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Home Assistant Podcast

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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.

Episodes

How Bob automates an RV and a smart home with Home Assistant

We talk with Bob who is using Home Assistant to automate and secure his RV, as well as helping his disabled son Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha182 Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:54 Bob's Journey with Home Assistant 00:01:40 Efficient Home Automation for Families 00:24:43 Exploring Advanced Automation Systems 00:25:50 Safety in Home Automation 00:33:35 RV Home Automation Challenges 00:50:12 Integrating Node-RED with OpenHAB and MQTT 00:50:32 Lighting Solution...

Apr 15, 20251 hr 20 minEp. 182

Catching up with Travis aka digiblurDIY to talk Home Assistant

We’re kicking off our new creators special episodes by talking to one of the best out there, Travis from the YouTube channel digiblurDIY. Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha181 digiblurDIY on YouTube digiblur.com Chapters 00:00:00 Guest Introduction: Travis aka DigiBlur 00:01:32 Travis' Journey into Home Automation 00:03:10 Challenges and Achievements 00:04:05 ESPHome and Tasmota 00:08:54 Sponsorships and Content Creation 00:19:45 Family Involvement and Outro Stories ...

Apr 08, 20251 hr 11 minEp. 176

2025.4 - A new areas dashboard and some big announcements (for us!)

A new Areas dashboard type lands in 2024.5. Meanwhile we’ve got some announcements about the podcast to share Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha180 Chapters 00:00:58 Upcoming State of the Open Home 00:02:49 Matter Certification and Open Home Innovations 00:06:06 Motion Blinds and Community Day 00:07:22 Podcast Updates and New Sponsor 00:10:23 SwitchBot Integration Update 00:11:56 Home Assistant 2025.4 Release Highlights 00:12:18 Voice Support Enhancements 00:19:10 New Ar...

Apr 01, 202545 minEp. 180

Jeroen’s energy dashboard and e-ink calendar display

Jeroen is a software developer from The Netherlands with a passion for saving money by saving energy. In this episode Jeroen shares his energy dashboard and e-ink calendar display. Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha179 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon vo...

Mar 18, 20251 hr 4 minEp. 152

Home Assistant 2025.3 lands with more dashboard improvements

Rohan and Phil are here to break down the 2025.3 release, which brings more dashboard improvements, and discuss the latest “voice chapter” update. Meanwhile SmartThings collaborates with Home Assistant to ensure their integration keeps working for Home Assistant users' Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha178 Chapters 00:00:16 Welcome and Introduction 00:00:59 Excitement for Speech-to-Phrase 00:03:15 Hive API Changes and Updates 00:05:01 Dashboard and UI Enhancements 00...

Mar 04, 202546 minEp. 110

How Damien Uses Home Assistant to Simplify Life

See what happens when a tech-savvy teacher turned police officer dives deep into the world of Home Assistant. Phil and Rohan chat with Damien about his automation setup, the coolest integrations he's built, and how he's making his home truly intelligent. Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha177 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was made possible thanks to our...

Feb 18, 202556 minEp. 177

2025.2 - Broadcasting our backups to OneDrive and Google Drive

2025.2 is here with a bunch of new updates to the backups feature, and the Home Assistant voice assistant gets some long awaited new skills. Meanwhile Rohan and Phil discuss a new office occupancy sensor from Logitech, and an issue with HACS Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha176 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assist...

Feb 05, 202529 minEp. 121

CES 2025 Debrief

Rohan and Phil go to CES 2025 in Las Vegas. In this episode they give an outline of some of the things they experienced from an open source and Home Assistant perspective. Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha175 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assis...

Jan 21, 202546 minEp. 175

Automating the pool pump started Gavin’s smart home journey

Gavin from the Home Tech Podcast stops by to talk about his smart home journey with Home Assistant. From automating the pool to soil sensors and cameras, Gavin has tackled a lot Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha174 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice...

Jan 14, 20251 hr 9 minEp. 141

2025.1 - Backups, Voice and What The Heck?!

2025 is here and Home Assistant is kicking it off with a new cloud-ready backup solution, and a bunch of updates that have been making peoples heads scratch for a while Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha173 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistan...

Jan 03, 202547 minEp. 173

Meet Missy - Community Manager for Nabu Casa

You may not know her, but you have most likely seen or read her work. Missy is the social media and community manager for Nabu Casa, and a home assistant user. Chapters 00:00:52 - Meet Missy 00:01:28 - Role of Community Manager 00:02:09 - Nabucasa Developments 00:03:02 - Community Engagement 00:06:46 - Discord Restructuring 00:13:18 - Social Media Management 00:15:58 - Reddit Influence 00:17:54 - Home Automation Projects 00:22:36 - RoboVac Insights 00:25:03 - Office Automation Challenges 00:26:5...

Dec 17, 202452 minEp. 149

Frenck Takes over the Podcast w/ Phil & Rohan

For the final release episode of 2024, Frenck decides to turn the microphone and questions back on to Rohan and Phil Chapters 00:00:17 - Introduction 00:01:51 - Origin of the Home Assistant Podcast 00:03:18 - Changes and Evolution of the Podcast 00:06:10 - Motivations and Inspirations 00:11:28 - Phil and Rohan's Smart Home Experiences 00:22:30 - Future Smart Home Technologies 00:25:24 - Introduction to Home Automation 00:25:30 - Energy and Sustainability Discussion 00:26:24 - The Influence o...

