Avsnitt

  • Phil and Rohan chat with Jason from the UK about building a truly proactive smart home with Home Assistant. From room-aware dashboards and presence detection to Alexa routines, Google Calendar, Todoist, Zigbee, ESP32s, and AI-powered driveway monitoring, Jason shares how he turned automations into a daily life assistant.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA242

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Introduction

    00:02:06 Jason’s smart home journey

    00:05:19 Voice, automations, and helpers

    00:12:00 Car, tea, and problem solving

    00:18:45 Presence detection and room dashboards

    00:26:50 Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Matter choices

    00:34:35 Todoist and calendar automation

    00:44:30 Doorbells, garages, and briefings

    00:52:40 Driveway security and Gemini

    00:58:03 Sports dashboards and future plans

    01:05:07 Getting started with smarter automations

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.com

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Clean My Mac

    Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off

    Products Discussed

    LinknLink presence sensor and IR blaster: https://amzn.to/4oXjLIF

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • In this episode Phil and Rohan chat with Omri, the creator of QuickBars, an Android TV and Google TV app for controlling Home Assistant from the couch. They dig into his smart home journey, how he replaced a slow proprietary Zigbee setup, and how Home Assistant became the central brain for his parents' house and his own apartment.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA241

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:02:26 QuickBars overview

    00:03:07 Broken smart home origin

    00:05:58 Rebuilding with Home Assistant

    00:10:04 Running two Home Assistant homes

    00:14:51 House automations and cameras

    00:18:57 Building QuickBars

    00:28:29 App development lessons

    00:31:34 Community response and use cases

    00:35:04 Notification and camera features

    00:38:40 Open source and AI coding

    00:42:13 Apartment automations and alerts

    00:48:39 Wrapping up QuickBars

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.com

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products Discussed

    Google Coral: https://amzn.to/4b44TCm

    Nvidia Shield: https://amzn.to/4eCreYH

    HomePod: https://amzn.to/4uWeu5A

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Saknas det avsnitt?

    Klicka här för att uppdatera flödet manuellt.

  • Phil and Rohan unpack the massive 2026.7 release, including purpose-specific triggers and conditions graduating from Labs, the move to Matter.js, faster templates, improved dashboards, and better debugging tools. They also discuss mailbag comments and Rohan’s progress on his e-ink display.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA240

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:02:10 Unify 2026 recap

    00:10:45 Listener feedback and Yoto

    00:28:40 E-Ink project update

    00:32:43 Home Assistant 2026.7

    00:40:52 Updates and integrations

    00:50:40 Breaking changes and wrap-up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.com

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This video contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Neil walks us through how he has managed to leverage AI tools to create his dream smart home with Home Assistant. From automating blinds to automating a winter cottage

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA239

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome

    00:01:21 - Neil’s background

    00:03:33 - Starting with Google Home

    00:04:53 - Lutron and motion sensors

    00:06:06 - Complex HVAC challenge

    00:08:52 - DIY manifold control

    00:10:52 - Radiant cooling by dew point

    00:13:23 - Gas vs electrification debate

    00:15:51 - Coding with AI tools

    00:19:59 - Sauna and smart blinds

    00:24:21 - Cottage winter automation

    00:31:20 - Remote access choices

    00:33:55 - Multi-building MQTT design

    00:40:41 - Plant care automation

    00:44:54 - Device health monitoring

    00:49:59 - Zigbee vs Z-Wave talk

    00:55:06 - Future plans and tools

    00:59:38 - Wrap-up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.com

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Claudia joins Phil and Rohan to share how an orange Philips Hue bulb sparked a full-blown smart home powered by Home Assistant.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA238

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:03:35 - Early lights to Apple Home

    00:06:24 - Why local-first and fewer subs

    00:07:59 - Server closet hardware and UDM

    00:10:24 - Magic lights with mmWave

    00:15:12 - Nap-time button and scenes

    00:19:22 - Local voice, Music Assistant

    00:27:03 - Protocols: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread

    00:31:00 - Door sensors and recessed mods

    00:34:40 - Climate data and ESPHome AC

    00:38:30 - Ceiling fans and canopy modules

    00:41:30 - Partner approval and tweaks

    00:44:30 - Cats: Litter-Robot and cameras

    00:45:15 - Robot vacuums and Valetudo

    00:48:30 - Dashboards that are simple

    00:52:10 - YAML, AI helpers, and costs

    00:56:20 - Cloud-optional philosophy

    01:01:06 - Robot mowers and real limits

    01:01:06 - Humanoid robots chat and wrap

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.com

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Clean My Mac

    Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off

    Products Discussed

    Unifi Dream Machine (UDM) router: https://amzn.to/4wPeLJG

    Aqara FP1E mmWave presence sensor (Zigbee): https://amzn.to/4wLIrXY

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Steve from New Zealand (Kiwi Smart Tech) shares his journey from Tuya bulbs to a powerful Home Assistant setup. We dig into garage door woes and wins, cross‑protocol sensors, mmWave presence, and why Apple Home is his go‑to interface

