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 YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA245Support 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 - Intro00:01:47 - Perth meetup and SmartThings API00:07:47 - Battery charging and leak sensors00:14:52 - Port 80 and HTTP settings00:18:03 - UI wording and entity IDs00:22:49 - Moon and vibration automations00:24:23 - Device registry separation00:30:00 - Template editor00:32:21 - Dashboards and integration updates00:36:37 - New Home Assistant integrations00:44:48 - Breaking changes and upgrade advice00:46:34 - Rohan's house move00:48:14 - Proxmox migration and Zigbee00:51:02 - Z-Wave migration and lock codes00:55:31 - AI agent automations00:57:36 - Network troubleshooting with Hermes00:59:48 - Picture frame project and closingThis 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.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.comProducts DiscussedSwitchBot Candle Warmer Lamp: https://amzn.to/45plQEtRoborock Q10 robot vacuum: https://amzn.to/4fVu105Harbor Sleep Baby Monitor: https://amzn.to/3Rt73VVProducts 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

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 YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA244Support 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: Intro00:02:00: Getting Into Automation00:04:15: Choosing Hardware Wisely00:06:30: Network Lessons Learned00:10:30: Current Home Setup00:15:00: Presence And Notifications00:20:30: Actionable Alerts00:27:55: Chores And Screen Time00:34:20: Morning Summaries00:39:00: .NET Automations00:46:50: School DatesThis 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 DiscussedShelly One relay: https://amzn.to/4wUFxj6CC2531 Zigbee controller: https://amzn.to/3RFhwgSAmazon Echo Dot: https://amzn.to/44DIBUBAqara contact sensor: https://amzn.to/4vIfUkyAqara passive infrared motion sensor: https://amzn.to/4wWJ3tnProducts 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

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. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode Phil and Rohan chat with Omri, the creator of QuickBars, an Android TV and Google TV app for controlling Home Assistant from the couch. They dig into his smart home journey, how he replaced a slow proprietary Zigbee setup, and how Home Assistant became the central brain for his parents' house and his own apartment.Watch this episode on 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

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 YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA240Support 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 Intro00:02:10 Unify 2026 recap00:10:45 Listener feedback and Yoto00:28:40 E-Ink project update00:32:43 Home Assistant 2026.700:40:52 Updates and integrations00:50:40 Breaking changes and wrap-upThis 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 we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis video contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Neil walks us through how he has managed to leverage AI tools to create his dream smart home with Home Assistant. From automating blinds to automating a winter cottageWatch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA239Support 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 - Welcome00:01:21 - Neil’s background00:03:33 - Starting with Google Home00:04:53 - Lutron and motion sensors00:06:06 - Complex HVAC challenge00:08:52 - DIY manifold control00:10:52 - Radiant cooling by dew point00:13:23 - Gas vs electrification debate00:15:51 - Coding with AI tools00:19:59 - Sauna and smart blinds00:24:21 - Cottage winter automation00:31:20 - Remote access choices00:33:55 - Multi-building MQTT design00:40:41 - Plant care automation00:44:54 - Device health monitoring00:49:59 - Zigbee vs Z-Wave talk00:55:06 - Future plans and tools00:59:38 - Wrap-upThis 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 we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeePrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Claudia joins Phil and Rohan to share how an orange Philips Hue bulb sparked a full-blown smart home powered by Home Assistant.Watch this episode on 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

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 interfaceWatch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA237Support 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 Intro00:03:00 Steve’s Kiwi smart home origin00:10:15 First Home Assistant wins and fails00:16:00 Garage door saga and ESPHome00:23:50 Access control00:28:01 From tinkerer to creator00:41:00 Apple Home as UI00:46:30 Ambient alerts: plants, leaks00:55:10 Appliances, HACS, lock‑in01:04:00 Cameras and continuous video01:07:30 Wrap‑up and linksThis 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 we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeePrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rohan and Phil are breaking down the 2026.6 release, which features updates for Infrared, Purpose specific triggers and conditions. Plus we talk KVM’s, eInk displays and starting from scratch in 2026.Watch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA236Support 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 - Intro00:04:30 - New Works With HA gear00:06:30 - Open Display collab, e‑ink00:12:00 - E‑ink uses and costs00:16:30 - OHF privacy paper00:18:30 - RF and plugs00:26:00 - JetKVM and PiKVM talk00:29:30 - 2026.6: IR receivers00:34:30 - Dashboards and Matter BLE00:36:32 - Cards and automations00:42:30 - Z‑Wave, Sonos, Reolink, Tuya00:47:30 - New integrations roundup00:54:30 - Breaking changes00:56:30 - Fresh HA vs restore01:00:00 - UniFi hiccup resilience01:02:00 - Wrap‑up and calloutsThis 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 DiscussedJetKVM IP KVM: https://amzn.to/4wU1bEOYale Z‑Wave smart locks: https://amzn.to/4visNSlMyPropane tank monitor: https://amzn.to/3QjJZbnYoto audio player: https://amzn.to/4xlZhNJProducts 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