iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
You can control Home Assistant without opening its phone app: use Android device controls for quick actions, a browser dashboard for a full visual interface, a smartwatch for selected controls, Assist for voice, or Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa after exposing chosen Home Assistant devices. The right alternative depends on whether you want speed, a customizable panel, hands-free control, or a familiar smart-home app.
Choose an alternative based on what you need to control
These options are not all full replacements. Android controls and watches offer a narrower set of quick actions; dashboards provide a broader, customizable visual interface; voice and ecosystem apps provide different ways to interact with selected devices.
| Option | Best for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Android device controls and widgets | Fast phone access | Selected device actions and, on supported Android 14 devices, a dashboard option |
| Home Assistant website and dashboards | A full visual control panel | Customizable views in a browser on a phone, tablet, or computer |
| Apple Watch or Wear OS | Convenient controls from your wrist | Selected actions or entities, not the complete Home Assistant feature set |
| Assist | Hands-free, natural-language control | Voice control through supported mobile or voice hardware |
| Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa | A familiar ecosystem app or voice assistant | Home Assistant devices must be exposed to the chosen platform; availability depends on setup and selected entities |
Use Android controls for quick actions
If you mainly want to switch a light, adjust a thermostat, operate a lock, or run a scene without navigating the full app, Android’s device-controls feature is a direct option. Home Assistant documents support on Android 11 or later devices that support the system feature. Supported control domains include lights, climate, covers, locks, media players, scripts, and switches. See Home Assistant’s Android device-controls documentation for supported controls and version-specific behavior.
Recommended Free Tools
On supported Android 14 devices, you can choose a Home Assistant dashboard instead of the built-in device controls. Android widgets, Quick Settings, and shortcuts are also listed in the Companion app’s feature overview; the available features differ by platform and app version. Check the current Companion app feature comparison rather than assuming that Android and iOS offer identical controls.
#1 Best Overall
- Echo Hub — An easy-to-use smart home control panel redesigned for your home. Arrange controls on your dashboard to quickly adjust devices, view cameras, start routines, and more.
- Customize your dashboard — Arrange devices into sections and resize them to focus on what matters most. Create a personalized layout that matches how your family uses their connected devices.
- Reimagined for your home - With an Alexa+ and compatible Ring subscription (sold separately), get Ring camera event summaries to stay in the know. Search your Ring footage using simple voice commands. Create routines by voice, activate modes to manage multiple devices at once, and chat with Alexa to easily control your smart home.
- Home security for the whole family — Use Echo Hub to easily arm and disarm your compatible security system, making it easy for everyone in your family to manage home security. Use the Alexa app and compatible cameras, locks, alarms, and sensors to check in while you're out.
- Works with thousands of Alexa compatible devices — WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Sidewalk, and Thread devices sync seamlessly with the built-in smart home hub.
Open a dashboard in a browser for a full visual panel
A browser dashboard is the closest general-purpose alternative if you want to see and control a range of devices on a larger screen. Home Assistant dashboards are available through the app or website, and you can customize views visually with different cards and themes, including community cards. You can tailor the interface for a kitchen tablet, a guest, or an individual household member. Home Assistant describes a dashboard as what people see when they open its app or website; the browser is another way to reach that same customizable control surface. Read the dashboard documentation.
Turn an Android tablet into a dedicated display
A spare or purpose-bought Android tablet can serve as a wall-mounted or kitchen control panel. Home Assistant documents setting its Android app as the device launcher, with kiosk-style and dedicated-dashboard use cases. This is optional hardware, not a requirement for using dashboards: a browser on an existing device can provide the control surface. The Android launcher documentation explains the setup.
Rank #2
- MEET ECHO SHOW 15 - A stunning 15.6" Full-HD (1080p) smart display that's perfect for your kitchen and ready to show you more. Use customizable widgets to keep your day on track, watch your favorite shows with Fire TV and powerful vibrant sound, and enjoy natural video calling, with 3.3x zoom and wide field of view.
- FAMILY ORGANIZATION HUB - See your top widgets at a glance, like your family’s calendars and to-do lists, local weather, smart home, and more.
- ALL YOUR FAVORITES, ALL RIGHT HERE - Built-in Fire TV unlocks endless entertainment, so you can enjoy your favorite content from thousands of apps like Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV, and more (subscription may be required). Fire TV remote included. Plus, now you can quickly add a device to play music with Active Media - start playing a song in the kitchen, then add the living room and bedroom on the fly.
- SMART HOME CENTRAL - Control smart devices with your voice or a few taps using the smart home dashboard. Easily turn on all your living room lights at once or check live camera feeds to see what's happening around your home.
- YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES ON DISPLAY - Brighten your space (and your day) by turning your home screen into a photo slideshow that displays your favorite memories. Auto curate your images and show off your favorite family memories.
