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Home Assistant Podcast

Mostly Automated Media
  • 4.8 (72)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

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 podcast aims to inspire new ways to make your home smarter.

  1. APR 7 • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    Braden’s Reliable, Low-Cost Home Automation System With Zero YAML Powered by Home Assistant

    Electrical engineer Braden joins Phil and Rohan to share practical Home Assistant wins. From migrating to Zigbee2MQTT, taming a Whirlpool ice maker with ESPHome, building a garage door opener, and planning a sensor-packed greenhouse lab.

    58 min
  2. Infrared is cool again with Home Assistant 2026.4

    MAR 31 • SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

    Infrared is cool again with Home Assistant 2026.4

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

    56 min
  3. Home Assistant On Wheels: We’re going Inside the SmartyVan

    6D AGO

    Home Assistant On Wheels: We’re going Inside the SmartyVan

    Director-turned-vanlifer Mike from the YouTube channel SmartyVan shows how he turned a bare Mercedes Sprinter into a fully automated, off‑grid smart RV powered by Home Assistant and ESPHome. We cover DC power realities, alternator charging vs solar, Starlink on the move, Bluetooth presence, wired vs Zigbee sensors and PoE cameras with Frigate. Perfect for vanlife, RV, and tiny home builders. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA227 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro, sponsors, Mike arrives 00:05:00 - From Sprinter shell to smart RV 00:10:00 - Power: solar, alternator, efficiency 00:16:00 - Home Assistant in a DC world 00:22:00 - Pi 4, microSD, backups 00:28:00 - Internet, Starlink, offline logic 00:35:32 - Van automations that matter 00:41:00 - Service mode and shop visits 00:47:00 - Presence without motion sensors 00:53:00 - OBD-II, WICAN, vehicle data 00:59:00 - Wired sensors vs Zigbee 01:05:00 - Cameras, Frigate, PoE control 01:09:00 - What’s next and where to find This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Notion Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant Products Discussed Google Coral USB TPU accelerator: https://amzn.to/4cNVot1 Aqara contact sensors: https://amzn.to/4utywFk Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episodes contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 10m
  4. Kaden‘s Cat-Tracking Smart Home with Home Assistant and Frigate

    MAR 17

    Kaden‘s Cat-Tracking Smart Home with Home Assistant and Frigate

    We’re diving into Kaden’s cat-first smart home: Reolink + Frigate for pet detection, PetLibro feeders, and a Litter-Robot 4 all tied together with Home Assistant and LLM-generated dashboards. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA226 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:35 From HomeBridge to Home Assistant 00:07:20 Cat cams and Frigate detection 00:12:45 Smart feeders and litter box 00:16:40 Human presence and privacy 00:20:50 Garage automation journey 00:24:42 State models and sponsor break 00:30:50 Wall tablet dashboards 00:36:27 Water monitoring with RTL-SDR 00:40:32 Energy tracking and panel CTs 00:44:52 Cutting server power draw 00:48:06 WLED beats Govee cloud 00:51:00 BLE proxies and neighbors 00:54:00 On-call alerts and alarms 00:56:20 Wrap-up and links This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Clean My Mac Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off Products Discussed PetLibro automatic feeder: https://amzn.to/4bh3Nnj PetLibro water fountain: https://amzn.to/4aIDjLs Whisker Litter-Robot 4: https://amzn.to/4ch47DI Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus: https://amzn.to/4rVv0lm NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti: https://amzn.to/4tZ8Nod Google Coral AI Accelerator (referenced): https://amzn.to/4r44S6E Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 radio (ad): https://amzn.to/47jdYp3 Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    58 min
  5. Home Assistant AI Deep Dive: LLM Vision, Copilot, OpenClaw & More

    MAR 10

    Home Assistant AI Deep Dive: LLM Vision, Copilot, OpenClaw & More

    Phil and Rohan go deep on practical AI for Home Assistant. We cover LLM Vision for doorbell and perimeter alerts, HACS add‑ons like AI Agent and AI Suggester, and using GitHub Copilot to generate YAML automations. Rohan shares his Ollama + LiteLLM routing setup and why private cloud models might beat pay‑per‑token APIs. Phil battles OpenClaw (aka MoltBot/Claude Bot) to control lights via MCP Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA225 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:02 - Rohan’s AI stack today 00:09:00 - HA’s built-in AI + Copilot 00:18:00 - HACS: AI Agent & Suggester 00:26:24 - LLM Vision in practice 00:37:00 - OpenClaw, MCP, and gotchas 00:47:00 - Do we need agents? Use cases 00:51:00 - Costs, feedback, and outro This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Reolink AI Security Cameras: https://amzn.to/3OwwLH2 Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    53 min
  6. Home Assistant 2026.3: Vacuuming rooms, and the sky is dark again