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA237

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:03:00 Steve’s Kiwi smart home origin

    00:10:15 First Home Assistant wins and fails

    00:16:00 Garage door saga and ESPHome

    00:23:50 Access control

    00:28:01 From tinkerer to creator

    00:41:00 Apple Home as UI

    00:46:30 Ambient alerts: plants, leaks

    00:55:10 Appliances, HACS, lock‑in

    01:04:00 Cameras and continuous video

    01:07:30 Wrap‑up and links

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Rohan and Phil are breaking down the 2026.6 release, which features updates for Infrared, Purpose specific triggers and conditions. Plus we talk KVM’s, eInk displays and starting from scratch in 2026.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA236

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:04:30 - New Works With HA gear

    00:06:30 - Open Display collab, e‑ink

    00:12:00 - E‑ink uses and costs

    00:16:30 - OHF privacy paper

    00:18:30 - RF and plugs

    00:26:00 - JetKVM and PiKVM talk

    00:29:30 - 2026.6: IR receivers

    00:34:30 - Dashboards and Matter BLE

    00:36:32 - Cards and automations

    00:42:30 - Z‑Wave, Sonos, Reolink, Tuya

    00:47:30 - New integrations roundup

    00:54:30 - Breaking changes

    00:56:30 - Fresh HA vs restore

    01:00:00 - UniFi hiccup resilience

    01:02:00 - Wrap‑up and callouts

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products Discussed

    JetKVM IP KVM: https://amzn.to/4wU1bEO

    Yale Z‑Wave smart locks: https://amzn.to/4visNSl

    MyPropane tank monitor: https://amzn.to/3QjJZbn

    Yoto audio player: https://amzn.to/4xlZhNJ

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Imre is a Home Assistant user, who was frustrated with his Google Home mini, so he created a PCB that can turn your Google Home Mini into a Home Assistant Voice Satellite

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA235

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome & sponsors

    00:02:30 - Imi’s smart home origin

    00:05:00 - Lights first, then sensors

    00:07:30 - Heating logic in Node-RED

    00:10:00 - Room presence tactics

    00:12:30 - Millimeter wave realities

    00:15:00 - Cameras, alarms, UniFi

    00:17:30 - Notifications via Telegram

    00:20:00 - AI greetings at the door

    00:22:30 - Protocols: Zigbee to Matter

    00:25:00 - Wi‑Fi at scale pitfalls

    00:28:30 - Voice stack & languages

    00:31:30 - MickiMic: project intro

    00:35:00 - Drop‑in PCB details

    00:38:00 - HA Voice compatibility

    00:41:00 - Gen2 plans & audio

    00:44:00 - Echo future & limits

    00:47:00 - Firmware hurdles

    00:49:30 - Crowdsupply journey

    00:53:00 - Pricing & sustainability

    00:56:00 - What’s next & thanks

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products Discussed

    MiciMic PCB (Google Home Mini drop-in board): https://www.crowdsupply.com/micimike-rev-devices/micimike-home-mini-drop-in-pcb#products

    Google Home Mini (Gen 1): https://amzn.to/3RtvxxG

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Giovanni joins Rohan and Phil to dive into a fully local, privacy-first smart home. We cover Home Assistant on an Intel N100, Shelly devices, Zigbee vs Wi‑Fi, ESP32 Bluetooth proxies, Frigate with a Coral TPU, Reolink cams, and smart lighting with pets.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA234

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:05:00 Local-only gear and protocols

    00:12:00 Lighting, presence, and pets

    00:18:00 Cameras, Frigate and automations

    00:27:20 Media servers

    00:33:00 Plex vs Jellyfin

    00:41:00 Nextcloud and Immich photos

    00:47:00 Backups and offsite strategy

    00:53:00 Security, reverse proxy, wrap-up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Clean My Mac

    Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off

    Products Discussed

    Intel N100 mini PC: https://amzn.to/3OP00FI

    NVIDIA Shield TV: https://amzn.to/4w9E2Ok

    Google Coral USB TPU accelerator: https://amzn.to/4cNVot1

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Mark went from a rocky SmartThings world to a rock-solid Home Assistant install. He shares his tails of disaster and recovery, as well as his journey from Tasmota to ESPHome.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA233

