Notable smart home brand ThirdReality has opened preorders for its new Smart Garage Door Opener, a Matter-over-Wi-Fi controller. The device follows the company’s pattern of creating innovative, retrofit-style gadgets, such as its Matter-enabled Smart Mechanical Keyboard MK1 and “togglebot” Smart Switch MT1.
Smart Mechanical Keyboard MK1
A Matter mechanical keyboard with customizable RGB lighting, responsive Yellow switches, and smart home control via F1–F12 keys.
ThirdReality Smart Switch MT1
A smart, retrofit solution for automating toggle or rocker light switches, offering both mechanical and wireless control via Matter Over Thread.
Instead of requiring complex wiring, the new opener acts as a “fingerbot,” or a mechanical press, for a garage’s existing remote control, solidifying the brand’s unique position in the smart home market.
A simple garage door helper
The product kit includes the main opener unit and a pre-matched wireless tilt sensor. The tilt sensor is mounted on the garage door itself to provide real-time open and close status, while the main unit is powered by a Type-C cable and holds the existing garage remote. When triggered, the device simply presses the button on the remote.
This approach is designed for simple, wire-free installation. The device connects directly to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and requires a Matter controller – such as a compatible Apple HomePod, Google Home, or Amazon Echo device – to function.
Once set up, it enables remote control from a smartphone, allowing users to grant access to family members or authorize couriers for in-garage deliveries. The included tilt sensor also allows users to check the door’s status from anywhere.
The “light switch” workaround
A key technical detail is how the device works with the current Matter standard. The Matter spec does not yet officially support garage door openers as a device type.
To solve this, the Smart Garage Door Opener uses a common workaround by identifying itself to the Matter platform as an On/Off Light Switch, under Matter 1.3 spec. This means that in apps like Apple Home or Google Home, the opener will likely appear as a simple light toggle. While this enables basic open and close control, it is a temporary solution until the specification is updated.
As we’ve previously reported, the upcoming Matter 1.5 spec is expected to introduce a new category for Closures, which would allow for native, fully-featured garage door support in the future.
The ThirdReality Smart Garage Door Opener is available for preorder now from the company’s website for $49.99. ThirdReality told Matter Alpha that it would be available on Amazon later.
If you are looking for wired options with Matter support, SwitchBot has a similar offering.
Switchbot Smart Garage Door Opener
A compact, Matter-certified device that enables remote and voice-controlled operation of most garage doors via Wi-Fi, without requiring a hub.
(Source: ThirdReality, CSA; Image Source: ThirdReality)
