Home Assistant Podcast

Home Assistant Podcast

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Home Assistant Podcast episodes

  • 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
    51 min
  • 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
    1 hr 8 min
  • 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
    1 hr 10 min
  • 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
    1 hr 17 min
  • 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
    56 min
  • 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
    1 hr 6 min
  • 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
    1 hr
  • 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
    1 hr 4 min
  • 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
    50 min
  • 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
    38 min

About Home Assistant Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Join hosts Phil Hawthorne and Rohan Karamandi as they explore the newest Home Assistant releases and the latest Home Automation news. Featuring guests who use or contribute to Home Assistant, the…

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