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:02:00 - SmartThings beginnings and first automations

    00:06:00 - Old timers to cameras after a theft

    00:09:30 - Discovering Home Assistant and server build

    00:16:00 - From Node-RED to cleaner HA automations

    00:19:50 - Reolink AI triggers outside lighting

    00:23:30 - Server failure and Proxmox migration

    00:28:30 - UPS woes and garage door backup issue

    00:38:00 - Presence, Ecobee, salt and propane projects

    00:44:00 - Matter locks, long-range Z-Wave ideas

    00:49:00 - New Overview, Alarmo plans, wrap-up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products Discussed

    Aladdin garage door openers (with battery backup): https://amzn.to/4mxGfPl

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This video contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • We’re diving into Home Assistant 2026.5 and re-capping the highlights from State of the Open Home 2026. There’s new RS-232 serial control, dashboard strategies, and more purpose-specific triggers.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA232

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:10:30 Roadmap deep-dive and HTTP 80

    00:15:30 Easter eggs, Project BLAST, merch

    00:19:30 IR databases and Z-Wave spectrum

    00:23:00 2026.5: RS-232 and RF proxies

    00:28:30 RF rolling codes and SDR hopes

    00:31:30 Dashboards: strategies and shortcuts

    00:36:00 Vacuums chat and power strip ad

    00:41:00 Purpose-specific triggers (Labs)

    00:44:00 MQTT, Matter, ESPHome updates

    00:46:30 Shelly, Sonos, groups, and S1/S2

    00:50:30 Apple TV typing, WLED, notifications

    00:54:00 Immich photos, Subaru, and UniFi

    00:57:00 New integrations roundup

    01:00:00 Breaking changes: Ring, webhooks

    01:01:30 Template docs overhaul

    01:02:30 Network outage story and resilience

    01:05:30 Wrap-up and sign-off

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products Discussed

    Broadlink RM4 Pro (433 MHz IR/RF blaster): https://amzn.to/4tesZk8

    UniFi Protect PoE Smart Siren: https://amzn.to/4w4ZWCh

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • We’re sitting down with Nick and Larsen from FireAvert to talk about how FireAvert aims to stop house fires, and how they can tie into smart home systems like Home Assistant

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA231

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro and Sponsors

    00:04:00 What FireAvert Does

    00:08:00 Technical Challenges and Detection

    00:12:00 Form Factor and Installation

    00:16:00 Accuracy, ML, and Notifications

    00:20:00 Smart Automations and Control

    00:24:00 Product Evolution and Z-Wave/LoRa

    00:31:00 Risk Areas: Kitchens, EVs, Dryers

    00:35:00 Water Leaks and Mitigation

    00:39:00 Startup Lessons and Team

    00:43:00 Home Assistant Dev and Roadmap

    00:46:00 Global Availability and Wrap-up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Products Discussed

    FireAvert Gas Auto Shut-Off: https://amzn.to/4vLz0rl

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Industrial data pro Mike joins Phil and Rohan to unpack his Home Assistant setup. We dive deep into Node‑RED flows, mmWave presence, actionable dashboards, and AI‑assisted automations—including recognizing his own cat and verifying the right bin is curbside.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA230

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:01:28 - Mike’s background and location

    00:03:43 - From OpenHAB to Home Assistant

    00:06:11 - Cloud vs local pragmatism

    00:09:40 - Zigbee, Thread and Matter lessons

    00:12:17 - Distributed hardware and Docker setup

    00:16:08 - Family UX and presence ethos

    00:20:26 - PIR, mmWave and context signals

    00:24:41 - Automations with Node‑RED

    00:29:50 - AI‑assisted automation building

    00:34:44 - Dashboards and notifications

    00:43:42 - Cameras, AI and the cat

    00:50:59 - Smarter heating and preheating

    01:03:33 - Actionable notifications philosophy

    01:05:40 - Evangelizing at work and wrap‑up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Clean My Mac

    Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off

    Products Discussed

    Aqara Cube: https://amzn.to/47C7YIm

    Intel N100 Mini PC: https://amzn.to/4v13dC8

    Oral‑B Electric Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/4tfVoGV

    Products we Recommend

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Electrical engineer Braden joins Phil and Rohan to share practical Home Assistant wins. From migrating to Zigbee2MQTT, taming a Whirlpool ice maker with ESPHome, building a garage door opener, and planning a sensor-packed greenhouse lab.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA229

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:01:23 - Meet Brayden in Windy Indiana

