Episodes

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

    The Home Assistant Smart Home That Reminds, Nudges, and almost Pours Tea
    Jul 14 2026

    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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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Omri Peretz the creator of QuickBars for Android TV

    Omri Peretz the creator of QuickBars for Android TV
    Jul 7 2026
    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 YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA241Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe 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.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:02:26 QuickBars overview00:03:07 Broken smart home origin00:05:58 Rebuilding with Home Assistant00:10:04 Running two Home Assistant homes00:14:51 House automations and cameras00:18:57 Building QuickBars00:28:29 App development lessons00:31:34 Community response and use cases00:35:04 Notification and camera features00:38:40 Open source and AI coding00:42:13 Apartment automations and alerts00:48:39 Wrapping up QuickBarsThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily 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.comZoozIf 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.comApollo AutomationApollo 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 DiscussedGoogle Coral: https://amzn.to/4b44TCmNvidia Shield: https://amzn.to/4eCreYHHomePod: https://amzn.to/4uWeu5AProducts we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis 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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    50 mins
  • Home Assistant 2026.7 Brings The Biggest Automation Upgrade Yet

    Home Assistant 2026.7 Brings The Biggest Automation Upgrade Yet
    Jul 1 2026

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

    Neil takes us through how he is using AI to build his ultimate smart home with Home Assistant
    Jun 23 2026

    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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    1 hr and 1 min
  • From an Orange Bulb to a Smart Home: Claudia’s Home Assistant Journey

    From an Orange Bulb to a Smart Home: Claudia’s Home Assistant Journey
    Jun 16 2026
    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 YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA238Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe 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.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:03:35 - Early lights to Apple Home00:06:24 - Why local-first and fewer subs00:07:59 - Server closet hardware and UDM00:10:24 - Magic lights with mmWave00:15:12 - Nap-time button and scenes00:19:22 - Local voice, Music Assistant00:27:03 - Protocols: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread00:31:00 - Door sensors and recessed mods00:34:40 - Climate data and ESPHome AC00:38:30 - Ceiling fans and canopy modules00:41:30 - Partner approval and tweaks00:44:30 - Cats: Litter-Robot and cameras00:45:15 - Robot vacuums and Valetudo00:48:30 - Dashboards that are simple00:52:10 - YAML, AI helpers, and costs00:56:20 - Cloud-optional philosophy01:01:06 - Robot mowers and real limits01:01:06 - Humanoid robots chat and wrapThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily 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.comZoozIf 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.comApollo AutomationApollo 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 MacGet Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% offProducts DiscussedUnifi Dream Machine (UDM) router: https://amzn.to/4wPeLJGAqara FP1E mmWave presence sensor (Zigbee): https://amzn.to/4wLIrXYProducts we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis 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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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • From Tuya to Home Assistant: A Kiwi’s Smart Home Journey

    From Tuya to Home Assistant: A Kiwi’s Smart Home Journey
    Jun 9 2026

    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
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Home Assistant 2026.6, E‑Ink Unboxing, Yoto, and Smarter Automations

    Home Assistant 2026.6, E‑Ink Unboxing, Yoto, and Smarter Automations
    Jun 3 2026

    Rohan and Phil are breaking down the 2026.6 release, which features updates for Infrared, Purpose specific triggers and conditions. Plus we talk KVM’s, eInk displays and starting from scratch in 2026.

    Watch this episode on YouTube

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


    Support the Podcast

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

    https://homeassistant.fm/patreon


    Share your story

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


    Chapters

    00:00:00 - Intro

    00:04:30 - New Works With HA gear

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

    00:12:00 - E‑ink uses and costs

    00:16:30 - OHF privacy paper

    00:18:30 - RF and plugs

    00:26:00 - JetKVM and PiKVM talk

    00:29:30 - 2026.6: IR receivers

    00:34:30 - Dashboards and Matter BLE

    00:36:32 - Cards and automations

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

    00:47:30 - New integrations roundup

    00:54:30 - Breaking changes

    00:56:30 - Fresh HA vs restore

    01:00:00 - UniFi hiccup resilience

    01:02:00 - Wrap‑up and callouts


    This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

    Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

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


    Zooz

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

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


    Apollo Automation

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



    Products Discussed

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

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

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

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

    Products we Recommend



    Hosts

    Phil Hawthorne

    Website

    Twitter: @philhawthorne

    Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

    Buy Phil a Coffee


    Rohan Karamandi

    Website

    Twitter: @rohank9

    Buy Rohan a Coffee



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



    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • MiciMike will turn your Google Home Mini into a Home Assistant Voice Satellite

    MiciMike will turn your Google Home Mini into a Home Assistant Voice Satellite
    May 26 2026
    Imre is a Home Assistant user, who was frustrated with his Google Home mini, so he created a PCB that can turn your Google Home Mini into a Home Assistant Voice SatelliteWatch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA235Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe 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.Chapters00:00:00 - Welcome & sponsors00:02:30 - Imi’s smart home origin00:05:00 - Lights first, then sensors00:07:30 - Heating logic in Node-RED00:10:00 - Room presence tactics00:12:30 - Millimeter wave realities00:15:00 - Cameras, alarms, UniFi00:17:30 - Notifications via Telegram00:20:00 - AI greetings at the door00:22:30 - Protocols: Zigbee to Matter00:25:00 - Wi‑Fi at scale pitfalls00:28:30 - Voice stack & languages00:31:30 - MickiMic: project intro00:35:00 - Drop‑in PCB details00:38:00 - HA Voice compatibility00:41:00 - Gen2 plans & audio00:44:00 - Echo future & limits00:47:00 - Firmware hurdles00:49:30 - Crowdsupply journey00:53:00 - Pricing & sustainability00:56:00 - What’s next & thanksThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily 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.ZoozIf 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.comApollo AutomationApollo 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 DiscussedMiciMic PCB (Google Home Mini drop-in board): https://www.crowdsupply.com/micimike-rev-devices/micimike-home-mini-drop-in-pcb#productsGoogle Home Mini (Gen 1): https://amzn.to/3RtvxxGProducts we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis 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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    59 mins