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Install the official Home Assistant Companion app, choose Connect to my Home Assistant server, then discover your server on the home network or enter its address manually. Sign in with your Home Assistant credentials and finish the device and permission prompts. To connect from outside home, your server also needs remote access configured—use HTTPS or Home Assistant Cloud rather than exposing an unencrypted HTTP connection.
Check compatibility and choose an app version
The Home Assistant Companion Docs Getting Started page lists iOS 16.4 or later, Android 6 or later, and Home Assistant 0.104.0 or later as requirements. Check the documentation again if your device or server is near those minimums, since requirements can change.
On Android, choose between the full and minimal app flavors. They are not feature-equivalent:
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| Full | Google Play | Uses Google Play Services. | The documented choice if you need location tracking, Matter commissioning, or activity sensors. |
| Minimal | GitHub releases APK or F-Droid | Does not rely on Google Play Services. | Does not provide location tracking, Matter commissioning, or activity sensors. F-Droid builds releases independently, so its updates can lag. |
These flavor details are from Home Assistant’s Android Flavors documentation. iPhone and iPad users install the iOS app from the App Store.
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Install the app and connect to your server
- Install the official app. On Android, use the flavor that matches your service and feature needs; on iOS, install the official Companion app.
- Start onboarding. Open the app and tap Connect to my Home Assistant server.
- Try local discovery. If your phone is on the same network as the server, allow the app to search. Select the server if it appears. If multiple servers are found, choose the one you intend to use.
- Enter an address if needed. If discovery finds nothing—or you are connecting remotely—tap Enter address manually and enter the server URL. For a default Home Assistant OS local setup, the networking guide gives
http://homeassistant.local:8123as an example. A local IP address with port8123is another common form. These are examples, not guaranteed addresses: use the URL configured for your server. - Sign in. Use your Home Assistant credentials. The Getting Started guide cautions against using Trusted Networks authentication for the app, because it limits access to the trusted network.
- Name the device. Choose a name that will help you recognize the phone or tablet. Home Assistant uses it to identify device entities and in automations and actions.
- Review security and permission prompts. The choices depend on your operating system and the URL you entered; see the sections below before accepting an unencrypted connection or location access.
- Complete setup. Open the dashboard when onboarding finishes. The app then asks about notifications, which can be used for alerts, reminders, and updates.
Home Assistant’s supported versions documentation and the in-app onboarding may change over time; follow the current prompts on your device.
Choose the right address for local or remote access
A server address must be reachable from the phone. Local discovery or a local URL can work while both devices are on the home network. Connecting from away requires a server-side remote-access setup and an external address that works outside the home.
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| Connection route | When it fits | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Local discovery | Phone and server are on the same network. | Convenient, but does not itself provide remote access. |
| Manual local URL | Discovery fails, or you know the server’s local address. | Use the actual configured address; a local HTTP URL is not a secure remote-access method. |
| HTTPS external URL | You have configured a reachable hostname and certificate. | Requires appropriate server and network configuration; custom setups may involve DNS, certificates, router or reverse-proxy settings, and WebSocket support. |
| Home Assistant Cloud remote access | You want the documented managed option for secure remote access. | The Home Assistant Companion Docs Getting Started page recommends Home Assistant Cloud remote access for secure remote access. |
| VPN-dependent access | Your remote device connects to the home network through a VPN. | Do not mistake a local HTTP address for a secure external URL. If the VPN disconnects, the address may no longer be protected as expected. |
For details on supported address patterns and network configuration, see Companion App Networking. For an ordinary setup, you do not need to configure advanced DNS, certificates, or a reverse proxy unless your chosen remote-access method requires them.
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Understand the unencrypted-connection security choice
If you enter an unencrypted URL, such as a local address beginning with http://, onboarding asks you to choose a connection security level. Home Assistant’s Connection security level guide explains the consequences:
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- Most secure: Allows the unencrypted URL only on a configured trusted home network. The app needs location permission to identify that network, and it blocks that URL when you are away from home.
- Less secure: Allows unencrypted connections from other networks. Home Assistant does not recommend this on public networks. If the app attempts to connect to an external HTTP URL, credentials could be sent unencrypted.
Use HTTPS for remote connections. Do not expose plain HTTP access to public Wi-Fi. On Android, the trusted-network feature may also use VPN or Ethernet; on iOS, it uses the Wi-Fi SSID and does not identify a physical location through VPN. If your remote setup depends on a VPN, make sure the configured URLs and security choice still protect the connection when the VPN is unavailable.
Decide which permissions to grant
Location permission is not required for every basic connection. It enables location-related automations and can help the app determine whether an unencrypted local URL is being used on the trusted home network. You can decline location sharing, but background location automations and secure network detection may be limited.
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The Getting Started guide describes these permission choices for background functionality:
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- iOS: Start with Allow While Using the App; choose Allow always for full background automation functionality.
The security guide specifies Always and Precise on iOS, and Allow all the time on Android, for the trusted-network feature to function correctly in the background. The documentation says location information stays with the Home Assistant setup or is sent through Home Assistant Cloud depending on the URLs configured; its location page says it is not sent through other servers or organizations. Review the prompts and documentation for the exact permissions your use case needs.
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- EASIEST WAY TO GET STARTED WITH HOME ASSISTANT: With Home Assistant already installed, it only requires plugging the included power supply and Ethernet cable to get started
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- YOUR HOME, YOUR DATA: Your home's data will be kept in the home on your HomeAssistant. You can easily view, share, and export that data anywhere you want
Troubleshoot connection and onboarding problems
- No server found: Check that the phone and server can reach each other on the local network. Then choose Enter address manually and use the server’s correct local URL. For remote onboarding, enter the configured external URL.
- Remote access fails: Confirm that remote access is configured on the server and that the URL works outside your home network. Prefer HTTPS. If you use a custom setup, check DNS, certificates, router or reverse-proxy configuration, and WebSocket support.
- Authentication repeats or works only at home: Sign in with Home Assistant credentials and check whether Trusted Networks authentication is enabled. The Getting Started guide cautions against Trusted Networks for the app.
- Plain HTTP is blocked away from home: This can be expected with Most secure selected. Use the unencrypted URL on the trusted home network, or configure a secure remote URL.
- The app requests a TLS client certificate: This is an advanced case for a server behind a reverse proxy configured for TLS client authentication, not a normal first-install step. Wear OS handles certificates separately.
Add another Home Assistant server later
After the first setup, go to Settings > Companion app > Add Server. Let the app discover a local server or enter its address manually. The documentation says adding additional servers requires Home Assistant 2021.10 or newer.
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