While garage door remotes provide the convenience of opening and closing your garage door from the comfort of your car, these handy gadgets do not always come in multiple copies.
If you have more family members using the garage, alternative ways to access the garage are essential. One such way is by entering a code on the keypad located by the door outside your garage.
However, if you think someone unauthorized to access your garage knows your current entry code, it is time to change it to secure your home. This tutorial shows you how to change garage keypad code.
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How to change Garage Keypad Code
If you do not have or know the current code for operating the garage door opener and wish to change it, you can do that from the inside of the garage.
What you will need
- Stepladder
- Your new pin
- User manual (if you don’t know how to locate your learn button)
Procedure to follow
To reset your garage door opener’s keyless code from inside, you will need to locate the learn button on your opener’s motor unit.
This procedure will apply to most garage door openers you may have at home. However, there can be a few minor variations. Between various models, so it is always advisable to check your user manual to corroborate your existing knowledge of these general steps.
Step 1: Clear the previous code(s) from the system
Remove the lens cover over the light bulb on the motor unit of your garage door opener. This will expose the series of cables, buttons, and other components inside the panel.
Locate the learn button. This should be a little square or sometimes round, colored button. It can be purple or orange. The button can also be yellow or green on some models. The learn button is the main control button on your garage door opener unit.
Once you have located the learn button, press and hold it for about 5 to 20 seconds before releasing, or until the light goes off. This will clear the previous code(s) from the system’s memory.
Step 2: Key in your new access code
Next, press the learn button once. A light will turn on, and you will have 30 seconds to enter the new code.
So, if it takes a while to move from the motor unit to the keypad outside the garage door, you may have someone help you enter the four-digit code on the keypad once you have pressed the learn button to program the garage keypad.
Enter the new pin, followed by the enter button. Your garage door should flash once to acknowledge the new entry.
For garage door openers that have no light bulb, pay attention to a clicking sound on the motor unit. It will click once to confirm the new code has been accepted and registered in your system.
Ensure the new code is something you can remember. You can also note it down somewhere to not forget or lose it.
With that, you have now changed your garage door opener code.
Note:
You can change the keypad code for your garage door opener from outside the garage or inside.
The procedures for making this change are often the same for different garage door opener brands despite minor variations in some isolated cases.
On the whole, the procedures in this guide should apply to the main garage door opener brands and models you are likely to have at home or business premises.
To change the code for your garage door opener from outside, you will need the existing code the opener is currently set to.
Some garage door keypads also include the basic programming steps for the keypad code on the underside of the cover.
In any case, the entire process typically involves only pressing a few buttons to complete setting up a new access code for the garage door.
The keypad is a relatively modern feature found on newer garage door openers that makes it slightly easier to change the code. The keypad also comes as an addition to the garage door remote.
Older garage doors operated only by a remote would require physically moving the switches inside the remote and door opener to change the code. Thankfully, newer models include the keypad option.
If you have the existing code currently set for operating the door, start by entering it (the existing code) followed by the pound button (#).
Next, go ahead and punch in the new four-digit code that you want to use, then press the Enter button.
That should complete the process of setting up the new keypad code for your garage door system.
How to set a temporary code for your garage door
Sometimes you may want to set a temporary pin for your garage door opener system. This pin comes in handy if you want to grant access to service workers such as carpet cleaners, painters, cable technicians, or other equipment technicians.
The option allows you to set the code to be functional for a specified number of hours or uses.
So you can calculate how long the service technicians will need to access the garage and set the temporary code to be functional for that number of hours, after which it automatically ceases to be functional.
This means whoever you give access via the temporary code will automatically lose their access once the set time has ended.
Step 1: Enter your permanent pin followed by the star (*)
To set a temporary pin for your garage door opener, enter your permanent pin, then instead of pressing the Enter button, press the star (*) key instead.
Once you make that entry, the light bulb on your garage door opener’s motor unit will flash three times for most models. If your opener unit does not have a light bulb to flash, it should click three times.
Step 2: Enter the temporary pin
Next, key in your four-digit temporary pin and then press the Enter button. The garage door opener should blink or click four times depending on whether you have a bulb or not.