Dec 10, 202438 minEp. 171

2024.12 - Frenck breaks down the final release for 2024 with us

For the final release of the year, Frenck is here to reflect on the year and his recent GitHub Universe experience. Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha170 Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon 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...

Dec 03, 20241 hr 5 min

Tim’s Aussie rental automated with Zigbee and Home Assistant

Tim is starting out with his Home Assistant journey like many of us did, in a rental with limited options for changing fixtures. Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha169 Support the Podcast Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Patreon supporters get access to an ad-free feed and early episode drops! Chapters 00:00:15 Introduction 00:00:50 Meet Tim 00:01:07 Home Automation Beginnings 00:03:13 Challenges in Home Automation 00:05:33 Zigbee and IKEA Devices 00:12:27 ZHA and Zigbee...

Nov 19, 20241 hr 16 minEp. 169

Sections and LG ThinQ go official in 2024.11

Section dashboard layouts are now official. LG comes to the party creating an official LG ThinQ integration. Phil and Rohan discuss the modern cord cutter dilemma Watch the full episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha168 Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon 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 Use...

Nov 05, 202444 minEp. 168

Using AI to help with your household admin w/ Benjamin

Learn how Benjamin is using AI integrations with Home Assistant to help organise and manage some of those mundane tasks we all have to do Timestamps: 00:00:16 - Introduction 00:01:13 - Benjamin's Journey with Home Automation 00:04:05 - Challenges and Solutions in Home Automation 00:10:55 - Dashboard Design and Usability 00:22:24 - Voice Assistants in Smart Homes 00:30:44 - Project Highlights and Innovations 00:31:37 - Introduction to Software 00:31:46 - Clock Running Issue 00:32:08 - ESP Hom...

Oct 29, 20241 hr 16 minEp. 157

Grant Hinds on his smart home journey with Home Assistant

Grant is a South African tech enthusiast and content creator, who joins Rohan and Phil to discuss his joy of using Home Assistant in his smart home Chapters 00:01:23 - Background in Tech and Smart Homes 00:02:04 - Discussion on Home Assistant Setups 00:04:12 - Synology and NAS Performance 00:05:27 - Exploring Efficient Tech Solutions 00:11:21 - Innovative South African Technology Solutions 00:17:14 - Load Shedding Solutions Using Smart Technologies 00:22:09 - Utilizing ESPHome and Bluetooth for ...

Oct 17, 20241 hr 20 minEp. 166

Google Photos Integration and Energy Usage Monitoring in Home Assistant 2024.10

In this episode 2024.10 of the Home Assistant Podcast, hosts Rohan Karamandi and Phil Hawthorne discuss many exciting updates which extend from YAML updates to Tesla Fleet and EV integration. From new Matter integration surprises to advanced dashboard customization features, this episode breaks down the key improvements you’ll want to implement in your home setup. Phil shares his hands-on experience with a Matter presence sensor, while Rohan discusses the latest support for button and valve enti...

Oct 02, 202448 min

From Slopes to Smart Homes: Using Home Assistant for Ski Conditions and Traffic Tracking w/ Nick Dawson

In this episode of the Home Assistant Podcast, hosts Rohan Karamandi and Phil Hawthorne are joined by Nick Dawson , a ski instructor, mountain guide, and passionate home automation enthusiast. The conversation takes a deep dive into Nick's unique approach to home automation, particularly how he integrates smart technology into his life both on and off the ski slopes. From automating his morning routine to ensuring his dog's safety while he's away, Nick's insights provide a wealth...

Sep 18, 20241 hr 15 minEp. 164

HACS 2.0 and New Integration Features in Home Assistant 2024.9

In this episode of the Home Assistant Podcast, hosts Phil Hawthorne and Rohan Karamandi , discuss the recent appointment of Paulus on the Z-Wave Alliance board, and dive into the improvements with HACS 2.0 and energy management discrepancies. The hosts also highlight innovative use cases for technologies like LoRa and the integration of Claude LLM into Home Assistant. This episode is packed with insights, technical discussions, and a few fun anecdotes about their personal experiences with home a...

Sep 04, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 163

Integrating and Advancing Smart Home Technologies with Nir Lavi

In this episode of the Home Assistant Podcast, hosts Rohan Karamandi and Phil Hawthorne have a fascinating discussion with Nir Lavi, an enthusiast and active contributor to the home automation community. The conversation delves deep into Nir’s journey with home automation, focusing on the practical aspects and challenges of integrating advanced smart technologies into everyday life. Nir shares his experiences, from early experimentation with home automation to the sophisticated systems he uses t...

