Home Assistant 2025.12: Labs, Smarter Automations, Real‑Time Energy and Frenck

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Dec 2, 2025

Frenck Nijhof, lead developer at Home Assistant and a key contributor to Open Home Foundation projects, joins to unveil the exciting features of Home Assistant 2025.12. He discusses the innovative Home Assistant Labs, purpose-specific triggers for smarter automations, and the revamped automation UI. Frenck also dives into real-time energy monitoring capabilities and the new Zigbee 4 integration. Plus, get insights on the implications of Matter.js joining the Open Home Foundation and the evolving landscape of pet tech.

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ANECDOTE

Taking The Smart Home When Moving

Frank removed all smart devices before listing his house to avoid burdening buyers and creating e‑waste.
He now lives with regular light switches and misses automation conveniences immediately.

ANECDOTE

ESPHome Replacing Arduino's Teaching Role

Frank expects ESPHome to grow beyond PlatformIO and possibly become the new teaching platform similar to Arduino.
He sees ESPHome's YAML approach as easier to teach than Arduino sketches.

ADVICE

Try Labs But Back Up First

Enable Home Assistant Labs to safely try preview features and give feedback.
Make a backup before enabling a preview feature to avoid surprises when disabling it later.

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