Home Assistant Podcast

HK Media
  • 4.8 (71)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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

    9H AGO

    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
  2. Hiding Smart Tech in a 1950s Home: Mike’s Home Assistant Journey

    FEB 10

    Hiding Smart Tech in a 1950s Home: Mike’s Home Assistant Journey

    Mike joins Phil and Rohan to share how he hides smart tech in a 1953 mid‑century home so it looks analog but works like magic. Plus: Roborock tricks, leak sensors that turn rooms blue, HomePod TTS vs Sonos ducking, Samsung Frame art‑mode headaches, and running full HA OS in a VMware Fusion VM on a Mac mini. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA221 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 00:03:00 Lighting gateway and Hue hack 00:05:30 Sneaking tech and dance reveal 00:08:00 From HomeKit/HomeBridge to HA 00:10:30 Dashboards and camera setup 00:12:30 Bulbs vs switches in 50s home 00:14:30 Bathroom fan and comforts 00:16:30 Homelab and Zigbee backbone 00:19:00 LLMs and announcements 00:21:30 Laundry alerts and Mac lab 00:25:30 Presence sensing strategy 00:28:00 Leak sensors and water safety 00:31:00 Light signals around the home 00:33:00 Roborock automations and hacks 00:40:30 Bedroom presence routines 00:43:00 Bayesian sensors and design 00:49:50 Time Machine and Frame TV 00:54:30 Pool fountain control 00:56:30 Power and crawlspace cabling 00:59:10 Party trick 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 Philips Hue bulbs and lightstrips: https://amzn.to/4k7paur Aqara T2 wall switch: https://amzn.to/4jUTZm1 Samsung The Frame TV (43"): https://amzn.to/4t5mTnr Zigbee main water shutoff valve (generic): https://amzn.to/4aURldj Aqara water leak sensors: https://amzn.to/3Nest6A Aqara door/window sensors: https://amzn.to/49hmu9B Third Reality sensors: https://amzn.to/455ZR5F Ecobee thermostat with room sensors: https://amzn.to/4t4XYjO Bond Bridge (ceiling fan RF hub): https://amzn.to/3YAbHBm Aqara roller shade controllers: https://amzn.to/3O8ihwI Level Lock: https://amzn.to/3ZcU3Ug SwitchBot Lock (with keypad/fingerprint accessory): https://amzn.to/4a55H92 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 2m
  3. Home Assistant 2026.2: New Home Dashboard, Apps & our CES2026 wrap

    FEB 4

    Home Assistant 2026.2: New Home Dashboard, Apps & our CES2026 wrap

    We break down Home Assistant 2026.2: the Home Dashboard is now default, the new Command‑K command palette, a dedicated Matter dashboard, and add‑ons renamed to Apps. Plus: CES 2026 highlights, the Open Home Foundation device database and a Google Home outage. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA220 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 CES Highlights and Shoutouts 00:06:00 Device Database and Open Home 00:11:30 Cloud Outage and Local Control 00:13:50 Listener Feedback and Tips 00:21:20 2026.2 Release Overview 00:23:20 Home Dashboard Becomes Default 00:26:45 Command Palette and Shortcuts 00:29:40 Matter Dashboard and Apps Rename 00:32:40 Automations, Cards, and Buttons 00:37:10 Music Assistant, Media, Sponsor Break 00:41:10 New Integrations Roundup 00:46:25 Breaking Changes: Groups, Tuya 00:49:38 Closing Thoughts and Predictions 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 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 Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    52 min
  4. Inside the Works With Home Assistant program with Miranda Bishop

    JAN 27

    Inside the Works With Home Assistant program with Miranda Bishop

    Miranda from the Open Home Foundation takes us inside the Works With Home Assistant program: how devices are tested, why the badge matters, and how vendors—from startups to big brands—can get certified. We cover Zigbee vs Z‑Wave vs Matter, badge misuse, regional device coverage, and Miranda’s own fun automations. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA219 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 00:03:20 Miranda’s path to HA 00:08:00 CES stories and community 00:14:30 Moving program to Foundation 00:22:30 Fees, pushback, endorsement? 00:29:30 Guidance, safety, and testing 00:36:30 Zigbee, Z‑Wave, Matter realities 00:43:00 Big brands, IKEA, relationships 00:50:30 Cloud integrations, Genie 00:55:30 Miranda’s home and automations 01:03:30 Blinds, garden, robots 01:10:00 Regional coverage and filters 01:15:30 Badge misuse and enforcement 01:20:30 2026 goals 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. 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 Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsP 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 23m
  5. From SimpliSafe to Matter: We’re re-visiting Aaron

