Home Assistant Podcast

Dan Built His Own Smart Switches and Connected Them to Home Assistant

Dan joins Phil and Rohan to trace his smart home journey from X10 and MySensors to Home Assistant. Hear how he designs ESPHome light switches, controls an RS-485 thermostat, and plans new automations with Zigbee, Frigate and Reolink cameras. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA256 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 and opening sponsors 00:02:08 Dan’s journey from X10 00:06:31 Building MySensors light switches 00:10:48 Discovering Home Assistant 00:14:00 Designing safer ESPHome switches 00:17:00 Connecting the legacy thermostat 00:20:49 Presence sensing and accessibility 00:23:23 Outdoor sensors and camera ideas 00:26:45 Collecting data 00:29:00 Zigbee, Modbus and the well 00:33:02 Leak detection and insurance 00:35:02 DIY irrigation and local weather 00:38:56 Soil moisture and greenhouse plans 00:42:43 Frigate, bins and pet detection 00:46:56 Wildlife cameras and closing thoughts This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Link 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed Aqara FP2 presence sensor: https://amzn.to/4aVeDjo 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

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Jason’s Home Assistant Smart Home That Watches Birds and Tracks Visitors

Phil and Rohan tour Patreon supporter Jason’s Home Assistant setup. Discover how he uses UniFi cameras as motion sensors, automatically aims a PTZ camera, and identifies backyard birds with BirdNet. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA255 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 00:02:52 From X10 to whistle-controlled TVs 00:06:44 Jason’s tech background and home lab 00:11:49 Home Assistant on Proxmox 00:14:34 Lutron, HomeKit, and reliable lighting 00:17:46 The IKEA switches that press themselves 00:20:00 WLED and the Raspberry Pi rack 00:23:45 Monitoring without alert overload 00:26:30 AI agents audit the home lab 00:29:35 Prioritizing alerts and critical devices 00:32:01 Battery reminders and daily briefings 00:34:00 Smart-home protocols 00:36:12 IKEA Matter devices and Aqara sensors 00:38:42 Water leaks, Apple TV, and climate 00:41:11 Meross thermostats and temperature mapping 00:44:47 Meal planning meets home automation 00:47:50 Shopping lists and UniFi cameras 00:50:00 Cameras that aim other cameras 00:53:17 Indoor camera rules and outdoor projects 00:56:51 BirdNet identifies backyard birds 00:59:00 Bird displays and favorite automations 01:01:40 Doorbell messages and TV automations 01:04:00 Jellyfin, Nest Hub, and closing thoughts This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Clean My Mac Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off 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. Home Assistant Link 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 Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed Lutron Caseta light switches: https://amzn.to/48rNmSN Apollo Automation ESPHome Starter Kit: https://esphome.io/starter-kit/ 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

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A Baby Who Wouldn’t Sleep Started Maayan’s Home Assistant Journey

A temperature sensor, a smart plug and a baby who wouldn’t sleep started Mayan’s Home Assistant journey. Phil and Rohan explore how that first nursery automation grew into Zigbee heating controls, local white noise, custom lighting and a whole-house dashboard. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA254 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 00:02:00 — A sleepless baby starts everything 00:05:17 — Smart plugs and temperature sensors 00:08:25 — Tuya reliability and appliance safety 00:11:15 — Heating controls and nursery white noise 00:14:24 — Sonos, Spotify and local playback 00:17:22 — Choosing Zigbee over Wi-Fi 00:19:00 — ESP builds and fireplace fan safety 00:23:00 — Making custom Home Assistant hardware 00:25:20 — Projector lights and movie controls 00:27:28 — Smart-home controls 00:30:00 — Buttons, voice and kitchen tablets 00:33:55 — Night lights that help kids sleep 00:37:00 — Shared calendars on Home Assistant 00:40:00 — Organizing busy family schedules 00:43:26 — Automating a louvered pergola 00:46:30 — Hacking the pergola remote 00:49:40 — Tracking louver position 00:52:40 — DIY trade-offs and remote reliability 00:55:45 — Holiday mode and home security 00:58:40 — Solar hot water and load shifting 01:01:45 — Heat banking and energy choices 01:04:20 — A Frigate-powered AI cat trainer 01:07:30 — The mini PC running everything This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Link 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com 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

