How to Disable a Garage Door Remote If It’s Lost or Stolen

Your garage is an extension of your home that serves an essential purpose. Having a garage door opener with a remote makes leaving and entering your home quick and easy. However, the remote can get lost or stolen due to different circumstances, causing you trouble.

Before you worry about who has access to your home, there are many ways to secure your house quickly after your remote is lost or stolen. You can follow these steps and take preventative measures to ensure your garage, home and family remain safe.

The Importance of Replacing Your Garage Door Remote

Your garage door remote is the primary key to your garage from the outside. In other words, whoever has access to your remote has access to your garage — which could be good or bad, depending on the situation. When your remote is missing, this becomes a cause for concern.

Replacing your garage door remote as soon as possible can help you:

• Protect your belongings: If your garage door opener gets into the wrong hands, a thief can have complete access to everything in your garage. Your garage likely hosts a lot of expensive outdoor equipment, especially your vehicles. Replacing your garage door opener can avoid this issue altogether.
• Keep your family safe: If your garage is attached to your house, an intruder can easily get in through the garage, threatening your family’s safety. Replacing your garage door remote as quickly as you can instantly makes the stolen remote useless so that your family and home stay safe.
• Regain convenience: While keeping your family and belongings safe is a top priority, having a working garage door remote is extremely convenient. Instead of having to get out of your vehicle to manually open the garage door when you get home from work, you will relish the ease of pushing a button — and likely not take it for granted again!

Steps to Deactivate Your Garage Door Opener

If you notice that you’re missing one of your garage door remotes and can’t find it anywhere, the first step you should take is to figure out how to deactivate that garage door opener. Once you’ve identified the brand and model of your garage door opener, follow these simple steps to disable the remote and re-program the new one to your system.

1. Reset the Codes

Garage door remotes operate by emitting a signal that connects to the garage door motor in your garage through a code. You will want to reset the code to erase the memory of the lost remote from your garage door opener.

You can disable the garage door opener by pressing the Smart Button on your motor for several seconds to void all the remotes connected to your home. It’s vital to deprogram your garage door opener and disconnect all programmed devices. Some remotes store the access code in a battery, so you need to reprogram the entire garage door opener system to reset the code completely. That way, no one can access your garage even if they have the remote.

2. Program Your New Remote

After disabling your garage door opener and removing the memory of the lost remote, your next step is to reprogram your garage door opener with a new control. You can reprogram your opener by following the instructions in the owner’s manual that came with your system. 

If you only had one remote, you can buy a replacement from your unit’s manufacturer. If your garage door opener operates using a wireless system, chances are you can connect your phone to your garage door opener through an app.

3. Adjust Existing Garage Door Remotes

This step is only necessary if you have to update your garage door opener system entirely. If this applies to you, be sure to grab all the remotes from your vehicles and follow steps one and two to program them to match. Doing so will save you a lot of hassle and frustration down the line!

Preventative Measures to Avoid Garage Door Remote Theft

Losing your garage door remote is often a frustrating mistake. You can follow several preventative measures to prevent it from happening or to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Here are a couple of tips you can follow to prevent someone from stealing your garage door remote:

• Deactivate the old system: When you move into a new house with a garage door opener, make sure to deactivate the old system instead of using it. When you reset the system or install a new garage door opener, you ensure the previous homeowners cannot access your home.
• Keep the remote hidden: If you keep your remote in your car, it’s a good idea to keep it hidden in a safer place or out of sight, like a glove compartment. Keeping the remote out of sight prevents anyone looking to steal a remote from targeting you.
• Go smart: With today’s technology, garage door remotes may often be considered a thing of the past. Certain garage door systems — such as Crawford Door Sales’ LiftMaster garage door openers — can be entirely controlled from your phone via Wi-Fi. This way, losing or having your remote stolen is no longer a worry — or a possibility!

Keep Your Garage Door Opener Remote Safe

After losing your garage door opener remote, you want to keep your Twin Cities home and garage safe and sound. If you need help deactivating and reprogramming your garage door, Crawford Door Sales can help. You can trust us for reliable garage door opener services. Call Crawford Door Sales to set up a service appointment today!