Home Assistant 2026.5 introduces RF and RS-232 Control
Home Assistant 2026.5 introduces RF and RS-232 Control  
Podcast: Home Assistant Podcast
Published On: Wed May 06 2026
Description: We’re diving into Home Assistant 2026.5 and re-capping the highlights from State of the Open Home 2026. There’s new RS-232 serial control, dashboard strategies, and more purpose-specific triggers.Watch this episode on YouTubeShow notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA232Support the PodcastGet early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.https://homeassistant.fm/patreonShare your storyWe wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:10:30 Roadmap deep-dive and HTTP 8000:15:30 Easter eggs, Project BLAST, merch00:19:30 IR databases and Z-Wave spectrum00:23:00 2026.5: RS-232 and RF proxies00:28:30 RF rolling codes and SDR hopes00:31:30 Dashboards: strategies and shortcuts00:36:00 Vacuums chat and power strip ad00:41:00 Purpose-specific triggers (Labs)00:44:00 MQTT, Matter, ESPHome updates00:46:30 Shelly, Sonos, groups, and S1/S200:50:30 Apple TV typing, WLED, notifications00:54:00 Immich photos, Subaru, and UniFi00:57:00 New integrations roundup01:00:00 Breaking changes: Ring, webhooks01:01:30 Template docs overhaul01:02:30 Network outage story and resilience01:05:30 Wrap-up and sign-offThis episode was made possible thanks to our sponsorsHome Assistant Cloud by Nabu CasaEasily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.ZoozIf you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.comApollo AutomationApollo Automation are the makers of open source smart home sensors built for the Home Assistant ecosystem. They're an official Open Home Foundation commercial partner and their devices are built with local control, privacy, and reliability in mind, giving you full control and flexibility right out of the box.Products DiscussedBroadlink RM4 Pro (433 MHz IR/RF blaster): https://amzn.to/4tesZk8UniFi Protect PoE Smart Siren: https://amzn.to/4w4ZWChProducts we RecommendHostsPhil HawthorneWebsiteTwitter: @philhawthorneBluesky: @philhawthorne.comBuy Phil a CoffeeRohan KaramandiWebsiteTwitter: @rohank9Buy Rohan a CoffeeThis episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy