How to Program a LiftMaster, Chamberlain, or Craftsman Remote
Press and release the learn button on the motor unit, then within 30 seconds press and hold the remote button you want to use until the opener lights flash or you hear two clicks. Release, and test it.
- Works for:
- Openers with a learn button. The remote has to match the learn-button colour, or be a universal remote set to it.
Written by the ClearTech Garage Doors team in Winnipeg and checked against manufacturer documentation. Updated .
Before you start
- A stepladder to reach the motor unit
- The remote you want to pair, with a fresh battery
- The colour of your learn button, so you know the remote is compatible
Step by step
Step 1: Stand on the ladder and find the learn button on the motor unit. It sits near the antenna wire, sometimes under the light cover.
Step 2: Press and release the learn button once. Don't hold it. The LED beside it glows steady for about 30 seconds.
Holding the learn button for about six seconds erases every paired remote and keypad. A quick press is all you need.
Step 3: Within those 30 seconds, press and hold the button on the remote you want to use.
Step 4: Keep holding until the opener lights flash or you hear two clicks, then let go.
Step 5: Step off the ladder, stand clear of the door, and press the remote button. The door should move.
Step 6: Repeat for each remote or each button you want to use.
Which LiftMaster / Chamberlain opener do I have?
Find the learn button on the motor unit and note its colour and shape. The colour tells you the radio system, and the radio system decides which remotes and keypads will pair. Older buttons fade, so a red one can look orange and a purple one can look brown.
Where to look: On the back or side of the motor unit, near where the antenna wire hangs down. On some models you need to take off the light cover to see it.
White round learn button
- Years:
- 2025 to today
- System:
- Security+ 3.0 rolling code with Bluetooth
- Remotes that pair:
- Security+ 3.0 remotes and keypads. Car buttons pair through the original handheld remote rather than at the opener.
Yellow round learn button
- Years:
- 2011 to 2025
- System:
- Security+ 2.0 rolling code
- Remotes that pair:
- Security+ 2.0 remotes and keypads, including the 3-button universal remote. Older remotes will not pair.
Purple learn button
- Years:
- 2005 to 2014
- System:
- Security+ rolling code, 315 MHz
- Remotes that pair:
- Purple-button remotes and current universal remotes set to purple.
Red or orange learn button
- Years:
- 1997 to 2004
- System:
- Security+ rolling code, 390 MHz
- Remotes that pair:
- Red and orange-button remotes and current universal remotes set to red or orange.
Green learn button
- Years:
- 1993 to 1997
- System:
- Billion Code, 390 MHz
- Remotes that pair:
- Green-button remotes and some universal remotes. Many newer accessories no longer support it.
Square yellow, white, or grey button, or a row of small switches
- Years:
- Before 1993
- System:
- DIP switch fixed code
- Remotes that pair:
- No longer supported by the manufacturer. These units have no rolling code and are worth replacing for security alone. A square yellow button is this generation, not the newer round yellow one.
Still not working? Here is what it usually is.
- The remote is the wrong generation. A purple-button remote will not pair with a yellow-button opener, and older remotes often can't pair with a newer opener at all.
- The remote battery is weak. It may light up and still not send a strong enough signal.
- The antenna wire is damaged, folded up, or tucked against the metal housing, so the opener only hears remotes from close up.
- The logic board's receiver has failed. Wall buttons still work, but no remote will pair.
We diagnose the whole system, opener, door, sensors, and remotes, and tell you plainly whether it's a quick fix or time for a new unit.
Common Questions
Does a Chamberlain remote work on a LiftMaster opener?
- Often, yes. Both brands come from the same manufacturer and share the same radio systems. What matters is that the remote matches the opener's learn-button colour, or is a universal remote that supports it.
My opener has a wall panel with a screen. Do I still use the learn button?
- You can, but a smart wall panel with a screen can do it too. Press the panel's LEARN button twice so its LED blinks, or use its PROGRAM menu, then press and hold the remote button until the opener lights flash or you hear two clicks.
I have a wall-mount opener beside the door. Where's the learn button?
- On LiftMaster wall-mount openers like the 8500, use the learn button on the wall control. Press it twice so its LED turns on, then press the remote button.
Sources
This guide was checked against the following manufacturer and industry documents.
More LiftMaster / Chamberlain guides
- Program a keypadSet up an outdoor wireless keypad and PIN.
- Program your carPair HomeLink or the built-in buttons in your vehicle.
- Erase all remotesClear every paired remote after a move or a lost remote.
- Wi-Fi and app setupConnect the opener to your phone.
- Fix the safety sensorsDoor won't close, reverses, or the light blinks.
- What the flashing lights meanRead the opener's diagnostic codes.
- Battery backup beeps and lightsWhat the backup battery is telling you, and when to replace it.
- Replace a remote or keypad batteryWhich battery, how to open the case, and what to expect after.
- Lock out the remotesTurn vacation lock on and off from the wall control.
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