Alexa-Compatible? Ryobi, MyQ, Nexx & Genie Garage Door Openers

Smart garage door openers have changed the garage door game. Rather than simply being tied to a keypad or remote, smart garage door openers allow users to open the garage door from a mobile app—anywhere in the world. Guest profiles and video monitoring increase ease of use and security.

The Ryobi Garage Door Opener is considered one of the most innovative options on the market. It uses a modular design that allows for the addition of lights, laser parking assist, and an extension cable. But, can you control it with your voice?

Ryobi Garage Door Opener Compatibility with Alexa

Is the Ryobi Garage Door Opener compatible with Alexa?

No. Unfortunately, there is no open API for the Ryobi Garage Door Opener. So, there is no built-in Alexa support. Combining your Ryobi garage door opener with an extra hardware piece like a Nexx device will give you all the unique features of the Ryobi with Alexa integration.

The prospect of using voice assistants to control things like locks and doors is tricky for security reasons. The last thing you (or Amazon) want is for a home intruder to simply shout “Alexa, open the garage door” loud enough for your smart speaker to hear and gain access to your home.

For this reason, digital assistant support is less reliably included in smart garage door openers than other smart devices.

Some devices use passcodes to avoid this issue; others only allow the assistant to close the door or provide the status (open or closed), but not to open the door.

Ryobi takes the safest route here and simply doesn’t allow any digital assistant integration at all. While there are some interesting workarounds involving custom APIs online, they involve pretty in-depth setup and they seem to be pretty hit-or-miss based on various discussion boards around the net.

The most reliable way to add Alexa voice commands to a Ryobi (or any other garage door opener for that matter) is to add an extra hardware piece that does integrate with a digital assistant and then passes a signal along to the garage door opener.

One of the more popular devices to smarten up your garage door opener is the Chamberlain MyQ. But will it provide Alexa integration?

Chamberlain MyQ Compatibility with Alexa

Is the Chamberlain MyQ Garage Hub compatible with Alexa?

MyQ is not directly compatible with Alexa. It is possible to connect Alexa integration through IFTTT (If This Then That). It is also possible to connect to a Google Home. However, this requires a $10/year subscription fee.

The Chamberlain MyQ G0301 is essentially a smart garage door conversion kit. It attaches to the side of your existing garage door opener and sends a signal that can open and close the garage from an app. This gives you access to some of the cooler smart garage features including Amazon Key, a program that lets Amazon package deliveries to be placed securely inside your garage while you watch from your phone through a connected security camera.

Chamberlain doesn’t provide direct Alexa support—although you should be able to connect it through an Alexa skill using IFTTT. The real bummer here is that Chamberlain locks what digital assistant support it does provide behind a paywall. To access this feature, you’ll need to pony up $10/year.

IFTTT is a home automation service that connects an action (or multiple actions) with a condition. For example, you could use IFTTT to close your garage door every time you leave your house or to automatically turn on a light whenever the garage door opens. Downloading this applet into IFTTT will give you a “close garage door” Alexa command.

To add Alexa support to a Ryobi (or some other) garage door opener without any extra steps the Nexx garage door opener may be the best option.

Nexx Compatibility with Alexa

Is the Nexx Garage Door Opener compatible with Alexa?

Yes. The Nexx Garage Door Opener comes compatible with Alexa or Google Home. Once the standard setup process is complete, you’ll be able to control your garage door entirely by voice.

Similar to the Chamberlain MyQ G0301, the Nexx NXG-100b is not a garage door opener at all but is in fact, a conversion kit or hub to provide smart features to your existing garage door opener. One of the advantages here is that if you already have a working garage door opener, this is by far the cheaper option. Both the Chamberlain and the Nexx cost under $100, while full smart garage door openers, like the Ryobi or Genie, are $200 or more.

The Nexx allows guest access and can be set up to open automatically when you drive up to it, no button presses whatsoever. Unlike MyQ, Nexx works on both Google Home and Alexa and requires no subscription fee whatsoever. In terms of Alexa integration, this is by far the cleanest solution we’ve covered so far.

But is there an even cleaner solution? What if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that will allow you to hook up a new garage door opener that has Alexa integration without any extra steps? In the next section, we’ll discuss a garage door opener that does it all.

Genie Compatibility with Alexa

Is genie garage door opener compatible with Alexa or Google?

The Genie QuietLift Connect 3053-TKV will allow you to use Alexa or Google Home to control your garage door without an existing garage door opener, additional hardware, or workaround software setup steps. The package includes indoor and outdoor keypads, plus two remotes.

Aladdin Connect gives you all the app functionality provided by most of the other models we’ve looked at. If you need to completely replace a garage door opener and are hoping to upgrade to something with Alexa integration, Genie may be your best option.

The Genie does lack some of the cooler features of some of the other devices we’ve covered. The Ryobi has modular customizability which allows you to easily add lights, extension cords, or laser parking assist. The Chamberlain MyQ allows you to setup Amazon Key and have Amazon packages delivered securely inside your garage. The Nexx opens automatically as you pull in. The Genie lacks these extra bells and whistles but has all the standard smart garage door features you’d expect and provides out-of-the-box Alexa integration.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the various smart garage door openers and their features:

• Ryobi
  • No digital assistant support built-in, difficult to add without additional hardware
  • App integration allows garage door control from a mobile device
  • Doesn’t require any existing equipment
  • Modular accessories including light, extension cord, laser parking assist, etc.
  • $284.99 at the time of writing
• Chamberlain MyQ
  • Google Home and IFTTT support built-in but locked behind a subscription
  • Alexa commands possible by routing through IFTTT
  • App integration allows garage door control from a mobile device
  • Attaches to the existing garage door opener
  • Amazon Key allows Amazon packages to be delivered inside your garage
  • $68.89 at the time of writing
• Nexx
  • Built-in support for Google Home or Alexa
  • App integration allows garage door control from a mobile device
  • Attaches to the existing garage door opener
  • Allows for guest profiles
  • Automatically opens when approaching the garage door
  • $89.99 at the time of writing
• Genie
  • Built-in support for Google Home or Alexa
  • App integration allows garage door control from a mobile device
  • Doesn’t require any existing equipment
  • $194.98 at the time of writing

Essentially there is no silver bullet when it comes to smart garage door openers. No single garage door opener has all the best features included. When choosing your garage door opener, you’ll need to consider whether you need the entire system or just an additional brain for your current garage door opener. You’ll also need to decide which features are most important for you and how much work you’re willing to put in to get digital assistant commands for your garage door.

No matter what you choose, your new smart product will open a door to your smart home.