    00:03:35 - From Hue to Home Assistant

    00:08:50 - Greenhouse Lab Plans

    00:12:45 - Nursery Voice and Motion Tactics

    00:18:20 - RFID Cards for Kids’ Media

    00:29:00 - Zigbee2MQTT, Aqara, Litter Box Hack

    00:36:40 - ESPHome: Ice Maker and Garage

    00:43:40 - Power Monitoring and Breakers

    00:47:00 - Unifi, Cameras, and ZBT-2

    00:52:30 - Agents, Dashboards, and Presence

    01:00:20 - Wrap-up and Thanks

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Notion

    Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Home Assistant 2026.4 is here! We break down Infrared as a first‑class feature with IR proxies, expanded purpose‑specific triggers, dashboard background colors, favorites for lights/covers, Matter lock credential management, and more. We also cover a critical HA OS/Supervisor security patch you should apply now.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA228

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro, sponsors, housekeeping

    00:02:30 2026.4 overview and event

    00:05:00 Security alert and patch tips

    00:07:30 New Works With partner: HeatIt

    00:10:00 Feedback: Frigate and Litter‑Robot

    00:12:30 Thread/Matter experiences and FP300

    00:15:00 Local LLMs and home agents

    00:17:30 Cat litter → RoboRock cleanup

    00:20:00 Entity naming change delayed

    00:23:00 Infrared goes first‑class

    00:26:00 IR proxies now, RF coming

    00:28:30 Purpose‑specific triggers expand

    00:31:00 Dashboard background colors

    00:33:30 Favorites for lights and covers

    00:36:00 Matter lock credentials, locks

    00:38:30 Robots: Roborock Q10, SmartThings

    00:41:00 Jellyfin and Proxmox updates

    00:43:30 Voice cleaning, backup progress

    00:46:00 Markdown actions, LG IR nuances

    00:48:30 New integrations roundup

    00:51:00 E‑ink, energy, access, breaking changes

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Apollo Automation

    Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This video contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Director-turned-vanlifer Mike from the YouTube channel SmartyVan shows how he turned a bare Mercedes Sprinter into a fully automated, off‑grid smart RV powered by Home Assistant and ESPHome. We cover DC power realities, alternator charging vs solar, Starlink on the move, Bluetooth presence, wired vs Zigbee sensors and PoE cameras with Frigate. Perfect for vanlife, RV, and tiny home builders.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA227

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro, sponsors, Mike arrives

    00:05:00 - From Sprinter shell to smart RV

    00:10:00 - Power: solar, alternator, efficiency

    00:16:00 - Home Assistant in a DC world

    00:22:00 - Pi 4, microSD, backups

    00:28:00 - Internet, Starlink, offline logic

    00:35:32 - Van automations that matter

    00:41:00 - Service mode and shop visits

    00:47:00 - Presence without motion sensors

    00:53:00 - OBD-II, WICAN, vehicle data

    00:59:00 - Wired sensors vs Zigbee

    01:05:00 - Cameras, Frigate, PoE control

    01:09:00 - What’s next and where to find

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Notion

    Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant

    Products Discussed

    Google Coral USB TPU accelerator: https://amzn.to/4cNVot1

    Aqara contact sensors: https://amzn.to/4utywFk

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episodes contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • We’re diving into Kaden’s cat-first smart home: Reolink + Frigate for pet detection, PetLibro feeders, and a Litter-Robot 4 all tied together with Home Assistant and LLM-generated dashboards.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA226

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro

    00:03:35 From HomeBridge to Home Assistant

    00:07:20 Cat cams and Frigate detection

    00:12:45 Smart feeders and litter box

    00:16:40 Human presence and privacy

    00:20:50 Garage automation journey

    00:24:42 State models and sponsor break

    00:30:50 Wall tablet dashboards

    00:36:27 Water monitoring with RTL-SDR

    00:40:32 Energy tracking and panel CTs

    00:44:52 Cutting server power draw

    00:48:06 WLED beats Govee cloud

    00:51:00 BLE proxies and neighbors

    00:54:00 On-call alerts and alarms

    00:56:20 Wrap-up and links

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Clean My Mac

    Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off

    Products Discussed

    PetLibro automatic feeder: https://amzn.to/4bh3Nnj

    PetLibro water fountain: https://amzn.to/4aIDjLs

    Whisker Litter-Robot 4: https://amzn.to/4ch47DI

    Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus: https://amzn.to/4rVv0lm

    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti: https://amzn.to/4tZ8Nod

    Google Coral AI Accelerator (referenced): https://amzn.to/4r44S6E

    Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 radio (ad): https://amzn.to/47jdYp3

