The New Wyze Garage Door Controller Found a Legitimate Use for QR Codes

Wyze may already have cameras, smart bulbs, switches, locks, and sprinklers. But there’s one area of your home it can’t control yet: your garage door. That changes today with the new Wyze Garage Door Controller, starting at $18.99 plus shipping. That’s a low price made possible by QR codes.

Smart garage door controllers are typically expensive and somewhat challenging to set up. But while we’re used to seeing prices in the $80 to $100 range (and sometimes more), Wyze managed to come in at a much lower price point. The company seems to have addressed that by skipping out one piece of hardware most smart garage door controllers include—a door sensor.

Typically you’d mount a sensor to the garage door that detects whether it’s in the closed or open position. These can be annoying as you’ll have to change its battery occasionally, and you may not realize it’s time to do that until it’s too late. And then it’s a hunt for an A23 battery you probably don’t have in the home.

Wyze forgoes that in favor of a QR code of all things. As seen with most models, you’ll first wire the controller to the garage door opener. But then you’ll connect a Wyze Cam V3 to the unit. Both pieces of hardware attach through the use of adhesive, which is another cost and effort saver compared to the usual bracket and screw solution.

Why the camera, though? Wyze relies on A.I. vision to determine if your garage door is open. You’ll stick a large QR code to the inside of the garage door, and the camera spots that to figure out the door is closed. Naturally, you can pair the controller to the Wyze app for options like remote control and schedule operations. For safety, while opening happens immediately, when you close your garage door through the app, the system waits five seconds and flashes lights while making a noise.

Along with app control and scheduling, you’ll also get voice assistant controls when that feature arrives in May. Naturally, you’ll also get notifications when your garage opens or closes, regardless of how it’s triggered. Thanks to wiring the controller to your opener, Wyze can even tell when someone uses a remote or the wall button to activate the opener.

Of course, there are a few downsides to Wyze’s implementations. You’ll need a Wyze Cam V3; previous models don’t work. If you don’t already own one, Wyze is offering a bundle that includes the door controller and the camera for $39.99 plus shipping. And you’ll want to check your garage door opener for compatibility on Wyze’s site. Chamberlain MyQ openers aren’t compatible, but that’s no surprise. Chamberlain famously locks its system down and prevents most third-party solutions from working (short of wiring a remote to the opener).

And you’ll need to place the QR code with care. If your car blocks it, for instance, the Wyze controller may think your garage door is open. The setup process walks you through placement, and if you find you chose poorly, you can use the app to facilitate moving the QR code and rescanning.

The Wyze Garage Door Controller is available today and ships immediately. You can buy the controller as a standalone product for $18.99 plus shipping or bundled with a Wyze Cam V3 for $39.99 plus shipping.

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