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)
   • Download from https://www.balena.io/etcher
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.