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The most documented way to turn a tablet into a shared smart-home display is to run the Home Assistant Companion app and show a dashboard from your Home Assistant server. Android can make Home Assistant the device’s default launcher; an iPad can use the app’s Kiosk mode and Apple Guided Access. The result is a focused control panel for lights, climate, security status and other Home Assistant entities—not a universal, native hub that automatically controls every smart-home platform.
What you need before turning a tablet into a control panel
This setup assumes you already have a running Home Assistant server and can sign in with a Home Assistant account. The tablet needs the official Home Assistant Companion app, a network path to the server, and an operating-system version supported by the app.
| Platform | Documented minimum for Companion app setup | Requirements for the dedicated-display feature |
|---|---|---|
| Android tablet | Android 6 or later | The Android Home App (launcher) option is provided in the Companion app. Manufacturer menus and behavior can vary. |
| iPad | iOS/iPadOS 16.4 or later | The iOS Kiosk mode guide currently lists iOS/iPadOS 2026.7.0 or later, with Kiosk mode Labs enabled in the Companion app. Hiding dashboard controls requires a Home Assistant frontend supporting kiosk mode, listed as Home Assistant 2025.2.0 or later. |
These are version-specific documentation requirements and can change. Check the Home Assistant Companion getting-started guide and the current iOS Kiosk mode guide before installing an older tablet.
Connect the tablet to Home Assistant
- Install the Home Assistant Companion app. Use the official app store for the tablet’s platform.
- Put the tablet and Home Assistant server on the same home network. During onboarding, the app can search for the server automatically.
- Enter the server address manually if discovery fails. Use the Home Assistant URL you normally use, then continue through sign-in.
- Sign in with a Home Assistant account. A dedicated account for the mounted display is preferable to using an administrator account.
The app’s onboarding and discovery behavior are documented in Home Assistant’s getting-started documentation. If the app asks for location permission while configuring a local connection, that permission is part of the documented discovery and connection flow.
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Choose a safe connection method
For a tablet that stays at home, a local connection is usually the simplest arrangement. The onboarding guide describes allowing unencrypted connections only on the home network as its most secure non-encrypted option, while noting that it requires location permission. Allowing unencrypted connections from any network is less secure and is not recommended for public networks.
If the tablet must connect while away from home, do not expose a raw Home Assistant port simply to make the dashboard load. The Companion App Networking guide describes Home Assistant Cloud as an encrypted tunnel that avoids opening inbound traffic to your home network, along with self-managed remote-access approaches. Select one method, test it away from home, and use the resulting HTTPS address in the Companion app.
Create a dashboard and account for the display
A wall panel is easier to use when it shows only the actions people perform frequently. Start with the room’s lights, temperature or thermostat controls, door or alarm status, and a small amount of information such as weather or presence. Keep the first view uncluttered; place infrequent administration controls on another view that is not exposed to guests.
Use a regular user rather than an administrator
Home Assistant supports separate household users and roles. According to its household-use FAQ, a regular user can control the home but cannot change Home Assistant settings. That makes a regular account a better default for a shared panel. Give each permanently installed kiosk its own account when you want different dashboards or permissions for different rooms.
On Android, the Companion documentation specifically recommends a dedicated Home Assistant user for each kiosk. Because dashboards can be customized per user, the kitchen panel, bedside panel and entryway panel can open different default views without changing one another.
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Design for touch instead of administration
- Put the most-used lights and scenes in the first screen position.
- Use clear room names and avoid tiny controls that require precise tapping.
- Keep security status visible, but do not expose unlock, disarm or other sensitive actions on a guest-accessible tablet unless that account is deliberately permitted to use them.
- Provide a separate page for settings, device diagnostics and rarely used entities.
- Test the dashboard while standing at the intended mounting position, because viewing angle and reach matter more than the number of cards you can fit.
Set up an Android tablet as a Home Assistant launcher
Android offers a device-level route: the Companion app can become the system home app. Pressing Home and restarting the tablet then take the user directly to Home Assistant rather than a conventional Android launcher.
1. Install and connect the Companion app
Complete the common connection steps above and confirm that the intended dashboard opens normally before changing the launcher. Fix server-address or authentication problems first; launcher mode makes ordinary navigation less convenient while you troubleshoot.
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- Open the Home Assistant Companion app.
- Go to Settings > Dashboards.
- Select the dashboard you prepared for this device.
- Choose Set as default on this device.