Use a smartwatch for selected controls
Smartwatches are convenient for quick actions, but neither watch platform provides every Home Assistant feature. The Apple Watch integration supports complications and actions, including scripts, scenes, and iOS Actions in the documented app releases. Home Assistant’s documentation specifies watchOS 9 or later and identifies Apple Watch Series 4 or newer as a compatible generation.
Wear OS can control selected entities after you initially set up the account through a paired Android phone. Its app supports only a subset of Home Assistant features, and the operating system may not guarantee tile refresh intervals. Check the Apple Watch and Wear OS documentation for platform details.
Rank #3
- Powered by SmartThings: Connect, monitor, and automate your home through the SmartThings app. Build a reliable, unified smart home using Samsung's proven ecosystem
- Matter + Zigbee Smart Home Hub: Supports the newest Matter standard plus Zigbee for lighting, sensors, plugs, switches, thermostats, and more - thousands of compatible devices. PLEASE NOTE: Z-Wave not supported
- Easy Setup with Wi-Fi or Ethernet: Get started in minutes using Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection for apartments, houses, and expanding smart home systems - Z-Wave not supported
- Automations That Work for You: Create custom routines for security, lighting, comfort, and energy savings. Many local automations continue working even if your internet goes offline
- Wide Device Compatibility: Connect compatible smart devices from Aeotec and many other brands to build a unified system for lighting, voice control, energy management, and climate settings
Use Assist when you want voice control
Assist is Home Assistant’s built-in voice assistant. You can use it in the mobile app, with Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition, or on devices built with ESPHome. Home Assistant says Assist can run entirely on local hardware; configured language models can also enable more conversational responses. Voice is useful for hands-free commands, but it is not a visual interface for browsing all your devices. See the Assist documentation for supported approaches.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa with exposed devices
If your household already uses another smart-home ecosystem, you can expose Home Assistant devices to Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa and use that platform’s app or voice assistant. This is an integration route, not an automatic replacement for the Home Assistant server: you need to configure the relevant integration, and only the entities made available to that platform can be controlled through it. Home Assistant outlines the options in its interoperability FAQ.
Rank #4
- New size, more viewing area: The 11“ smart display features a vibrant Full-HD touchscreen with 60% more viewing area versus Echo Show 8 (2025 release), built-in smart home hub, AZ3 Pro chip for powerful performance, and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences.
- Content looks and sounds incredible: Watch shows on Prime Video, Netflix, and more on the vibrant Full-HD 11" screen and enjoy room-filling spatial audio, crisper vocals, wider sound stage, and up to 2x bass versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release). With Alexa+, find the name of that song you love and discover new shows based on your preferences.
- Your everyday assistant: The 11" display makes it easy to see recipes and calendars at a glance, find meal inspo, and manage your shopping lists. With Alexa+, find recipes based on foods you love, make reservations, order groceries, and more.
- Simple Smart Home control: Pair and control thousands of devices that work with Alexa without needing a separate smart home hub. Easily view your camera feeds. Manage lights, thermostats, and more using the display or your voice. With Omnisense technology, you can activate routines via temperature, presence, or visual ID detection.
- Crystal-clear video calls: Video calls feel natural on the vibrant 11" screen with a centered, auto-framing camera, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction technology. Use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you're away.
Apple Home
HomeKit Bridge makes selected Home Assistant entities available in Apple Home and Siri, including devices that do not natively support HomeKit. HomeKit Device serves the different purpose of bringing HomeKit devices into Home Assistant. The distinction and configuration are covered in the HomeKit integration documentation.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Apple describes the Home app as a way to control smart-home accessories across Apple devices. A HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV configured as a home hub unlocks more Home app capabilities, but Apple’s information does not mean a hub is necessary for every control use case. See Apple’s Home app overview.
Google Home and Alexa
Home Assistant’s interoperability guidance also describes exposing devices to Google Home and Alexa. That lets you use their familiar apps or compatible voice assistants for the devices you configure. Check the platform-specific setup and choose which Home Assistant entities to expose; do not assume every device or feature will appear automatically.
Check setup requirements before switching control surfaces
The Companion app’s getting-started documentation lists iOS 16.4 or later and Android 6 or later, and requires a Home Assistant server. Local discovery works when the phone and server are on the same network; connecting from elsewhere requires remote access configuration. These requirements can change, so verify the current setup documentation for your device and configuration.
Quick Recap
- For a small set of frequent phone actions, start with Android device controls or widgets if your device supports them.
- For a flexible visual overview, open a dashboard in a browser; consider a dedicated Android tablet only if you want a fixed display.
- For controls from your wrist, use the watch integration that matches your device and treat it as a convenience surface.
- For hands-free commands, configure Assist on a supported device or in the mobile app.
- For an existing Apple, Google, or Amazon household, expose the Home Assistant entities you want to control through the relevant integration.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
