In short: there are two ways to open a Berner garage door with your phone. The first is the manufacturer's: BernerAccess, Berner's app for its new operators with built-in Bluetooth (GA205, GA206, GA405, GA406), and Berner Secure, the Berner Box app for controlling Berner radio products from afar. The second works with any Berner operator, however old: 1Control SOLO + KIT. Of the 22 Berner remotes in the compatibility checker, 1Control SOLO copies just one, the SKX MD; for all the others it copies the remote that comes with the SOLO KIT, a receiver that a technician connects to the operator, and then opens the garage from the 1Control app over Bluetooth, with no internet needed in the garage.
Berner Torantriebe is a German maker of garage door and gate operators, based in Rottenburg, which sells through installers and specialist dealers. The app details below come from Berner's website and from the App Store and Google Play listings (checked on 25/10/2026), the remote data from the 1Control compatibility checker. The overview for every brand is in smart garage door opener without Wi-Fi.
Berner garage door and phone: the 3 options side by side
| Solution | What you need | Installation | Internet needed? | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berner apps (BernerAccess, Berner Secure) | A GA205, GA206, GA405 or GA406 operator for BernerAccess; for others, an external receiver or the Berner Box | Bluetooth already built into the new operators; receiver or Berner Box added to earlier ones | BernerAccess: no (Bluetooth); Berner Secure: yes (Wi-Fi or internet) | Berner does not say which earlier operators the external receiver suits |
| Smart module from another brand | A Wi-Fi or GSM module, a power supply, its own app | Wired to the push-button input of the operator | Wi-Fi: almost always; GSM: mobile network | Work on the operator; a different app for each maker |
| 1Control SOLO + KIT | SOLO, the SOLO KIT and the 1Control app (with an SKX MD, SOLO alone is enough) | A technician connects the KIT receiver to the operator; SOLO runs on batteries near the door | Not to open (Bluetooth); yes from afar, with the LINK hub | Bluetooth range 15-20 m without LINK; the KIT has to be connected to the operator |
With a new Berner operator, BernerAccess is the manufacturer's route. With an earlier operator, or a gate of another brand next to the garage, the route that keeps everything in one app is SOLO + KIT.
BernerAccess or SOLO + KIT: what Berner's apps do
According to Berner, the GA205 (garages with up to six parking spaces) and GA405 (larger private garages and car parks with up to 25 spaces) garage door operators have a built-in Bluetooth interface and can be controlled by app and smartphone; in its FAQ, Berner adds the GA505-G and GA505-TG to the operators with built-in Bluetooth. The user app is BernerAccess: according to its listing it is free, controls the GA205, GA206, GA405 and GA406 over Bluetooth (impulse, open, stop, close, ventilation, light, partial opening) and needs no internet for setup or use. It works within Bluetooth range.
For earlier operators, Berner's FAQ points to an external receiver added to the operator, without saying which models; the app stores also carry Berner BlueSecur, for BlueSecur-compatible devices, with digital keys to share (according to its description, key bundles are paid and one-time keys are free). For control from afar there is the Berner Secure Mobile App: according to its listing it controls Berner garage doors, gates and lights from anywhere, over Wi-Fi or the internet, and it needs the Berner Box. Berner also writes that models and accessories with app control work with Alexa and Google Home.
Berner's apps start from the operator: a recent model, or a Berner accessory added to it. SOLO + KIT depends on neither model nor year: the KIT receiver also connects to the oldest Berner operators, and the same 1Control app can hold a gate of another brand as well. SOLO opens over Bluetooth, with no internet in the garage; family and guests get free access on their phone number, with time slots and an expiry date if needed.
Remote not copyable? SOLO + KIT makes any gate smart
SOLO KIT wires to the push-button input of the motor and works with any automation: SOLO then opens from your phone even when the original remote cannot be copied. One-off purchase, no subscription.
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Why a Berner remote almost never copies
With most brands you simply copy the remote onto SOLO; with Berner, almost never. The compatibility checker lists 22 Berner remotes and just one copies: the SKX MD on 433.92 MHz, with a fixed code. The other 21 are 868 MHz rolling code remotes or quartz remotes on 26.985 and 40.685 MHz: codings and frequencies that SOLO does not copy.
| Berner remote | Frequency and coding | With 1Control SOLO (phone) | For an extra remote |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKX MD | 433.92 MHz, fixed code | Copies: SOLO is enough | 1Control WHY |
| BDS120, BDS140, BDS150, RCBE868 | 868 MHz, rolling code | Does not copy: SOLO + KIT | An original Berner remote on the same radio system |
| M140, SLX1MD, SLX2MD, SLX3MD, SLX4MD, S849-B1S40L, S849-B2S40L, S849-B3S40L, S849-B4S40L | 40.685 MHz, fixed code, quartz | Quartz: SOLO + KIT | 1Control QZERO |
| SM1, SM2, SM3, SM4, SM1MD, SM2MD, SM3MD, SM4MD | 26.985 MHz, fixed code, quartz | Quartz: SOLO + KIT | 1Control QZERO |
| Other models, not listed (for example the BDS210, BDS220 and BDS240 bidirectional transmitters) | Depends on the model | Not listed: SOLO + KIT | An original Berner remote that suits the operator |
1Control compatibility checker catalogue, updated on 25/10/2026.