This device-level default is separate from the dashboard a different user or tablet opens. A separate Home Assistant account lets each Android kiosk retain its own default view.
3. Make Home Assistant the system home app
- In the Companion app, open Settings > Companion app.
- Scroll to Device home screen.
- Enable Use as Home app (launcher).
- When Android asks which home app to use, select Home Assistant as the system home app.
- Restart the tablet and verify that it opens Home Assistant.
The official Android guide describes the result this way: “By setting Home Assistant as your home app, your device boots directly into Home Assistant, making it ideal for dedicated smart home control.” See the complete instructions at Android Home App (launcher).
4. Keep the display awake when appropriate
To prevent the panel from sleeping, use Settings > Companion app > Other settings > Keep screen on. This is the documented Companion-app route, but Android manufacturers can expose power-management behavior differently. A tablet that stays bright continuously consumes more power and may be unsuitable in a bedroom, so consider the room and the panel’s role before enabling it.
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Understand the launcher trade-off
Replacing the normal home app changes navigation. The Android app drawer is unavailable from the Home button, and other apps cannot be launched in the traditional way. The Android guide documents opening apps through Android settings or adding dashboard buttons that launch apps using notification commands. Decide whether that restriction is acceptable before enabling the launcher on a tablet that anyone still needs as a general-purpose device.
Set up an iPad with Kiosk mode
iPad uses an in-app kiosk rather than replacing the iPadOS home screen. The current guide requires an iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 2026.7.0 or later and the Companion app’s Kiosk mode Labs feature. If you want the kiosk to hide the Home Assistant sidebar or dashboard controls, the guide lists Home Assistant 2025.2.0 or later for the frontend support.
1. Enable Kiosk mode and choose the content
- Open the Home Assistant Companion app.
- Go to Settings > Kiosk mode.
- Turn on Enabled.
- Select the Home Assistant server to use.
- Select the dashboard that should appear on this iPad.
From the same Kiosk mode screen, configure the display behavior you want. The feature can keep the display awake, hide the sidebar and dashboard controls, hide the iOS status bar, reload the dashboard at a chosen interval, and show a screensaver after inactivity. Settings apply inside the Home Assistant app; they do not redesign the rest of iPadOS.
2. Choose a screensaver behavior
| Mode | What appears after inactivity | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Clock | A clock display | Useful when the panel doubles as a room clock. |
| Dim | The existing dashboard is dimmed | Useful when you still want the room’s status visible without a full-brightness screen. |
| Blank | A blank screen | The guide identifies this as the most power-efficient option and the best choice for OLED displays. |
Kiosk mode can optionally use the front camera to detect motion and wake the dashboard. Treat that as an available convenience, not a privacy-free feature: camera-based wake may be inappropriate in a bedroom, guest space or any installation where occupants do not expect camera activity.
3. Lock the iPad to Home Assistant with Guided Access
Kiosk mode controls the interface inside Home Assistant, but it does not stop someone from leaving the app or turning off the iPad. The official guide states: “Kiosk mode configures what happens inside the Home Assistant app, but it can’t prevent someone from leaving the app or turning the device off.”
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For a permanently mounted panel, open Home Assistant first, then enable Apple’s Guided Access. Triple-click the iPad’s side button or Home button to start it. Guided Access locks the device to one app until its passcode is entered. This is the device-level app lock that an iPad kiosk needs when visitors or children must not reach other apps.
Android launcher or iPad kiosk: which path fits?
| Decision point | Android tablet | iPad |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated-display mechanism | Home Assistant becomes the Android system home app through Settings > Companion app > Device home screen. | Kiosk mode is enabled inside the Home Assistant app and points to a selected server and dashboard. |
| Device-level app lock | The launcher changes normal home navigation, but the documented setup does not provide an equivalent to iPad Guided Access. | Use Apple Guided Access, started with a triple-click, when the user must not leave Home Assistant. |
| Screen behavior | The Companion app provides Keep screen on. | Kiosk mode provides keep-awake controls, clock, dim or blank screensavers, optional timed reload, and optional camera-motion wake. |
| Documented platform baseline | Android 6 or later for Companion app setup. | iOS/iPadOS 16.4 or later for general app setup; the Kiosk guide currently lists iOS/iPadOS 2026.7.0 or later. |
| Frontend requirement for hiding controls | Not stated as a separate requirement in the Android launcher guide. | Home Assistant 2025.2.0 or later is listed for frontend kiosk support. |
| Main trade-off | It behaves like a dedicated appliance, but the normal app drawer and conventional app launching are no longer available from Home. | It preserves the iPad’s normal home screen outside Home Assistant, but Kiosk mode alone does not prevent someone from exiting the app. |
Choose Android when the tablet should boot straight into a dedicated panel and you accept the launcher restriction. Choose iPad when you want configurable in-app screensaver behavior and can pair Kiosk mode with Guided Access for physical access control.
