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Getting started

Requirements

You need Home Assistant 2026.7+, the RustyHAMA integration, an HTTPS endpoint and an Android device from API 17. HA and the device must be able to reach each other; prefer the direct local HA address. Camera and voice require camera and microphone permission. Location is not requested.

Installation

Add https://github.com/narolinus/RustyHAMA-integration to HACS as a custom repository in the Integration category. Install RustyHAMA, restart HA and add RustyHAMA under Settings → Devices & services. Then install the signed APK from the RustyHAMA F-Droid repository. A debug APK has a different signature and cannot replace a release APK without uninstalling it.

Pairing

Under Devices in the panel, create a device with name, profile and HA area. The eight-digit code lasts ten minutes and locks after five failures. Enter the HA URL and code or scan the QR code. If an old device cannot resolve or route the HA name, also enter the reachable IP under Connect IP/host override. The URL remains in use for the Host header and TLS SNI; only the connection target changes. Successful pairing enables the foreground service and atomically loads the published configuration. Dashboard, camera, voice, media player and device name are then configured exclusively in HA.

The HA URL, connection IP/host override and local certificate exception remain editable after pairing under Settings → Local connection recovery. This is intended especially for routed device and telephony networks. Save connection and restart completely closes all existing HA, Assist and provider connections and establishes them again using the new target; pairing again is not required. Where possible, keep the certified HTTPS name as the HA URL and enter only the HA IP reachable from the device network as the override. This preserves the correct Host header, TLS SNI and certificate name.

Certificate

On old Android versions the app uses its own Conscrypt/OkHttp stack with TLS 1.2 and compatible cipher suites. If the trust chain or certificate name is unusable, Trust and pin displays the current leaf certificate’s SHA-256 fingerprint but stores the more stable SPKI public-key pin after confirmation. A real key change pauses the connection and requests confirmation again. If even that flow fails, enable Accept insecure certificate. This explicitly unsafe option disables trust-chain and hostname verification and must only be used on a trusted local network.

First start

Open Dashboard, select profile and device, edit the draft and publish it. The app loads a new revision immediately; no manual restart is needed. The preview uses the last reported device geometry and can be enlarged separately. Then verify Online/Last Seen, an HA control, history, providers and Assist. Additional hardware sensors and the media player remain disabled by default.