Features • Installation • Desktop Sensors • Docs • Support

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📖 Overview

Home Assistant Desktop turns your computer into a first-class Home Assistant node. Far beyond a simple browser wrapper, it integrates deeply with your operating system to report real-time hardware telemetry (CPU, RAM, Battery, Active App, Camera & Microphone state, DND mode), support multi-server switching, handle physical media keys, enable biometric security, and auto-failover between local and remote URLs.

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✨ Features at a glance

⚡ Core & Connectivity Smart Connect: Automatic failover between local and remote URLs with zero interruption. Multi-Server Profiles: Switch between multiple Home Assistant instances instantly via System Tray or Preferences. Startup Dashboard: Open any custom Lovelace path on startup (e.g., /lovelace/home). Deep Linking: Trigger views or automation scripts via ha-desktop:// URLs.	🖥️ Desktop Integration Hardware Telemetry: Reports CPU, RAM, Battery, Uptime, Active App, Mic/Cam usage, and Focus Mode. Media Keys Integration: Control Home Assistant media players with your physical keyboard keys. Picture-in-Picture (PiP): Floating, always-on-top window for live camera streams or controls. Biometric Security: Lock the app with TouchID or Windows Hello.
🎨 Customization & Control Custom CSS Injection: Easily hide navigation elements, tweak card styles, or apply custom themes. Startup Scripts: Execute local shell scripts when the app launches (with safety confirmation). Window Memory: Remembers bounds, position, zoom level, and maximized state across restarts.	🌐 Internationalization & Platform 7 Languages Supported: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch. Wayland & X11 Native: Intelligent display server backend detection for Linux environments. Tray Integration: Minimize-to-tray support for 24/7 background sensor reporting.

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📦 Installation

Download the latest version for your platform from the Releases Page.

🪟 Windows Download .exe Setup Squirrel installer with background auto-updates

🍎 macOS Download .dmg Universal binary (Intel + Apple Silicon)

🐧 Linux Download .deb / .rpm Native Wayland & X11 support

🍎 macOS — "App is damaged and can't be opened" Bypass Guide

Because the app is built without a paid Apple Developer signing certificate, macOS Gatekeeper may show a warning on first launch.

To bypass this on macOS:

1. Drag Home Assistant Desktop.app into your /Applications folder.
2. Open Terminal and execute:

   xattr -d com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Home Assistant Desktop.app"

3. Launch the application normally!

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📊 PC Sensors Integration

Once configured with a Long-Lived Access Token, the app automatically creates and updates native Home Assistant entities every 60 seconds:

Entity Name	Type	Description
sensor.<hostname>_desktop_cpu_usage	Sensor	CPU usage percentage (%)
sensor.<hostname>_desktop_memory_usage	Sensor	RAM usage percentage (%)
sensor.<hostname>_desktop_status	Sensor	System active / idle status
sensor.<hostname>_desktop_uptime	Sensor	System uptime in hours
sensor.<hostname>_desktop_battery	Sensor	Battery charge percentage (%)
sensor.<hostname>_desktop_active_app	Sensor	Name of currently focused window/application
binary_sensor.<hostname>_desktop_microphone	Binary Sensor	Microphone in-use detector
binary_sensor.<hostname>_desktop_camera	Binary Sensor	Camera in-use detector
binary_sensor.<hostname>_desktop_dnd	Binary Sensor	Do Not Disturb / Focus Mode active

💡 Unique Hardware ID: Every entity includes a unique hardware ID hashed from your machine's hardware profile, allowing you to freely rename, assign to areas, or customize icons inside Home Assistant Settings.

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⌨️ Shortcuts & Deep Linking

• Global Shortcut: Press Ctrl+Alt+H (or Cmd+Alt+H on Mac) anywhere on your system to toggle the main window.
• Deep Linking Protocol: Register custom OS shortcuts or scripts using:

  ha-desktop://lovelace/security

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📚 Documentation

Detailed documentation for advanced setup is available in our docs/ folder:

• 📖 User Guide — Complete getting started walkthrough
• 🎨 Custom Themes & CSS Guide — Create custom themes, glassmorphism, and dashboard CSS
• 🔌 Sensors Setup — Configuring Long-Lived Tokens and sensor polling
• ⚡ Smart Connect & Failover — Setting up local vs remote switching
• 🗄️ Multi-Server Profiles — Managing multiple Home Assistant instances
• 🛠️ Development Guide — Building from source and contribution guide

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☕ Support & Community

If Home Assistant Desktop enhances your daily workflow or smart home setup, consider supporting ongoing development:

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📄 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more details.