Need extra clearance for getting your vehicles into your garage? Find out how much it costs to convert two garage doors to one double door in this cost guide.
How to Program a Garage Door Remote in Under 5 Minutes
Set up your garage door remote in just three easy steps
Photo: SBDIGIT / E+ / Getty Images
Photo: SBDIGIT / E+ / Getty Images
SKILL LEVEL
Easy
COMPLETION TIME
5 minutes
COST
Up to $25
Get quotes from up to 3 pros!
Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you.
Long gone are the days of getting in and out of the car to manually lift and lower your garage door. Now, you can press a button on the wall of your garage or program a remote to open and close it with the click of a button, from inside your car.
But how do you program a garage door opener, and does the process vary by brand? We’ll dive into these steps below.
How to Program a Garage Door Remote
Photo: mirsad / Adobe Stock
Programming a garage door opener to a remote is easy. Make sure you purchase a remote of the same brand as your opener—or purchase a universal remote.
The steps are pretty standard regardless of brand and model, but you can always reference the user’s manual if the garage door remote setup steps below don’t work for you.
Access and Press the Opener’s “Learn” Button
To get up to your garage door opener, you’ll probably need a ladder. Most garage door openers hang from the middle of the ceiling in a garage.
Once atop the ladder, look for your garage door opener’s “Learn” button. If you don’t see it, remove the light cover (the piece of plastic covering the light bulb).
Press and hold this button until it starts blinking.
Press the Button on the Remote
Either from the ladder or once you’ve climbed down and off it, press a button on the remote. There may be multiple button options, that can accommodate multiple garage doors, so make sure you select the button you’ll want to use to operate this specific garage door.
You have roughly 30 seconds to press this button. If you’re worried about safely descending the ladder in that timeframe, or pressing the button while standing on the ladder, have a helper hold the remote below and press the button for you.
Wait for the garage door opener to either flash or make a clicking noise. This should indicate that the remote and mounted opener are now connected.
Test the Remote
After a few moments, test your work by pressing the button. If the garage door responds to the button presses, your work is done. Put the ladder away, and place the remote in your car (or wherever you would like to keep it).
If you have multiple openers for a larger garage, you will repeat this process, but use a different button on the remote, to program any remaining openers.
If you run into issues with pairing the remote and suspect something might be wrong with the garage door or the opener itself, contact a local garage door company for further assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The homeowners guide to garage door services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Replacing a garage door sensor is one of the least expensive fixes for a garage door. Learn how you may not need to totally replace it if it only requires an alignment or cleaning.
.jpg?impolicy=leadImage)
This guide shows you what you can expect for garage door roller replacement cost if your rollers are sticking or screeching.
Just how long your garage door lasts depends on the type of door, frequency, and maintenance. Use this guide to learn more about garage door lifespans.
Resetting a garage door opener can secure your home and fix frustrating remote issues. Keep reading to learn how to reset garage door remotes.
If your garage door won’t close, you might have blocked sensors or rollers, damaged mechanics, or a disconnected opener. Find out what you can do.