Chamberlain/MyQ
Your Garage, Our Rules
$890M
Value Extracted
7
Key Initiatives
Chamberlain Group, maker of MyQ smart garage openers, monetized basic access to hardware customers already owned. In November 2023 it shut off third-party API access, breaking Home Assistant and similar integrations (the MyQ integration was removed December 6, 2023), after earlier killing HomeKit and Google Assistant support. EnshitifAi assigns Chamberlain an Extraction Index of $890M, an editorial figure anchored to these documented access-monetization changes.
The Story
Chamberlain sold millions of 'smart' garage door openers. Then they realized: why let customers control their own garage doors for free when you can charge them? They blocked all third-party integrations and told Home Assistant to pay up or get out.
Common Questions
Is Chamberlain/MyQ enshittified?
Yes. In November 2023 Chamberlain's CTO announced it would block 'unauthorized' third-party access to MyQ's APIs, and the Home Assistant integration was removed in release 2023.12 on December 6, 2023, breaking automations for thousands of users. It had already discontinued Apple HomeKit a year earlier and killed Google Assistant support months before. By EnshitifAi's reckoning it is a clear case of monetizing access to hardware customers already paid for.
What dark patterns does Chamberlain/MyQ use?
Integration lock-in by killing free third-party and voice-assistant access (HomeKit, Google Assistant, Home Assistant) and steering users toward MyQ's own app and paid tiers. It charges vehicle owners for car integration via subscriptions running from roughly $45/year up to a $179 five-year plan, and justified the 2023 API shutdown by claiming 0.2% of users drove 50% of traffic. The fix many users adopted was buying separate third-party hardware (ratgdo) to restore local control.
When did Chamberlain MyQ start charging for garage door features?
The squeeze accelerated in 2022-2023. Tesla in-car MyQ control arrived in late 2022 behind a paid subscription, then in November 2023 Chamberlain cut off third-party API access entirely. EnshitifAi's $890M Extraction Index is an opinion/index, not a measured company financial, anchored to these dated access-removal and subscription moves.
Key Achievements
- 1
Blocked Home Assistant, Homebridge, and all 'unauthorized' smart home integrations
- 2
Claimed 0.2% of users caused 50% of API traffic (the math doesn't math)
- 3
Killed Google Assistant integration then tried to charge for it
- 4
Forced Tesla owners into $179/5-year subscriptions to open their own garages
- 5
Told the open-source community to pay 'partnership fees' for basic API access
- 6
Made customers buy third-party hardware (ratgdo) to fix what they broke
- 7
Justified everything as 'improving performance and reliability'
EnshitifAi helped us see that 'smart home' really means 'subscription home.'
Product Strategy Team
Department of Access Monetization
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