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Mapping all the changes in Home Assistant 2026.10

Phil and Rohan unpack Home Assistant 2026.10, from redesigned maps and easier trigger-based automations to AI setup, Matter devices and Z-Wave network maps. They also discuss reports about LG TV privacy and Shelly’s planned acquisition. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA253 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 00:02:00 Community Day plans 00:04:39 Home Assistant Link replaces Cloud 00:07:29 LG TV privacy concerns 00:16:38 Shelly’s planned acquisition 00:24:01 Critical iPhone notifications 00:26:16 Notification tips and Zooz sponsor 00:28:16 Redesigned and customizable maps 00:30:42 Easier automation trigger conditions 00:34:47 Dashboard visibility and AI tools 00:37:32 Z-Wave maps and YAML improvements 00:40:16 Generators and energy monitoring 00:44:00 Modbus, profiles and timers 00:47:56 Glass-break sensors and security dashboards 00:52:00 Matter updates and Thread plans 00:55:36 Templates, Hue and Z-Wave 00:58:00 UniFi Protect and integration updates 01:01:00 iCloud lists and local vehicle control 01:03:20 New infrared and energy integrations 01:07:18 Solar, messaging and plant integrations 01:10:27 Removed integrations and upgrade advice 01:11:24 Green Button energy data This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Link 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed Shelly smart relays/switches: https://amzn.to/4tfoHdE Home Assistant ZBT2 (Zigbee radio): https://amzn.to/4pLxykT 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

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Home Assistant was Trey’s answer for a local first smart home

Phil and Rohan are joined by Trey from Tallahassee, Florida, to explore his local-first Home Assistant setup. From an X10 beginning and a MyQ API shutdown to Zigbee migrations, Trey has seen a lot! Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA252 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 00:02:00 From X10 to Home Assistant 00:06:00 Zigbee migration and device choices 00:10:00 Smart lighting and cat alerts 00:14:00 Automation philosophy and voice control 00:18:00 Voice assistant TV pausing 00:20:00 Zigbee, Thread and Z-Wave 00:24:00 Batteries and dual Zigbee networks 00:28:00 UniFi networking 00:30:00 Garage and freeze automations 00:34:00 IKEA blinds and local AI 00:38:00 Local LLM voice pipeline 00:42:00 Backups and outdoor camera plans 00:46:00 Indoor cameras and privacy modes 00:50:00 Frigate, recognition and smart locks 00:54:00 Ring keypad and closing This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Link 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com 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

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Roland “Accidentally” Installed Home Assistant, Then Automated Everything

Roland joins Phil and Rohan to share how a simple attempt to measure an old fridge's energy use led to a deeply data-driven Home Assistant smart home. Energy monitoring, solar forecasting, home batteries, EV charging, ESPHome, weather data and templates are all used to make his home smarter. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA251 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 00:02:01 An accidental Home Assistant install 00:06:04 Scaling devices and automations 00:08:04 Solar forecasts and battery control 00:16:46 ESPHome windows and storm protection 00:21:03 Home Assistant at the university 00:26:16 Starting with energy data 00:29:08 Cooling buckets and digital grass 00:34:52 Turning data into automations 00:37:19 Summer-winter heating and cooling 00:43:52 Measuring a new home 00:47:21 Whole-home energy and smart PC 00:52:16 Pool monitoring and house insights 00:59:07 Future projects and stable automation 01:04:26 Updates, reliability and farewell This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors 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. 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 Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed Navimow robotic lawn mower: https://amzn.to/4d7phni Apollo Automation ESPHome Starter Kit: https://esphome.io/starter-kit/ Apollo Automation Cast 1: https://apolloautomation.com/products/cast-1-audio-casting-device Shelly smart relays/switches: https://amzn.to/4tfoHdE Shelly One relay: https://amzn.to/4wUFxj6 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

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Adrian’s High Availability Home Assistant

