifestyle.

7. What if I need help or have issues? Does the company have a warranty on their product that they will honor or is there someone available to help me?
   • Warranty and support on a product that allows access to your home is important. Make sure the company you purchase from provides quality products with some type of warranty AND easily accessible technical support. The Genie Company offers a wide range of customer support options including contact by phone or email, web chat services with a live agent, and a robust support section for all our products also located on our website.  All customer care teams and services are based in the USA.