iSmartGate Pro review – HomeKit users perspective

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ismartgate pro review with HomeKit

Most people’s first experience with smart home and HomeKit is likely to be smart lighting or thermostats. You can also get devices for smartly controlling your garage door. So in this iSmartgate Pro review we will look at the installation, HomeKit support and it how it performs.

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The iSmartgate comes in 2 models, the Pro and Lite versions. While you can use both versions with either a garage door or gate. The pro version offers support for up to 3 garage doors and includes the LED lights and audio support. You can also get extras like a wireless camera, although this does not work with HomeKit so is not included as part of this review.

I have been testing the iSmartgate Pro for about a month now to see how well it works with HomeKit and Siri. Although I have only used it with Apple’s smart home platform,  it will work with Alexa, Google Home and its own native app.

Readers note – the company provided the product FOC for the iSmartgate Pro review. But to be 100% clear, HomeKit Authority maintains full editorial control over the content in our reviews posted to this site. We will only make editorial changes too content if corrected by a company if the information is incorrect. You can read more on the review promise and our Ethics statement.

iSmartgate Pro review –  features

  • Price: $179/£189
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi
  • Power: AC/DC
  • Usage: sliding gates, swing gates, folding gates, roller doors and shutters
  • Smart: HomeKit, but supports Alexa and Google Home

iSmartgate Pro review in pictures

iSmartgate Pro review video

iSmartgate Pro review – Design

The main control unit of the iSmartgate is round, that you can place at the side or on top of your garage door opener. On the front of the device there is a black section has LEDs that let you know the status of the device.iSmartgate LED

Starting from the left is the Wi-Fi connection, the middle is the overall status and on the right is the door sensor status. These are useful for when you setup, but also for any troubleshooting if you ran into issues. At the bottom of the unit you will find two LED lights that flash when the garage door has received a command to open or close. On the rear of the device you will find the slots to wire everything up along with the HomeKit code.iSmartgate back

The iSmartgate also features a speaker that will alert people nearby that the door is opening or closing. You also get a charger included in the package, and wires to connect the iSmartgate Pro to your garage opener.

The final element that completes everything is the garage door sensor that runs on 2x 1.5v batteries. This is a small device that is placed at the top inside of your garage door to determine if the garage door is open or closed.

iSmartgate Pro review – Setup

As per the instructions found on Remsol’s site, I would recommend setting up and installing in 2 stages. First you should set everything up in the app before you get the ladders out and connecting it to your garage door opener. This is so you can troubleshoot any issues without having to keep taking it down each time.

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Installation of the iSmartgate was straightforward, but that also depends on the model of your garage door. If you were installing this for the first time, your first step is to find out what brand and model you have. Something I like is that if you want to check and see if this smart device works with your garage before making a purchase. You can use Remsol’s compatibility checker. The company has included a step-by-step guide that will take you through installing the iSmartgate. This allowed me to get set up in around 20 minutes from start to finish.

HomeKit setup

When following the setup process you will start by connecting the iSmartgate to your Wifi through the app. You then move onto the HomeKit setup, which is just like any other HomeKit compatible setup. Scan the HomeKit code, name your device, set its room and then its ready in the Apple Home app.

The next step involves pairing the wireless garage door sensor by inputting the wireless sensor ID into the app. The next step is to install the 2 batteries by removing the back of the wireless device with a Philips screwdriver. You then hold the wireless sensor with your hand and move from vertical to horizontal position. The status light on the right of the iSmartgate device will start to blink faster. Once you have confirmed this, then you are all setup with HomeKit.

It is at this point you are given the option to only control with HomeKit or go through further setup. This further setup will give you other functions, but for the benefit of this review it will only cover HomeKit and proceeded on this basis.

Installation

The next part is connecting the iSmartgate to your garage door opening. The complexity of this depends on the make and model of your device. However, as with the app setup, each make and model has its own instructions.

To install you, connect the supplied wire to the iSmartgate, then connect it to your garage door opener. You then place the controller in a suitable location around your garage door opener and plug in the USB charger.

The final step is installing the wireless door sensor. You peel off the backing from the double-sided tape and place on the back of the garage door when closed. You need to ensure that the “this way up” arrow is pointing towards the roof of your garage door.iSmartgate wireless sensor installed

Once you have all that setup, your garage door is now connected and can now be opened and closed through the Apple Home app or via Siri.

Performance and HomeKit

Controlling the iSmartgate is all done through the Home app or via Siri with both of them working well. To open or close the door you press on the tile in the Home App to operate the garage door and during my use I didn’t have issues. You can also control the iSmartgate with your voice using Siri and this worked as expected with no issues.iSmartgate homekit support

You can include the iSmartgate controller as part of automation and scenes. So, for instance I have a “end of night” routine that closes the house down for the night. I added the garage door to set to close if we left it open by accident.

Operating your garage door via iSmartgate is slower than using my normal fob. This is because the device would flash the LED lights and make a beeping sound before the door would open. This is to alert other people the door is about to open or close.

iSmartgate Pro review summary

Overall, I have been impressed with iSmartgate pro and HomeKit support. During my testing I didn’t have any connection dropouts, or the dreaded “No Response” message. The response time for both using the Home app and Siri was acceptable, and I also liked the audio and light warnings when operating.iSmartgate install

Another plus point was how easy it was to set up, took 20 minutes. Yes, this may be unique to my setup, but the online instructions are very detailed and clear with great support via the team.

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I also like you can include the iSmartgate in scenes and automations as you can set it to close automatically at night or when you leave home.

The only downside I could find is the iSmartgate is on the pricey side, it is a solid HomeKit device that works well and has good support. With the Pro version you can control up to 3 doors or gates. But if you want to save money and only need to control one door, then go with the lite version and save money.

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ismartgate pro review with HomeKit
iSmartgate Pro Review
Summary
If you want a smart garage door opener, then the iSmartgate Pro is a good option, albeit one of the most expensive ones. It offers solid support for HomeKit and performed well. If you don't need all the features of the Pro, the lite version can offer better value for money.
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