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5 Ways to Turn an Old Android Phone or Tablet Into a 24/7 Home Dashboard

Reuse an old Android device as a home dashboard with a kiosk browser, Home Assistant app, or—on Android 15 and newer—Google Home Controls screen saver.
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You can reuse an old Android phone or tablet as a household dashboard without choosing one universal kiosk app. The right route depends on the device’s Android version and hardware, whether you use Home Assistant, and whether you want a permanently interactive screen or a screen saver that appears while the device is locked and charging.

Choose an approach that fits your device

Approach Best fit Key requirement or limit
Fully Kiosk Browser A kiosk browser with Home Assistant device controls and monitoring Its Home Assistant integration requires Fully Remote Admin, which requires the paid Fully Plus license. Home Assistant documents the integration.
Superdash A full-screen Home Assistant wall panel Its published requirements are Android 9 or newer, an arm64 tablet, and network access to Home Assistant. See Superdash’s project documentation.
Dashie A Home Assistant-focused kiosk app with optional screensaver and voice functions Check the publisher’s information against your device; compatibility with every older phone or tablet is not established. Visit the Dashie publisher.
Home Assistant Companion App WebView Keeping a Home Assistant WebView visible without a separate kiosk browser The screen-on setting applies while the WebView activity is active. See the Android WebView documentation.
Google Home Controls screen saver A smart-home controller shown when the device is idle, locked, and charging Google’s documented feature requires Android 15 or higher. See Google’s Home Controls screen saver instructions.

Before installing anything, check the Android version and, for Superdash, the tablet’s processor architecture. Also decide whether you want an interactive dashboard to remain on screen, or a screen saver that provides controls only when the device is idle.

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1. Use Fully Kiosk Browser for kiosk controls

Fully Kiosk Browser is a dedicated Android kiosk browser, a practical option when you want a web dashboard to fill the screen and want Home Assistant to monitor or control aspects of the device. The Home Assistant integration can expose information such as plugged-in status and battery level, as well as screen state and brightness. It also supports screen behavior controls and loading a start URL.

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Separate the browser from the integration’s remote-administration requirement: the integration requires Fully Remote Admin, and that feature requires a paid Fully Plus license. Check the licensing terms for the capabilities you need before building the setup around remote control.

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Home Assistant also documents an action for starting an application on Fully Kiosk devices, which can be useful in an automation. See the Fully Kiosk integration documentation for the supported features and requirements.

2. Install Superdash for a Home Assistant wall panel

Superdash is described by its project documentation as a full-screen Home Assistant wall panel. Its stated minimums matter for older hardware: Android 9 or newer, an arm64 tablet, and a network connection from the tablet to your Home Assistant instance.

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If the tablet is older, do not assume it qualifies based on Android version alone; architecture is a separate requirement. Once the device meets the published requirements, make sure it can reach Home Assistant over your home network.

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3. Consider Dashie as another Home Assistant kiosk app

Dashie’s publisher describes a full-screen Home Assistant dashboard display, with optional screensaver and voice functions. It may be worth investigating if those functions suit the room or household, but the publisher’s description does not establish compatibility with every older Android phone or tablet.

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4. Keep the Companion App’s WebView awake

If you display Home Assistant through its Companion App, the Android WebView documentation describes a setting that keeps the screen on while the WebView activity is active. This is a scoped behavior: it is not a promise that the screen will remain awake in other apps, after leaving the WebView, or in every Android system state.

See Home Assistant’s Android WebView instructions for the setting and its context.

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5. Use Google Home Controls as an Android 15+ screen saver

Google’s Home Controls screen saver is available on Android 15 or higher. Google describes it as a way to use a phone or tablet as an always-on smart-home controller while the device is locked and charging. This suits an idle or ambient display more than a dashboard that must stay interactively open at all times.

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If the device runs an earlier Android version, this documented screen-saver route does not meet its stated OS requirement; consider one of the other approaches instead.

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Tailor the dashboard to the room

Home Assistant supports multiple dashboards, so you can choose or configure one for the display’s purpose—for example, a wall panel focused on lights and climate rather than the full interface. Its dashboard documentation explains dashboard options. That flexibility does not guarantee that every third-party web service will work in every old browser.

If you mount a tablet on a wall, check that the mount matches the device’s dimensions and orientation, and leaves access to its ports and buttons with enough clearance for the charging cable.

Plan for charging and an aging battery

Fully Kiosk’s Home Assistant integration can report plugged-in status and battery level, which helps you observe the device. Those features do not establish a universally safe charging range or predict the lifespan or condition of a particular aging battery. Avoid assuming that continuous charging is safe for every phone or tablet; consider the device’s own manufacturer guidance and monitor its condition.

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