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Phil and Rohan go deep on practical AI for Home Assistant. We cover LLM Vision for doorbell and perimeter alerts, HACS add‑ons like AI Agent and AI Suggester, and using GitHub Copilot to generate YAML automations. Rohan shares his Ollama + LiteLLM routing setup and why private cloud models might beat pay‑per‑token APIs. Phil battles OpenClaw (aka MoltBot/Claude Bot) to control lights via MCP

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA225

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:02:02 - Rohan’s AI stack today

    00:09:00 - HA’s built-in AI + Copilot

    00:18:00 - HACS: AI Agent & Suggester

    00:26:24 - LLM Vision in practice

    00:37:00 - OpenClaw, MCP, and gotchas

    00:47:00 - Do we need agents? Use cases

    00:51:00 - Costs, feedback, and outro

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Products Discussed

    Reolink AI Security Cameras: https://amzn.to/3OwwLH2

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Breaking down Home Assistant 2026.3: map vacuum rooms to Areas for voice control, set HA as your default Android assistant with wake word support, SendSpin multi-room updates, Python 3.14 performance gains, and new integrations for Ghost, Proxmox, SwitchBot AI Art Frame, Trane HVAC, and NYC MTA.

    Mailbag: NFC dash buttons, Aqara FP300 presence tips, bed sensors, and listener automations for pets and babies.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA224

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:02:40 - News: Partners, Event, Merch

    00:03:54 - Dark Sky Returns: Acme Weather

    00:08:02 - Mailbag: AI, Accessibility, Pets

    00:12:56 - Gear Talk: Aqara, NFC, Bed Sensors

    00:19:09 - 2026.3 Release Overview

    00:21:56 - Vacuum Room-to-Area Mapping

    00:27:42 - App & Voice: Python, Dashboards, Assist

    00:32:15 - SendSpin Sync & Visuals

    00:36:30 - Matter, Docker, AI, Energy

    00:41:30 - Devices & Integration Highlights

    00:44:24 - New Integrations Roundup

    00:51:48 - Breaking Changes To Note

    00:55:30 - Wrap-Up & What’s Next

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Products Discussed

    HEIMAN smoke and CO alarms (Matter over Thread): https://amzn.to/4smRtrv

    Open Home Foundation merch (hat, hoodie): https://store.openhomefoundation.org/

    Neakasa M1 automatic litter box: https://amzn.to/3NdtiNd

    Petlibro RFID pet feeders: https://amzn.to/4se0XFo

    Owlet Dream Sock: https://amzn.to/4b0kHFI

    Samsung Frame TV: https://amzn.to/3N40VAW

    SwitchBot AI Art Frame (color e‑ink): https://amzn.to/4u0qLXr

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

    This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
  • Andrew joins Phil and Rohan to share how he outgrew Apple HomeKit and built a powerful multi-user smart home in Home Assistant. We cover presence detection with ESP32s and sensors, ditching MyQ for a Meross garage opener, Yale smart locks, bathroom humidity fan automations, and fun ESPN sports goal alerts.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

    Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA223

    Support the Podcast

    Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon

    Share your story

    We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.

    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Welcome, Sponsors, Intro

    00:02:00 - Andrew’s Tech Beginnings

    00:05:00 - From Apple Home to HA

    00:08:00 - Breaking HomeKit Limitations

    00:11:00 - Hardware: Pi to Proxmox

    00:14:00 - Backups, Restores, Cleanup

    00:16:30 - Multi-User Automation Challenges

    00:19:00 - Presence Without Phone Tracking

    00:22:00 - Buttons, Switches, Voice Balance

    00:25:00 - ESP32 Presence And Motion

    00:29:00 - Bathroom Humidity Fan Logic

    00:33:00 - Sensor Health & Batteries

    00:36:00 - Lighting Philosophy & Accents

    00:39:00 - WLED, TV Backlights, Aesthetics

    00:41:30 - Goals For The Year, Wrap-Up

    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

    Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

    Zooz

    If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

    For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com

    Notion

    Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant

    Products Discussed

    Meross Smart Garage Door Opener (with reed sensor): https://amzn.to/4ratgV5

    Third Reality Smart Switch (Toggle/rocker add-on): https://amzn.to/4kupS4S

    Aqara Temperature & Humidity Sensor: https://amzn.to/4twysV1

    Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: https://amzn.to/3MskUZN

    Philips Hue Lightstrips: https://amzn.to/465QhA5

    Govee Floor Lamp: https://amzn.to/4rfMRDv

    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee

    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Smart Home Products

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee

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