Zeroing in on doorstep package theft, Amazon has partnered with garage door opener maker Chamberlain in the launch of the Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery service. Available now to Prime customers in 50 U.S. cities—including our home base of Austin, Texas—the service requires a Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Hub and enables Amazon delivery agents to securely open the garage door with their handheld scanner and drop packages safely inside.
Your Connected Garage
A follow-on to the original Amazon Key service that works in tandem with a smart lock on your front door, the In-Garage service may be a more palatable option for consumers concerned about allowing a delivery agent into the home itself. The Key by Amazon app serves as the central control center for the service, and for consumers with an existing myQ-equipped connected garage, the app enables activation of the service in just a few minutes. Optionally, consumers can also connect an Amazon Cloud Cam (Key Edition) through the app to watch the progress of a package delivery.
Consumers can check here to see if the service is available in their location, as well as to check to see if their existing garage door opener is compatible with the service. Amazon is selling the Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Hub and Camera package, which can work with many non-Chamberlain garage door opener setups.
In our Digitized House Connected Home, we already had a LiftMaster Elite Series 8500W Jackshaft Garage Door Opener installed on the garage door. While this system has a built-in myQ Smart Garage Hub (all you need to activate the Amazon In-Garage service), our setup was also fitted with the LiftMaster myQ Home Bridge to enable Apple HomeKit and Siri voice activation control. Using this setup, we activated the Amazon Key In-Garage service in just a few minutes. This was accomplished by installing the Key by Amazon app then authenticating with our Chamberlain account through the existing myQ app on iOS.
An Extension of Amazon Prime
Once the Key by Amazon app is configured, Prime shoppers will see the Prime In-Garage delivery option appear on product pages for items eligible for the service, as well as in the checkout process. In Austin, Amazon was offering same-day In-Garage delivery for many items, though you could opt for standard Prime doorstep delivery or opt for different delivery dates.
While You Were Out
On the day of delivery, shoppers will receive a notification in the morning with a 4-hour delivery window. As the delivery driver arrives at your garage, you will receive an “Arriving Now” notification from the Key by Amazon app. Using their hand-held scanner, the driver will send a command to open the garage door, then will leave the package inside. At that moment, you will also receive a “Garage Door opened” notification. Then, following package delivery and closure of the garage door, you will see a “Garage Door closed” notification as well as a confirmation of the items delivered.
When an Amazon Cloud Cam is place and properly positioned, you will be able to remotely watch the entire process live from the app, or replay it later from the cloud.
How well does all of this work? We have yet to receive our first In-Garage delivery, but will come back soon with the details on how things went.
