Home Assistant 2026.1: SendSpin, new Home Dashboard improvements and presence using labels
Home Assistant Podcast
Outro
Phil and Rohan wrap up, invite CES interactions, Patreon early access, and guest applications.
Rohan and Phil are here to break down the 2026.1 release. We’re talking Home Dashboard improvements, a new multi-room audio protocol from Music Assistant, and of course some Zigbee quirks thrown into the mix
Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA216
Support the Podcast
Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.
https://homeassistant.fm/patreon
Share your story
We 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.
Chapters
00:00:00 - New Year, housekeeping, sponsors
00:03:00 - SendSpin: open sync audio arrives
00:10:00 - Cross‑ecosystem sync caveats
00:14:00 - Voice PE audio and DIY speakers
00:16:00 - Listener Q&A and AI log help
00:20:00 - 2026.1 mobile Home dashboard
00:24:00 - Purpose‑specific triggers expansion
00:27:00 - New integrations
00:31:00 - Labels/templates for presence
00:37:00 - Protocol hubs, Matter, graphs, devices
00:41:00 - Breaking changes, EcoWitt PSA, CES
This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors
Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa
Easily 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.
If 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.com
Products Discussed
Roborock Q7 robot vacuum: https://amzn.to/4bkyEjo
EcoWitt weather station: https://amzn.to/4jBcX0M
Sonos One: https://amzn.to/4pmsz9H
Hosts
Phil Hawthorne
Twitter: @philhawthorne
Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com
Rohan Karamandi
Twitter: @rohank9
This 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.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The AI-powered Podcast Player
