The best home assistant widgets for iOS & Android

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

With widgets, you can control your smart home faster, more conveniently and more clearly - directly from the home or lock screen. Whether iOS or Android: Home Assistant offers you numerous options to have your most important devices and automations at your fingertips.

Smart homes thrive on automation. Ideally, many things should run all by themselves: the lights come on when the sun goes down, the heating goes up in the morning and everything is switched off when you leave the house. But not everything can be perfectly timed or predicted.

This is exactly where Widgets their strength. They give you quick control over your smart home when:

• the time of an action is not always the same (e.g. "Start movie night"),
• you want to intervene spontaneously,
• you want to keep an eye on information (e.g. whether someone is at home).

In this article, I'll show you the best Home Assistant widgets for iOS & Android, how to set them up and which concrete examples are particularly useful. At the end you will also find a preconfigured set of widgetswhich I recommend to everyone.

For detailed instructions and an explanation of all configuration options, I recommend the YouTube video linked below. In this video, every single setting is explained in detail so that you receive comprehensive instructions for the exact setup. You can find any code from the video in this article so that you can use it directly without having to type it in.

Why widgets are indispensable in the smart home

Every additional click in the app costs time. Widgets, on the other hand, give you immediate control:

• Dimming lights without opening the app
• Start scenese.g. "movie night" or "good morning"
• Check device status (e.g. whether the window is open)
• Trigger automationsif you want to intervene spontaneously

In short: widgets make your smart home more suitable for everyday use.

Comparison: iOS vs Android - strengths & weaknesses

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iOS: The best widgets & how to use them

Apple has developed the Home Assistant Companion App for iOS has now integrated a range of widget types. You have been able to place widgets on the home screen since iOS 14 and on the lock screen since iOS 16.

Important widget types for iOS

1. Scripts Widget
   You create a script in Home Assistant (e.g. "Turn off all lights" or "Movie night") and the script appears as a widget on the home screen. One tap is all it takes.
2. Assist Widget
   This allows you to start the Assist function in the app directly - by voice or text input. Perfect if you often trigger scenes by voice command.
3. Custom widgets
   Since 2025.3, you can design your own widgets in the app. You choose entities, icon, text, background color and determine what happens when you tap - for example, toggle a lamp, start a script or open a page. You can find more information in the official documentation.
4. Accessory widgets for the lock screen
   These widgets are available as an inline, rectangle or circle. You can use them to display the outside temperature or alarm status, for example, without unlocking the iPhone.

Specific examples of iOS widgets

• "Morning routine"A script widget that raises the shutters, starts the coffee machine and switches on the living room light.
• Status overview windows & doorsA custom widget shows you whether windows are open or closed. Ideal when leaving the house.
• Media control: Use a widget to control music or TV (play/pause, volume).
• Quick AssistA small widget for spontaneous voice or text commands to Home Assistant.

Setup on iOS

1. Make sure your Home Assistant app is up to date.
2. Open the app → Settings → Widgets.
3. Create a new widget: select entities, icon, text and background.
4. Specify what happens when you tap (e.g. execute script).
5. Place the widget: Press and hold Home screen → "+" → Select Home Assistant widget.

Android: The best widgets & how to use them

The Home Assistant Companion App for Android offers even more freedom, as Android widgets are generally more flexible.

Important widget types for Android

1. Entity / Status Widget
   Shows you the status of an entity, e.g. whether a lamp is on or off. You can usually toggle directly.
2. Action button
   A widget that immediately performs an action when tapped - such as "All off" or "Heating on".
3. Template Widget
   Here you can use Home Assistant templates to display any information you want, e.g. temperature, humidity and battery level together in one widget. A very powerful function.
4. Media Player / Camera Widget
   Control volume, playback or view live images from cameras. Ideal for the front door camera.
5. Assist / Quick access
   Android also has widgets for voice or text commands, similar to iOS.

Specific examples of Android widgets

• Heating controlAn entity widget shows the current room temperature, a tap opens the thermostat.
• MultimediaControl your speakers or TV directly from the Home screen.
• Camera overview: Display a still image of the front door camera directly on the home screen.
• "All off" button: An action button that switches off all devices when you leave the house.
• Sensor overviewTemperature outside, humidity inside and battery levels in a template widget.

Setup on Android

1. Press and hold the home screen → Widgets select.
2. Search for "Home Assistant" in the list.
3. Select the desired widget type (entity, action, template, etc.).
4. Configure which entities are displayed or actions are executed.
5. Customize size, layout and update intervals if necessary.

What should you look out for?

• Update frequencyFrequent updates cost battery. Set an interval of 15-30 minutes, except for critical values.
• PlacementImportant widgets belong on the home screen. Status displays such as temperature can also be on the lock screen.
• ReadabilityIcons and texts should be clearly recognizable. Don't overload widgets with too much information.
• Security: Confirmation is recommended for sensitive actions (e.g. switching off the alarm) so that you do not accidentally trigger anything.

Using widgets correctly

Here are a few tips to make sure widgets really help you:

• Automation firstUse widgets only if a process is unpredictable or you need flexibility.
• Read status instead of opening appPresence (who is at home?), window and door status or energy values are ideal information for a widget.
• Reliability & securityProtect sensitive actions (e.g. deactivate alarm) with confirmation.
• Clarity & simplicityLess is more - choose the 4-5 most important widgets.

My recommended widget set

To help you get started, here is my suggestion for a Preconfigured set of widgetswhich makes sense in almost every household:

1. "Morning routine" widget (Script Widget)
   👉 Raise the shutters, turn on the heating, start the coffee machine.
2. Status widget windows & doors (Custom or template widget)
   👉 Shows immediately whether something is still open. Particularly helpful before you leave the house and you don't use or want to use a voice assistant.
3. Attendance widget (Custom or template widget)
   👉 Overview of who is at home (via presence detection in Home Assistant).
4. Media widget (Media Player Widget)
   👉 Control the volume and playback of music or TV without switching apps.
5. Camera widget (Android stronger, iOS optional via shortcuts)
   👉 Shows a still image of the front door or baby cam directly on the screen. A game changer for me.

This set covers the most important everyday situations: safety, comfort, status check and entertainment.

YouTube video implementation

Conclusion

If you really want to use your smart home efficiently, widgets in the Home Assistant are a real game changer. They save you clicks, time and make everyday actions easily available.

• On iOS the latest Custom Widgets, Accessory Widgets and Assist Widgets are particularly powerful. They are ideal if you want to feel status information & have urgent matters quickly in view.
• On Android you get the most flexibility - especially with template widgets, action buttons and media/camera widgets.

My advice: Start small. Choose an important action or status (e.g. light in the hallway, heating, front door sensor) and create a widget for it. See how you use it every day. Only then does it make sense. Of course, everything should always be automated, but it's great for quickly checking the status of something. Then build more widgets bit by bit, tailored to your routine.

Useful links at a glance

• Home Assistant Companion App (iOS)
• Home Assistant Companion App (Android)
• Home Assistant Community Forum
• Official widget documentation iOS
• Official Android widget documentation

Interested, but lack time or knowledge?

No problem. Contact me and we will discuss your requirements. No matter if business or private.