How do you make Home Assistant resilient when an update fails or your primary server goes offline? Phil and Rohan talk with Adrian from Western Australia about his dual Home Assistant setup, webhook heartbeat failover, Git-based YAML configuration, and a 12V battery-backed home network. Adrian has shared some notes on his setup here: https://docs.na.id.au/ Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA250 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 Adrian's Home Assistant origin 00:05:00 12V battery-backed infrastructure 00:08:00 Presence and smart-light logic 00:13:00 Wi-Fi scale and interference 00:16:00 Matter, LIFX and 433MHz 00:21:00 Alarm integrations and appliances 00:29:00 Home Assistant high availability 00:34:00 Zigbee, MQTT and Matter 00:39:00 Git, YAML and device naming 00:44:00 DHCP reservations and static IPs 00:47:00 EV charging and roller shutters 00:51:00 Upgrades and family installations 00:55:00 Local AI and language learning 00:59:00 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. Clean My Mac Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com 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

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Rob went from 15 Apps to One Smart Home With Home Assistant

Rob joins Phil and Rohan from New Zealand to share how he replaced 15 smart-home apps with Home Assistant. Discover his AI-assisted workflow using VS Code, Claude Code, Codex, Git, YAML documentation, solar optimisation, camera-powered number plate recognition, and a resilient smart-home network. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA249 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 Escaping the app overload 00:07:00 First automations and Wi-Fi devices 00:10:00 Batteries, presence sensors and vacuums 00:17:00 UniFi network and Home Assistant upgrade 00:20:00 Solar, Modbus and energy optimisation 00:23:00 AI coding workflow with VS Code 00:33:00 OpenCode, MCP and custom workflows 00:37:00 AI documentation and automation intent 00:42:00 Fail-safe smart home design 00:45:00 AI camera gate recognition 00:50:00 Security, modes and alarm integration 00:54:00 Backup power and future projects 01:01:00 Advice for a new setup 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed AirGradient air-quality sensor: https://www.airgradient.com/ Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsP Aqara FP300 presence sensor: https://amzn.to/3LpkZ02 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

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Home Assistant 2026.9 improves Modbus integrations, and a better activity history

Home Assistant 2026.9 is here. Maps suffer an unexpected turn of events and easier Modbus integrations arrive. Activity history gets some love. Nabu Casa subscribers can start testing a new and improved speech to text provider via Labs. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA248 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 00:01:46 Home Assistant map outage 00:05:57 Community Day, Apollo and iOS 00:10:19 Mailbag: locks, pools and moving 00:18:13 AI assistants versus closed ecosystems 00:23:43 Proxmox upgrade compatibility warning 00:29:04 Home Assistant Cloud and Modbus 00:35:04 Dashboard updates 00:38:12 History, accessibility and Matter maps 00:43:39 New integrations and release 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed Apollo Automation ESPHome Starter Kit: https://esphome.io/starter-kit/ Apollo Automation Cast 1: https://apolloautomation.com/products/cast-1-audio-casting-device Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsP 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

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Living With Home Assistant: The Other Side of the Smart Home

Sofia lives in a Home Assistant smart home, but she didn’t install it. We’re breaking down what its like on the other side of the fence and how open communication and involvement make for a happier smart home. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA247 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 00:02:00 Home Assistant origins 00:04:00 Philips Hue beginnings 00:06:30 Building automations together 00:09:00 Sensors and safety alerts 00:12:00 Magic mirror project 00:15:00 Apple Home scenes 00:18:00 Home Assistant usability 00:21:00 Privacy and stability 00:24:30 Voice control and wrap-up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors 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. 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 Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com 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 this link 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

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Rohan is Packing Up his Smart Home and Starting Over

Rohan is moving house! Phil and Rohan dive into the realities of selling a Home Assistant-powered home and moving into a new property. They discuss what smart home gear is worth leaving behind, how to keep a house buyer-friendly, and why removable devices are often the safest choice. Plus, Rohan shares his plan to rebuild his smart home from scratch in a new house with a pool, septic, a generator, and plenty of new automation opportunities. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA246 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 00:01:45: Moving House Update 00:04:41: Leaving Smart Gear 00:08:51: Selling Smart Homes 00:14:40: Lockbox Troubles 00:17:31: Open House Modes 00:19:59: Preparing The Yard 00:23:43: Packing The Tech 00:25:48: Home Assistant Move 00:28:50: Server Rack Plans 00:31:14: Doorbell And Locks 00:34:09: Irrigation Controller 00:35:19: New House Criteria 00:39:00: Pool And Irrigation 00:43:19: Fresh Home Assistant 00:48:03: New UI Features 00:51:26: Well Septic And Generator 00:55:09: Move Planning Tools This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors 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 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 Clean My Mac Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com 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

