Honda and Acura add garage door control to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

You’ll soon be able to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in your Honda or Acura to open and close your garage door. It’s a new feature made possible through a partnership with the Chamberlain Group’s myQ Connected Garage service.

Honda says that all of its 2023 and 2024 model year vehicles will be compatible with this new tech, but it also says that “millions of older Honda and Acura models supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also have compatibility.” That’s especially great to hear that the convenience is not just going to be limited to brand-new models.

As for how it works, the system is fairly straightforward. You can set a geofence that will automatically prompt you with a system notification when you get within a certain distance of your garage. Follow the onscreen instructions to open, and your garage door will do as you command. The same can be done to close your garage door.

For this tech to work, Honda says that you’ll need a compatible garage door opener, but there’s a good chance you already do because myQ is compatible with most openers on the market today from LiftMaster and other Chamberlain brands. If your opener is already myQ enabled, then you won’t need to do anything. However, if you have an older style, Honda says you can use a “myQ Smart Garage Control device” to upgrade it into one. Honda is offering everybody one for free if you sign up for its 30-day demo subscription of the service, so don’t worry about having to buy one.

However, if you do wish to continue beyond that 30-day free trial, a three-year subscription costs $129, while a five-year subscription will run you $179.

The real benefit to this system is that you’ll be able to open and close your garage door from anywhere, not just within the range of where your opener or car-linked button will work. Of course, myQ has a phone app that will do the same, but this allows you to do the task directly through the car’s interface without needing to yank out a phone.

Honda says this tech is functional as of today, so go ahead and try it out if you have all the necessary garage door tech in place.