    JAN 20

    From SimpliSafe to Matter: We’re re-visiting Aaron

    Aaron returns to share how his Home Assistant setup evolved from endless tinkering to a rock‑solid system that runs his family life. We cover Z‑Wave provisioning, ESPHome vs off‑the‑shelf reliability, RATGDO for garage doors, HA Green/Yellow, voice‑first routines, and the rise of AI‑powered helpers. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA218 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, guest intro 00:02:30 - Aaron’s Home Assistant dev journey 00:06:30 - Life change and HA evolving 00:10:30 - HA Green/Yellow setup ease 00:14:30 - Proxmox vs appliance hubs 00:18:30 - Remote radios and antennas 00:22:30 - AppDaemon to UI automations 00:26:30 - AI helpers and sensors 00:30:30 - Dashboards vs default view 00:34:30 - Voice and automation-first 00:38:30 - Community ideas and sharing 00:42:30 - Maintain vs rebuild strategy 00:46:30 - Vacuum and dishwasher flows 00:50:30 - Guest mode with Shortcuts 00:54:30 - ESPHome vs plug-and-play 00:58:30 - Z-Wave provisioning 01:02:30 - Local-first hardware wins 01:06:30 - Matter, cameras, standards 01:10:00 - Open-source continuity, advice 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 Home Assistant Connect Z-Wave (ZWA2) antenna: https://amzn.to/48PrphT Ubiquiti Protect cameras: https://amzn.to/4asHXxt 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 12m
  6. Artem’s Energy‑Smart Automations Without the Chaos

    JAN 13

    Artem’s Energy‑Smart Automations Without the Chaos

    By day Artem works for JetBrains, developing coding IDEs for software professionals. But today we want to learn about his smart home, and how he is using Home Assistant to make it more energy efficient Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA217 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, guest intro 00:02:30 - Developer life and new home 00:06:30 - Shutters and first automations 00:12:20 - Wi‑Fi presence and WAF/PAF 00:17:30 - Cabling regrets and PoE lessons 00:21:30 - Zigbee over Ethernet; IKEA fix 00:25:58 - Dynamic tariffs, solar and battery 00:33:20 - Smart appliance scheduling 00:41:00 - mmWave presence sensors 00:45:20 - Doorbell NFC and Nuki lock 00:50:10 - Wishlist, Hue and wiring 00:53:10 - Climate tuning and valve fix 00:58:40 - Versatile thermostat 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. 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 Ubiquiti UniFi Protect G4 Pro Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4aT1IhF Aqara FP2 mmWave presence sensor: https://amzn.to/4s4M4WM 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 podcast 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 2m
  7. Home Assistant 2026.1: SendSpin, new Home Dashboard improvements and presence using labels

    JAN 6

    Home Assistant 2026.1: SendSpin, new Home Dashboard improvements and presence using labels

    Rohan and Phil are here to break down the 2026.1 release. We’re talking Home Dashboard improvements, a new multi-room audio protocol from Music Assistant, and of course some Zigbee quirks thrown into the mix Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA216 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 - New Year, housekeeping, sponsors 00:03:00 - SendSpin: open sync audio arrives 00:10:00 - Cross‑ecosystem sync caveats 00:14:00 - Voice PE audio and DIY speakers 00:16:00 - Listener Q&A and AI log help 00:20:00 - 2026.1 mobile Home dashboard 00:24:00 - Purpose‑specific triggers expansion 00:27:00 - New integrations 00:31:00 - Labels/templates for presence 00:37:00 - Protocol hubs, Matter, graphs, devices 00:41:00 - Breaking changes, EcoWitt PSA, CES 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 Roborock Q7 robot vacuum: https://amzn.to/4bkyEjo EcoWitt weather station: https://amzn.to/4jBcX0M Sonos One: https://amzn.to/4pmsz9H 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

    43 min
  8. 187 Automations, 300 Devices: Josh’s Smart Home Assistant Journey

    12/16/2025

    187 Automations, 300 Devices: Josh’s Smart Home Assistant Journey

    Josh from Josh’s Smart Home joins Phil and Rohan to unpack a 300-device Home Assistant setup running on Home Assistant Green. We dive into the move from SmartThings, building a reliable Zigbee mesh, energy automations with Tesla Powerwall and a smart pool pump and theatre room presence. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA215 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 00:01:22 - Meet Josh 00:02:18 - Early smart home missteps 00:04:12 - SmartThings and Lutron 00:05:54 - WebCoRE ends, HA begins 00:09:29 - Home Assistant Green setup 00:09:34 - Zigbee mesh with Aqara 00:12:55 - Theater gear quirks 00:14:18 - Theater automation philosophy 00:22:02 - Time-of-use energy automations 00:23:00 - Powerwall + solar in HA 00:26:31 - ROI and arbitrage 00:28:28 - Tesla automations 00:32:42 - Dashboards and voice control 00:37:19 - Washer/dryer and doorbell alerts 00:40:37 - 187 automations, time saved 00:44:20 - Motion and humidity control 00:48:56 - Measuring automation impact 00:50:02 - Smart blinds convenience 00:50:19 - Yarbo mower and snowblower 00:58:43 - Security and utility uses 01:06:59 - Starting Josh’s Smart Home 01:10:27 - Automation content plans 01:12:45 - Top new-build tips 01:15:56 - Designing and building 01:21:26 - Where to find Josh 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 Video Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4a7LIId Apple TV 4K: https://amzn.to/4prsT7n Narwal robot vacuum and mop: https://amzn.to/3KgSaSK UV insect light traps: https://amzn.to/484CNEY Yarbo robotic core with mower/snow modules: https://amzn.to/3LOtOQV 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 podcast 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 22m
See All (235)

4.8
out of 5
71 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

  • Channel
    HK Media
  • Creator
    HK Media
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    235
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Home Assistant Podcast
  • Show Website
    Home Assistant Podcast

More From HK Media

You Might Also Like