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Home Assistant 2026.8 says goodbye to 8123, while SmartThings goes behind a paywall

Home Assistant 2026.8 is here, we unpack the biggest changes. From port 8123 to port 80 for new Home Assistant OS installs, customizable entity ID formats, moon and vibration automation triggers, and the device-registry separation that may affect merged devices. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA245 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 00:01:47 - Perth meetup and SmartThings API 00:07:47 - Battery charging and leak sensors 00:14:52 - Port 80 and HTTP settings 00:18:03 - UI wording and entity IDs 00:22:49 - Moon and vibration automations 00:24:23 - Device registry separation 00:30:00 - Template editor 00:32:21 - Dashboards and integration updates 00:36:37 - New Home Assistant integrations 00:44:48 - Breaking changes and upgrade advice 00:46:34 - Rohan's house move 00:48:14 - Proxmox migration and Zigbee 00:51:02 - Z-Wave migration and lock codes 00:55:31 - AI agent automations 00:57:36 - Network troubleshooting with Hermes 00:59:48 - Picture frame project and closing 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. Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed SwitchBot Candle Warmer Lamp: https://amzn.to/45plQEt Roborock Q10 robot vacuum: https://amzn.to/4fVu105 Harbor Sleep Baby Monitor: https://amzn.to/3Rt73VV 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

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How Eugene Built a .NET Home Assistant Brain for his Smart Home

Phil and Rohan chat with Eugene about how he built a deeply automated smart home using Home Assistant, Raspberry Pi, Zigbee, Shelly devices, Aqara sensors, and even C#/.NET with NetDaemon. They explore practical automations for alarms, presence, notifications, kid management, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA244 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: Getting Into Automation 00:04:15: Choosing Hardware Wisely 00:06:30: Network Lessons Learned 00:10:30: Current Home Setup 00:15:00: Presence And Notifications 00:20:30: Actionable Alerts 00:27:55: Chores And Screen Time 00:34:20: Morning Summaries 00:39:00: .NET Automations 00:46:50: School Dates 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 Shelly One relay: https://amzn.to/4wUFxj6 CC2531 Zigbee controller: https://amzn.to/3RFhwgS Amazon Echo Dot: https://amzn.to/44DIBUB Aqara contact sensor: https://amzn.to/4vIfUky Aqara passive infrared motion sensor: https://amzn.to/4wWJ3tn 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

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Khaled - The dentist with a Kubernetes Cluster and Home Assistant

Phil and Rohan chat with Khaled, a periodontist who turned Home Assistant into the central brain of his home. From Roomba integrations and Soma shades to barcode-driven dog treat tracking, e-ink dashboards, and local AI workflows, this conversation is packed with practical smart home ideas. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA243 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 00:01:56 Khaled’s Background 00:04:21 First Home Assistant Use 00:08:52 GUI Over YAML 00:12:24 Hardware And Green 00:16:27 Grocy And Barcodes 00:20:45 Scanner Workflow 00:26:20 NFC And More Ideas 00:35:35 Voice PE Remote 00:39:52 Terminal Displays 00:47:23 Local AI Tools 00:53:04 Automating CV Updates 00:56:39 Paperless NGX 01:00:46 Hermes And Agents 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. Symcode 2D QR Bluetooth Barcode Scanner 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

The Home Assistant Smart Home That Reminds, Nudges, and almost Pours Tea

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

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Omri Peretz the creator of QuickBars for Android TV

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

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Home Assistant 2026.7 Brings The Biggest Automation Upgrade Yet

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

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Neil takes us through how he is using AI to build his ultimate smart home with Home Assistant

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

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From an Orange Bulb to a Smart Home: Claudia’s Home Assistant Journey

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

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From Tuya to Home Assistant: A Kiwi’s Smart Home Journey

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

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