The model is printed on the back of the remote or in the battery compartment; a model that is not on the list does not copy. Check yours in the checker under Berner. If you have a working SKX MD, SOLO copies it directly and the operator stays as it is. For an extra remote for the old quartz models there is 1Control QZERO; for the BDS remotes you need an original Berner remote on the same radio system, stored on the operator.
SOLO + KIT: your Berner garage on your phone
The SOLO KIT is not SOLO: it is a 433 MHz receiver with its own fixed-code remote, which SOLO always copies. A technician connects the receiver to the garage door operator; from then on the KIT remote moves the door, and SOLO copies that one instead of the Berner remote. The KIT does not depend on the operator's radio, so it also suits the oldest Berner units with 26 or 40 MHz remotes, and your original remotes keep working.
- Have a technician connect the KIT receiver to the operator, or do it yourself if you are comfortable with electrical work; the KIT remote should now move the door.
- Mount SOLO near the door. It is not wired to the operator or to the mains: two C batteries last about two years at around ten openings a day.
- In the 1Control app, hold the KIT remote (or your SKX MD) against the notch on the left side of SOLO and follow the instructions.
- Wait until the door is fully closed, then tap the round test button: if the door starts, the copy is done.
If you cannot connect anything to the operator and your remote is not an SKX MD, SOLO is not the right fit. A standard SOLO handles up to 4 automations, even of different brands, for 10 users; the app history shows who opened and when.
Remootio, ismartgate or SOLO + KIT
You will also come across modules from other makers. Remootio and ismartgate are smart openers wired to the push-button input of the operator and run on their maker's app, usually over your home Wi-Fi; ismartgate even publishes pages about Berner openers. A GSM module takes a SIM card, is wired the same way and opens when an authorised number calls (see the GSM gate opener guide). They fit almost any operator, but they need signal in the garage, which underground car parks often lack; SOLO + KIT opens over Bluetooth even there.
Your Berner garage from afar, by voice and from the car
On its own, SOLO works over Bluetooth within 15-20 metres: it needs no network, even in an underground garage, but it will not open from the office. To open from afar you add 1Control LINK: the hub stays at home, connects to the internet over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet and passes commands to SOLO over Bluetooth, within about 25 metres in a straight line. LINK brings Alexa, Google Home, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; Siri Shortcuts already work with SOLO within Bluetooth range and, with LINK, from afar too. SOLO AUTO, the version to keep in the car, shows up on CarPlay and Android Auto without LINK (see open your gate with CarPlay). All of this works with the KIT too.
FAQ: Berner garage doors and your phone
Can I open my Berner garage door with my phone?
Yes. With BernerAccess, Berner's app, if your operator is a GA205, GA206, GA405 or GA406 with built-in Bluetooth; for earlier operators Berner points to an external receiver added to the operator. Or with 1Control SOLO + KIT, on any Berner operator: a technician connects the KIT receiver to the operator, SOLO copies the KIT remote and opens from the 1Control app over Bluetooth.
What is the difference between BernerAccess and Berner Secure?
According to the app store listings, BernerAccess controls the GA205, GA206, GA405 and GA406 operators over Bluetooth, without internet. The Berner Secure Mobile App controls Berner radio products from anywhere, over Wi-Fi or the internet, and needs the Berner Box. For Berner operators that fit neither case, the route is SOLO + KIT.
Which Berner remotes can be copied to a phone?
Only the SKX MD on 433.92 MHz, with a fixed code: SOLO copies it directly. The BDS120, BDS140, BDS150 and RCBE868 (868 MHz, rolling code) and the 17 quartz remotes on 26.985 or 40.685 MHz do not copy: for the phone, the route is SOLO + KIT.
I have an old Berner operator and no working remote: what can I do?
With SOLO + KIT you do not need a Berner remote, because SOLO copies the KIT remote, which a technician connects to the operator. For its part, Berner offers a conversion set with a receiver and a remote for cases where the old remotes are no longer available.
In short: a Berner app or SOLO + KIT for your garage
With a new Berner operator, GA205 or GA405, BernerAccess is the manufacturer's route, over Bluetooth; for control from afar Berner offers the Berner Box with the Berner Secure Mobile App. In every other case, an older Berner operator, several doors of different brands or a garage without signal, the way to open a Berner garage door with your phone is 1Control SOLO with the KIT: a technician connects the receiver once, then the door opens over Bluetooth from the app, with free access for the family; LINK adds distance, voice and the car. For sectional and up-and-over doors of every brand, see the garage door app guide.