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Enable only the Home Assistant Companion app permissions needed for the features you use. For background location on Android, the official setup calls for Allow all the time and Nearby devices. On iPhone, choose Allow While Using the App, then Allow always if you want background functionality. Notifications must be permitted both in the app’s setup and in your phone’s system settings; on Android, check the relevant notification channel too.
These settings affect presence, automations, sensor updates, privacy, and battery use. The right configuration depends on whether you value full background behavior or prefer to share less location data.
Which permissions should you enable?
Start with the feature you want, then grant only the access it requires. Location access is not a prerequisite for every Companion app feature: it supports zone-based presence and location sensors, while some Android sensors that do not rely on location can still work without it.
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|---|---|---|
| Background location | Location updates when the app is not in use, supporting location-dependent tracking and automations. | Choose all-the-time access if you rely on background location behavior. |
| Location precision | Exact shares GPS coordinates; Zone Name Only shares a zone name or not_home; Never or Disabled shares neither coordinates nor zone information. |
Select the least precise option that still supports the location features you need. |
| Sensor permissions | Allow individual sensors to report their data to Home Assistant. Some sensors require additional device permission. | Enable only the sensors you intend to use. |
| Notifications | Allows Home Assistant alerts to reach the phone. Android channels can separately affect particular notification types. | Enable if you want mobile alerts, and verify the channel used by the automation. |
| Special access | Android Notification Policy access lets notification commands change Do Not Disturb settings. | Grant it only if you use those commands. |
Choose location access based on your needs
Android: background location
For background location updates, Home Assistant’s official onboarding guidance calls for Location: Allow all the time and Nearby devices. Phone menus vary by Android version and manufacturer, so use the permission prompt or your device’s app-permission settings if the labels or path differ.
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Location also has a documented role in the app’s most-secure connection behavior when it determines whether it can use a non-encrypted URL on your home network. If you disable location, location-dependent tracking and sensors will not work, but that does not mean every Companion app feature stops.
iPhone: background functionality
For background automations, the official setup describes choosing Allow While Using the App and then Allow always. Separately, the connection-security documentation specifies Always and Precise for its most-secure home-network behavior when an unencrypted URL is involved. These recommendations address particular behaviors; do not assume every user needs the same degree of access.
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Reduce location detail or turn it off
The app’s location settings document three levels: Exact, Zone Name Only, and Never or Disabled. Zone Name Only sends a zone name—or not_home—rather than GPS coordinates. Never or Disabled sends neither coordinates nor zone information. The documentation states that when location permission has not been granted or has been removed, “no location data will be sent from your device to Home Assistant.”
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Location data is sent from the device to your Home Assistant instance or through Home Assistant Cloud, depending on the URLs you configure; the documentation says it is not sent through other servers or organizations. Choosing less location access limits location-based behavior, rather than disabling unrelated app capabilities across the board.
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Enable only the sensors you use
Android sensor controls
In the Companion app, open Settings > Companion App > Manage Sensors. Most Android sensors are off by default, aside from the basic device sensors and sensors allowed during onboarding. Turn on the sensors you need; the app requests additional permissions when a sensor requires them.
iPhone sensor updates
iOS controls when background activity runs, so sensor updates do not follow a guaranteed fixed interval. Timing depends on system scheduling and circumstances such as foreground use, background fetch, location changes, or a manual update. If you need a particular trigger—such as a change in charging state or battery level—the Home Assistant troubleshooting guidance recommends using a Shortcuts automation that invokes Update Sensors.
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Set up notifications on the phone and in Home Assistant
Android
Allow notifications during Companion app setup, then confirm that the operating system permits them. A common Android path is Settings > Apps > Home Assistant > Notifications, though the exact labels can vary by device. If only certain alerts fail, check the specific notification channel used by the automation as well as the app-wide notification setting.
iPhone
Allow notifications during app setup. If alerts do not arrive, check iOS Settings > Notifications > Home Assistant and make sure Allow Notifications is enabled. Critical alerts are optional: they are intended for high-priority notifications that should sound even when Silent or Do Not Disturb is active.
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Understand notification privacy and delivery limits
Home Assistant’s Companion documentation says notification content is not stored on remote servers, and also says the app uses Firebase Cloud Messaging and notification contents are not encrypted on Firebase. These statements are compatible: avoiding remote storage does not mean push notification contents are end-to-end encrypted. If that delivery arrangement is unsuitable for your needs, keep sensitive details out of notification messages.
The documentation states a maximum of 500 push notifications per device per day, with the counter resetting at midnight UTC. It describes exclusions for errors, critical alerts, and notification commands. The page does not state a publication year, so treat this as the documented limit, not a guarantee that the policy will never change.
Grant Android Do Not Disturb access only when needed
If you use Home Assistant notification commands to control Do Not Disturb, Android requires Notification Policy access. Grant it when prompted for that feature, rather than as a general permission. Android 15 and newer restrict apps’ ability to change Do Not Disturb settings, so behavior may depend on the Android version and the command being used.
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Troubleshoot missing alerts, sensors, or presence
Notifications do not arrive
- Check the Companion app’s notification setup and the phone’s app-level notification permission.
- On Android, confirm that the automation’s notification channel is allowed.
- If the mobile-app notify action is missing after setup, restart Home Assistant. The official troubleshooting guidance also recommends restarting or relaunching as appropriate.
Sensors are missing or stale
- On Android, check Settings > Companion App > Manage Sensors and enable the sensor you need.
- On iOS, remember that background update timing is controlled by the operating system, not a fixed app interval.
- For a specific iOS trigger such as charging state or battery level, use a Shortcuts automation to invoke Update Sensors.
Presence or location automations do not work
- Confirm that location permission is enabled at the level required for background tracking on your platform.
- Check whether the app is set to Exact, Zone Name Only, or Never or Disabled; a privacy-reduced setting may not provide the detail your automation expects.
- If location permission is withheld, expect location-dependent behavior to stop, but do not assume that unrelated sensors or app functions are unavailable.
Permission names and settings paths can change with operating-system and app releases. Use the current prompts and your phone’s system settings when a label differs from the paths above.
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