Keep access and remote connectivity under control
A dashboard mounted in a public room is still an authenticated computer. Use the least-privileged account that can perform the required actions. If the tablet is lost, sold or moved, remove its account or change the account password in Home Assistant. Do not leave an administrator session on a panel that guests can reach.
For remote use, apply the same distinction made during onboarding: a local-only unencrypted URL is different from an address reachable from every network. The Companion networking documentation covers encrypted tunneling and self-managed approaches; follow that guide rather than forwarding an unencrypted service to the internet.
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The cited Home Assistant documentation establishes the software paths, not a best tablet model. It does not compare screen sizes, brightness, battery longevity, charging hardware, wall mounts or long-term thermal behavior. There is therefore no defensible minimum display size, “best” tablet, or universal charging recommendation from these sources alone.
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Choose the device by checking the exact operating-system requirement for the feature you intend to use, then select a compatible mount and power equipment for that model and location. A wall mount is optional: a kitchen counter, bedside stand or shelf may be safer and easier to service. Consider glare, viewing angle, cable routing, access to the power button, ventilation and whether the screen should remain visible at night. Treat continuous charging and battery-protection behavior as device-specific rather than assuming that one setting applies to every tablet.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
The app cannot find Home Assistant
- Confirm that the tablet and server are on the same network and that the server is running.
- Use the manual server-URL option instead of discovery.
- Check whether a guest Wi-Fi network isolates wireless clients from the server.
- If onboarding requests location permission for local discovery, grant it and retry.
The wrong dashboard opens
- On Android, return to Settings > Dashboards, select the intended dashboard and choose Set as default on this device.
- On iPad, open Settings > Kiosk mode and verify both the selected server and dashboard.
- Confirm that the tablet is signed in as the account whose dashboard you configured; dashboards can differ by user.
Android keeps showing the regular launcher
Recheck Settings > Companion app > Device home screen > Use as Home app (launcher), then accept Android’s system-home selection prompt. Restart the tablet. If the manufacturer provides its own default-home setting, verify that Home Assistant remains selected there.
The Android tablet leaves the dashboard or cannot open another app
That is an expected launcher trade-off, not necessarily a failure. Use Android settings to open another app, or add a dashboard button that launches an app through the notification-command method described in the Android launcher documentation.
The iPad can leave Home Assistant
Kiosk mode is not the app lock. Start Guided Access while Home Assistant is open by triple-clicking the side or Home button, then use the Guided Access passcode to exit when maintenance is required.
The screen turns off or stays too bright
On Android, check Settings > Companion app > Other settings > Keep screen on. On iPad, choose a Kiosk screensaver instead of leaving the display permanently bright. A blank screensaver uses less power than a continuously visible dashboard, while dim or clock modes preserve some at-a-glance information.
Controls are not hidden on iPad
Verify the iPadOS version, the Companion app’s Kiosk mode Labs feature and the Home Assistant frontend version. The iOS guide lists Home Assistant 2025.2.0 or later for the frontend kiosk capability; older frontends may still display controls even when the app’s kiosk settings are enabled.
A reliable rollout sequence
- Update the tablet only as far as its hardware safely supports, and confirm the version against the current Companion documentation.
- Connect to Home Assistant normally and test authentication before enabling launcher or kiosk behavior.
- Create a regular, dedicated user and a dashboard containing only the controls needed in that room.
- Test local operation with the tablet in its intended location, including Wi-Fi signal, touch reach and screen visibility.
- Enable Android launcher mode or iPad Kiosk mode, then apply the platform-specific screen behavior.
- On iPad, add Guided Access if leaving Home Assistant must be blocked.
- Test a restart, a temporary network outage and recovery before mounting the tablet permanently.
- Document the account used, the dashboard selected and the method for exiting kiosk or launcher mode so another household member can maintain it.
A tablet becomes a practical smart-home display when the software path matches the platform: Android’s launcher for appliance-like startup, or iPad Kiosk mode plus Guided Access for a controlled in-app panel. Keep the account limited, the dashboard focused and the network connection deliberate, and verify the version requirements before committing to a permanent installation.
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