    MAR 4

    Home Assistant 2026.3: Vacuuming rooms, and the sky is dark again

    Breaking down Home Assistant 2026.3: map vacuum rooms to Areas for voice control, set HA as your default Android assistant with wake word support, SendSpin multi-room updates, Python 3.14 performance gains, and new integrations for Ghost, Proxmox, SwitchBot AI Art Frame, Trane HVAC, and NYC MTA. Mailbag: NFC dash buttons, Aqara FP300 presence tips, bed sensors, and listener automations for pets and babies. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA224 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:40 - News: Partners, Event, Merch 00:03:54 - Dark Sky Returns: Acme Weather 00:08:02 - Mailbag: AI, Accessibility, Pets 00:12:56 - Gear Talk: Aqara, NFC, Bed Sensors 00:19:09 - 2026.3 Release Overview 00:21:56 - Vacuum Room-to-Area Mapping 00:27:42 - App & Voice: Python, Dashboards, Assist 00:32:15 - SendSpin Sync & Visuals 00:36:30 - Matter, Docker, AI, Energy 00:41:30 - Devices & Integration Highlights 00:44:24 - New Integrations Roundup 00:51:48 - Breaking Changes To Note 00:55:30 - Wrap-Up & What’s Next This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed HEIMAN smoke and CO alarms (Matter over Thread): https://amzn.to/4smRtrv Open Home Foundation merch (hat, hoodie): https://store.openhomefoundation.org/ Neakasa M1 automatic litter box: https://amzn.to/3NdtiNd Petlibro RFID pet feeders: https://amzn.to/4se0XFo Owlet Dream Sock: https://amzn.to/4b0kHFI Samsung Frame TV: https://amzn.to/3N40VAW SwitchBot AI Art Frame (color e‑ink): https://amzn.to/4u0qLXr Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    56 min
  7. How Andrew Rebuilt His Solo Smart Home When a Roommate Moved In

    FEB 24

    How Andrew Rebuilt His Solo Smart Home When a Roommate Moved In

    Andrew joins Phil and Rohan to share how he outgrew Apple HomeKit and built a powerful multi-user smart home in Home Assistant. We cover presence detection with ESP32s and sensors, ditching MyQ for a Meross garage opener, Yale smart locks, bathroom humidity fan automations, and fun ESPN sports goal alerts. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA223 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Welcome, Sponsors, Intro 00:02:00 - Andrew’s Tech Beginnings 00:05:00 - From Apple Home to HA 00:08:00 - Breaking HomeKit Limitations 00:11:00 - Hardware: Pi to Proxmox 00:14:00 - Backups, Restores, Cleanup 00:16:30 - Multi-User Automation Challenges 00:19:00 - Presence Without Phone Tracking 00:22:00 - Buttons, Switches, Voice Balance 00:25:00 - ESP32 Presence And Motion 00:29:00 - Bathroom Humidity Fan Logic 00:33:00 - Sensor Health & Batteries 00:36:00 - Lighting Philosophy & Accents 00:39:00 - WLED, TV Backlights, Aesthetics 00:41:30 - Goals For The Year, Wrap-Up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Notion Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant Products Discussed Meross Smart Garage Door Opener (with reed sensor): https://amzn.to/4ratgV5 Third Reality Smart Switch (Toggle/rocker add-on): https://amzn.to/4kupS4S Aqara Temperature & Humidity Sensor: https://amzn.to/4twysV1 Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: https://amzn.to/3MskUZN Philips Hue Lightstrips: https://amzn.to/465QhA5 Govee Floor Lamp: https://amzn.to/4rfMRDv Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee 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

    42 min
  8. How Will Automates His Parents' Pool from 2,000 Miles Away and a Period UK Home

    FEB 17

    How Will Automates His Parents' Pool from 2,000 Miles Away and a Period UK Home

    Will joins Phil and Rohan to share how he tamed a period UK home and a remote Canary Islands vacation property with Home Assistant, ESPHome, and Zigbee. We dive into DIY pool chemistry control, fridge monitoring with a ‘strawtenna’, tactile dashboards, AI‑assisted heating, and why Shelly is everywhere Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA222 Special Thanks to Today's Guest Will Osborne-Kennedy Website 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 00:03:30 Will’s origin story and tinkering 00:08:30 Finding Home Assistant and ESPHome 00:12:00 Hot tub and pool control projects 00:17:00 Remote Canary Islands setup 00:22:00 Zigbee vs Wi‑Fi in old homes 00:27:00 Antennas and fridge sensor hacks 00:32:00 Dashboards and tactile panels 00:37:00 AI and heating optimizations 00:42:00 Remote access: fiber and TailScale 00:46:00 Multi‑site management and ideas 00:50:00 Favorite automations and LLM Vision 00:56:00 Home lab, IPTV, and Channels DVR 01:00:00 2026 goals: energy, irrigation, WLED 01:05:00 Shelly scripts and local‑first 01:07:00 Community vendors This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Clean My Mac Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off https://clnmy.com/ASSISTANT Products Discussed Shelly Bluetooth button/tile: https://amzn.to/4bJcvvy Orbit B‑Hyve irrigation controller: https://amzn.to/4bJcvvy HDHomeRun TV tuner: https://amzn.to/4klnoFU Philips Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor: https://amzn.to/4cf3r1p Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 9m
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4.8
out of 5
72 Ratings

About

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 podcast aims to inspire new ways to make your home smarter.

Information

  • Creator
    Mostly Automated Media
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    242
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mostly Automated Media Pty Ltd
  • Show Website
    Home Assistant Podcast
  • Provider
    Mostly Automated Media

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