Aug 21, 20241 hr 2 minEp. 162

Local LLM Integration and UI Updates in 2024.8

In this episode of the Home Assistant Podcast, hosts Phil Hawthorne and Rohan Karamandi provide the latest updates and features of Home Assistant version 2024.8 and more! They discuss various topics, including the discontinuation of Telstra TV and Nike's self-lacing shoes, environmental concerns related to e-waste, and notable updates in the Home Assistant ecosystem, including new local LLM integrations, updates to the Home Assistant Yellow and Green devices, and enhancements to the user int...

Aug 07, 202459 minEp. 161

Customize Your Home with Advanced Automation with Jason Shearer

In this episode of the Home Assistant Podcast, Rohan Karamandi and Phil Hawthorne have an engaging conversation with Jason Shearer , a long-time listener and an engineering leader in the technology industry. Jason shares his fascinating journey from experimenting with home automation in his first condo to integrating advanced technologies into his current home. His expertise spans various domains, including lighting, irrigation, security, and energy management. Jason's story is filled with i...

Jul 19, 20241 hr 13 minEp. 160

Taking control of Blueprints, Voice gets smarter in 2024.7

2024.7, Year of the voice chapter 7, and an amazing ESPHome update are just some of the goodies released Rohan and Phil break down. Chapters 00:44 ESPHome Update Entities 05:16 Year of the voice chapter 7 18:49 2204.7 20:11 Home Assistant Roadmap 29:05 20247 Continued For complete show notes and more information about the topics discussed in this episode, be sure to check the notes at https://hasspodcast.io/ha159 Watch this episode on YouTube Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon This episode was ma...

Jul 03, 20241 hr 2 minEp. 159

Florian’s 100+ device ZigBee Network

Florian from The Netherlands joins Rohan and Phil to break down his smart home journey, and some of the decisions made when designing his families smart home. Chapters 00:56 Getting started with Home Assistant 12:23 Design Considerations for a smart home 17:00 Protocols in the smart home 19:17 100 Devices on Zigbee 27:40 Home Assistant Hardware 29:27 Favourite Automations 34:03 Outdoor Irrigation 40:24 Other Life Automations 44:51 Room Presence 48:47 Future plans for automations 50:51 Automating...

Jun 20, 20241 hr 1 minEp. 158

Letting AI take control of our home with 2024.6

From digital photo frames, irrigation and (almost) his children, Daniel has automated a lot with Home Assistant and ESPHome Chapters 01:04 LLM AI Support for Home Assistant 09:52 Assust Room Awareness 10:58 Section Layout Control 13:28 Blueprint Collapsible Sections 14:23 Grouping Actions 17:04 Matter Matters 18:24 Disabling Expired Login Tokens in 20246 21:16 Tag Entities 23:14 Teslemetry 26:56 New Integrations 33:25 Azure Data Explorer 37:42 Backward-incompatible Changes 48:05 A subscription p...

Jun 04, 20241 hr 1 min

Exploring Daniel’s Home Assistant powered smart home

From digital photo frames, irrigation and (almost) his children, Daniel has automated a lot with Home Assistant and ESPHome Chapters 01:03 Getting started with Home Automation 02:51 Building a smart home 09:36 Partner Acceptance Rules for a Smart House 12:15 Smart Home Module Life Cycles 16:27 ESPHome 22:08 Water and Energy Monitoring 30:45 Irrigation 45:56 Reolink Cameras 54:01 Favourite Automations 58:02 Netgear Meural 01:13:03 Driving Automations 01:19:44 Home Assistant Hardware For complete ...

May 21, 20241 hr 23 minEp. 156

Talking the Open Home Foundation and 2024.5 with Frenck

The State of the Open Home live stream had some big announcements for Home Assistant and its future. Frenck fills in for Rohan to go behind the scenes and break down the announcements, and the latest Home Assistant release Chapters 01:10 State of the Open Home 03:47 New Owner of Home Assistant 05:40 Home Assistant Foundation 10:56 How many homes use Home Assistant 13:35 Home Assistant Hardware Updates 17:18 Cloud New Features 18:04 Home Assistant Longterm New Features 22:53 2024.5 New Features 5...

May 01, 20241 hr 2 minEp. 149

Automating all the things with Kurt

Kurt from Belgium loves everything to do with technology. So there’s little surprise as Kurt shares with us all the ways he is using Home Assistant to make his life smarter Chapters 02:05 Getting started with Home Automation 10:10 Smart Locks 14:35 Solving the smart home for non tech people 15:53 Driving Automations 20:40 AI for the smart home 24:13 Favourite Automations 28:36 Sleep Detection 31:35 Phil's Zwave Network Offline 37:47 Robot Vacuums 42:33 Presence Detection 45:13 Powering Autom...

Apr 16, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 154

Categorising and Labelling everything with 2024.4

2024.4 lands with a much requested feature - an ability to organise our automations, scripts and devices. Rohan and Phil break down the 2024.4 release and the Voice Assistant community content winners Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:47 State of the Open Home 02:06 Voice Assistant Community Awards 10:03 2024.4 29:52 Maps and Webpage Dashboards 32:15 Section Layout 33:51 Related Items 34:41 Repairs and Spook 37:18 Matter Controllers 39:21 Opening Doors 43:24 New Integrations 45:21 Breaking Changes 47:21 S...

Apr 03, 202448 minEp. 153