Home Assistant Podcast

Mostly Automated Media
  • 4.8 (75)
  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

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 smart home even smarter.

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  1. Nov 10 • Subscriber Early Access

    115 Zigbee Devices and a Home That Knows Who’s Where with William Devereux

    William joins Phil and Rohan to tour his Home Assistant smart home, from 115 Zigbee devices and mmWave room presence to lights that respond to who’s home. They also discuss Sonos audio that follows you between rooms, and the automations that make it work.

    115 Zigbee Devices and a Home That Knows Who’s Where with William Devereux

  2. 1d ago

    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

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

  3. 1d ago • Subscribers Only

    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.

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

  4. Oct 20

    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

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

  5. Oct 13

    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

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

  6. Oct 6

    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

    Mapping all the changes in Home Assistant 2026.10

  7. Oct 2

    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

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

  8. Sep 22

    Roland “Accidentally” Installed Home Assistant, Then Automated Everything

    Roland joins Phil and Rohan to share how a simple attempt to measure an old fridge's energy use led to a deeply data-driven Home Assistant smart home. Energy monitoring, solar forecasting, home batteries, EV charging, ESPHome, weather data and templates are all used to make his home smarter. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA251 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome 00:02:01 An accidental Home Assistant install 00:06:04 Scaling devices and automations 00:08:04 Solar forecasts and battery control 00:16:46 ESPHome windows and storm protection 00:21:03 Home Assistant at the university 00:26:16 Starting with energy data 00:29:08 Cooling buckets and digital grass 00:34:52 Turning data into automations 00:37:19 Summer-winter heating and cooling 00:43:52 Measuring a new home 00:47:21 Whole-home energy and smart PC 00:52:16 Pool monitoring and house insights 00:59:07 Future projects and stable automation 01:04:26 Updates, reliability and farewell This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Apollo Automation Apollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box. Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Sign up for your free trial in your Home Assistant system: https://my.home-assistant.io/redirect/cloud/ or visit https://nabucasa.com Want Phil to help with your smart home? You’ve heard him troubleshoot Home Assistant on the podcast. Now you can book him to troubleshoot yours. From broken automations and confusing YAML to dashboards, devices, and complete smart home setups: https://smarthomecto.com Products Discussed Navimow robotic lawn mower: https://amzn.to/4d7phni Apollo Automation ESPHome Starter Kit: https://esphome.io/starter-kit/ Apollo Automation Cast 1: https://apolloautomation.com/products/cast-1-audio-casting-device Shelly smart relays/switches: https://amzn.to/4tfoHdE Shelly One relay: https://amzn.to/4wUFxj6 Products we Recommend Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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4.8
out of 5
75 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 smart home even smarter.

Information

  • Creator
    Mostly Automated Media
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    275
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mostly Automated Media Pty Ltd
  • Show Website
    Home Assistant Podcast
  • Provider
    Mostly Automated Media

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