Step 3: Set up the temporary pin active duration
Now enter the duration of time for which you want the temporary pin to last. The essence of a temporary pin is that it has an expiry period, so you must specify this by pressing a number on the keypad.
After entering the number, you can either press the star button (*) to specify the time (hours) or the pound sign (#) for the number of times the temporary pin can open the garage door.
So, if you press the star sign, the number you selected will correspond to the number of hours during which the temporary pin will be active.
However, if you press the pound sign instead, the number you selected will correspond to the number of times the pin can be used to operate the door.
In any case, the opener will blink or click twice to acknowledge this final input.
How to program your garage door remote
You must have noticed that changing the keypad code on your garage door opener starts by wiping out any access codes it currently has in its memory. That means any remote control currently used to operate the door will be disconnected once you change the keypad code.
To continue using your garage door remote to open and close it, you will need to reprogram the remote. This simply involves pairing the remote with the garage door opener via the new code.
Step 1: Enter the pairing mode
To switch your garage door opener into the pairing mode, press the learn button on the motor unit once more. Upon doing that, the light on the panel next to the learn button should light up.
Step 2: Pair the remote with the garage door opener
Once the light comes on after pressing the learn button, press and hold a button on your remote. The bulb on the motor unit should flicker to indicate the remote control has been successfully programmed with the new access code.
If you have multiple remotes for your other family members, repeat this step for each remote to program them with the new code and grant access to each of the garage users.
Why you might want to change your garage door code
Various reasons can make it necessary to change the keypad code for your garage door. This section looks at five possible reasons to change your garage door keypad code.
Moving into a new home
If you recently moved into a new home, the chances are that previous users have access to the garage door.
No matter how trusting you are, you will not want to gamble with the security of your home. It is essential to program the opener with a new access code to guarantee full control over who can access your home through the garage door.
Changing the keypad code for the garage door should be first on your to-do list whenever you move to a new home.
Perhaps the only exception to the rule would be if the previous resident in the house was your relative, whom you do not mind allowing further access to your home through the garage.
Stolen or misplaced garage door opener remote
Like any mobile device, you can lose one or more remotes programmed to open your garage door.
If this happens, it creates a potential security lapse. Anyone who gets hold of the remote can access your garage.
Since the garage door is one of the main entrances to our homes, accessing it also means accessing the rest of your home. Who knows what the person might do with that access?
You do not want to wait around to find out; it might not be the most pleasant of things. So, consider changing the keypad code to unlink the lost remote from your garage door.
While programming your garage door to a new keypad code, you will wipe out any previous access code from its memory, rendering the lost remote control useless and your home safer.
Once you have changed the code, you can get yourself a new remote and program it to the new access code.
Having service work done in your home
Technicians or service personnel often gain temporary access to various parts of your home.
In most cases, they will not be interested in returning to your home unless invited for another scheduled service, but it never hurts to err on the side of caution where the safety of your family is concerned.
If you gave the garage door’s key or keypad code to a technician in the process, it might be prudent to change the code.
Garage door opener keypads allow for the use of a temporary access code. If the service persons used such a code, it might not be necessary to change your primary code. However, if you suspect they might know the permanent code, consider changing it.
The need to limit access to your garage
Suppose you had renters in your home that might still have the current access code to your garage door; changing it can be an excellent idea.
You could also want to change the code if you had a fallout with a family member with access to the garage.
Programming the garage door opener to a new code will effectively lock them out and help limit their access to your home through the garage.
Suspected that your garage door might have been hacked
Today’s improved garage door technology also means they are susceptible to hackers’ activity. As with any technological device, a hacker only needs a small piece of the puzzle to put together the rest.
Thankfully, instances of garage door hacking are rare because of today’s rolling codes. The technology means the code automatically changes from one moment to the next, making it nearly impossible to hack.
It is like trying to catch a flying object for hackers. And this makes your home safer. However, if you suspect that your door might have been subject to hacking, you can change the code to calm your mind.
A video showing how to change keypad pin code on a Liftmaster garage door
Conclusion
Knowing how to change garage keypad code on your own can save you from hiring a technician at a cost. If any potential reasons for changing a garage door keypad code apply to you, it may be time to reprogram the opener.
We hope this guide helps walk you through the process successfully.