You can give an old Android phone a second life as a dedicated smart-home control panel by installing the Home Assistant Companion app and setting it as the phone’s launcher. The phone displays and controls an existing Home Assistant setup; it is not the Home Assistant server. That instance must run elsewhere, such as on a separate computer or appliance.
What the phone does—and what it does not do
Home Assistant’s Companion app connects to an existing Home Assistant instance and provides an interface for its dashboards. In this setup, the old phone is a client and control panel. The documentation does not describe it as hosting the Home Assistant server or coordinating devices on its own. See Home Assistant’s Android Companion documentation and server installation options.
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Check whether the old phone is compatible
Check the phone’s Android version and whether the current Home Assistant app listing supports it before building the panel. Compatibility has changed over time: in a July 2025 update, Home Assistant said app updates would stop for Android 5.0 and 5.1 as dependencies raised the minimum to Android 6.0 (API 23). The project said less than 0.3% of installs were below API 23 at that time; that figure describes Home Assistant installs, not Android phones generally. Consult the July 2025 Android support update and the current app listing rather than assuming any older handset will work.
Install the app and connect it to Home Assistant
- Install the official Home Assistant Companion app from the app store available on your phone.
- Open the app and connect it to your existing Home Assistant instance, following the prompts for your network and account.
- Confirm that the dashboard loads. The app’s setup documentation covers connecting to an instance and Android permissions at Getting Started.
Location permissions are not needed just to view a dashboard. If you want background location updates, Home Assistant’s Android setup guidance says to allow location all the time and grant Nearby devices permission.
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Make the phone open Home Assistant as its home screen
- In the Companion app, open Settings > Companion app > Device home screen.
- Enable Use as Home app (launcher).
- When Android asks which home app to use, select Home Assistant and confirm it as the default.
- Press Home to test the change, then restart the phone to check that it opens Home Assistant again.
Home Assistant documents the app as an optional default launcher, so this turns the handset into a more direct dashboard panel rather than changing where the server runs. The trade-off is that the usual Android home-screen and app-drawer flow changes; Home and Back navigation may behave differently. Keep track of how to switch launchers in Android settings so you can return to regular phone use if needed. See the launcher documentation.
Design a dashboard for the room
A wall panel is most useful when it shows only the controls needed where it is mounted. Create a dedicated Home Assistant dashboard or view for that location, set it as the default for the panel device, and consider using a separate Home Assistant user for the kiosk phone. A separate account can keep the panel’s access focused on its intended role. The Companion app also offers Keep screen on in its settings.
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A phone wall mount is optional; fit depends on the handset and mounting surface. Home Assistant documents the wall-panel use case, not a specific mount. Inspect the phone and choose a suitable mounting and power arrangement. The available documentation does not establish long-term charging safety, heat behavior, battery health, screen-burn-in risk, or reliability for a particular model, so do not assume that a handset is suitable for continuous use without checking it.
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The built-in Companion launcher is the straightforward choice if the goal is simply to show a Home Assistant dashboard. Fully Kiosk Browser is an alternative Android kiosk browser, with a Home Assistant integration for monitoring and controlling aspects of the device. The integration requires Fully Remote Admin, which in turn requires the paid Fully Plus license; the app can be tried free with a watermark. Check current licensing details before choosing it.
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| Option | Best suited to | Documented capabilities and caveats |
|---|---|---|
| Home Assistant Companion launcher | A dedicated Home Assistant dashboard | Can be set as the default home app and reopen after restart. The documented setup changes the normal Home-button flow. |
| Fully Kiosk Browser with Home Assistant integration | A kiosk setup that also needs device monitoring or controls | Exposes sensors including plugged-in state, battery level, current page, available storage, and RAM. Controls include brightness, screen on/off, screensaver, and app restart. Remote administration requires the paid Fully Plus license; the free trial has a watermark. Its camera entity works only when motion detection is on, and the integration does not report device volume or media playback status. |
These documented features do not establish a head-to-head performance comparison. The practical choice is whether you need only a dashboard or also want the additional device controls and monitoring. See the Fully Kiosk integration documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse this with Google Home’s Android controls
Google’s built-in Android home controls are separate from the Home Assistant Companion launcher: Google requires Android 11 or later for its home controls and Android 14 or later for the home panel. Google says Hub Mode is available only on Pixel Tablets attached to a Charging Speaker Dock. Those thresholds do not determine whether the Home Assistant launcher works on a particular phone. See Google’s home controls guidance.
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