M9DXD

“Amateur Radio & RAYNET – Enhancing Communication, Supporting Emergencies, and Connecting Communities Across the Airwaves.”

Log In
Sign Up

How to Install Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Home Assistant is a powerful open-source platform that lets you control smart home devices. Installing it on a Raspberry Pi allows for a low-power, always-on smart home hub. Follow this guide to set it up.

What You’ll Need

✅ Raspberry Pi 4 (Recommended) or Pi 3
✅ MicroSD Card (32GB or larger, Class 10)
✅ A microSD card reader
✅ Power supply for Raspberry Pi
✅ Ethernet cable (recommended for stability)
✅ Computer with internet access

Step 1: Download Home Assistant OS

  1. Open your web browser and go to:
    https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/raspberrypi
  2. Scroll down and download the Raspberry Pi image for your model:
    • Raspberry Pi 4: Select Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 64-bit
    • Raspberry Pi 3: Select Raspberry Pi 3 32-bit
  3. The file will download as a .img.xz file.

Step 2: Flash Home Assistant OS to MicroSD Card

  1. Download and Install Balena Etcher (Used to flash the OS to the SD card)
  2. Insert your microSD card into your computer using a card reader.
  3. Open Balena Etcher and follow these steps:
    • Click Flash from file and select the Home Assistant .img.xz file.
    • Click Select target and choose your microSD card.
    • Click Flash and wait for the process to complete.
  4. Once done, remove the microSD card safely from your computer.

Step 3: Boot the Raspberry Pi with Home Assistant

  1. Insert the flashed microSD card into the Raspberry Pi.
  2. Connect an Ethernet cable for a more stable connection (Wi-Fi can be set up later).
  3. Plug in the power cable to turn on the Raspberry Pi.
  4. Wait about 20 minutes for the initial setup to complete.

Step 4: Access Home Assistant from Your Web Browser

  1. On your computer or smartphone, open a web browser.
  2. Type in: http://homeassistant.local:8123
    • If this doesn’t work, use the Raspberry Pi’s IP address instead.
    • Find the IP by logging into your router or using a tool like Advanced IP Scanner.

Step 5: Create Your Home Assistant Account

  1. When the Home Assistant page loads, click Create Account.
  2. Enter a username, password, and name for your smart home system.
  3. Click Create Account to finish setup.

Step 6: Configure Smart Home Devices

  1. Home Assistant will automatically detect smart devices on your network.
  2. Click Settings > Devices & Services to add new integrations.
  3. Search for popular services like Philips Hue, Google Home, Alexa, Zigbee, and MQTT.

Optional: Set Up Wi-Fi (If Not Using Ethernet)

  1. Remove the microSD card and insert it into your computer.
  2. Open the “CONFIG/network” folder.
  3. Create a new file named my-network.txt and add this:yamlCopyEdit[connection] id=my-wifi type=802-11-wireless [wifi] ssid=YOUR_WIFI_NAME psk=YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD
  4. Save the file and reinsert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi.
  5. Restart your Raspberry Pi to apply the Wi-Fi settings.

Step 7: Keep Home Assistant Updated

To ensure security and stability, always update your system:

  1. Open Home Assistant and go to Settings > System > Updates.
  2. Click Update if a new version is available.

Alternatively, you can update via SSH with this command:

bashCopyEditha core update

Final Thoughts

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed Home Assistant on your Raspberry Pi. Now, you can automate your smart home with powerful features.