Turn an Old Tablet into a Home Assistant Dashboard with Fully Kiosk

Do you want to create an intuitive and always-on control panel for your smart home? Instead of buying expensive, dedicated devices, you can repurpose an old Android tablet. Thanks to the Fully Kiosk Browser app and its integration with Home Assistant, you can build a fully functional and aesthetically pleasing system that’s always at your fingertips.

Step 1: Install Fully Kiosk Browser

The first step is to download and install the Fully Kiosk Browser app on your tablet. You can do this directly from the Google Play store. Search for “Fully Kiosk Browser” and install the app.

The app has a free version, but for full functionality, such as remote access and sensor control, a paid license is required. It’s definitely worth purchasing to unlock the full potential of the program.

Step 2: Basic Fully Kiosk Configuration

After installing and launching the app, you’ll see the startup screen. Start by configuring the most important options:

1. Set the Start URL: In Fully Kiosk’s settings (tap the hamburger icon in the top left corner), go to Web Content Settings and enter the URL of your Home Assistant dashboard in the Start URL field, for example: http://127.0.0.1:8123/lovelace/home.
2. Fullscreen Mode: For a professional-looking panel, enable fullscreen mode to hide Android’s top status bar and bottom navigation buttons. You’ll find this option under Kiosk Mode & Security.
3. Screen On/Off Management: Fully Kiosk can manage the tablet’s screen. In the Device Management settings, you can configure the screen to turn off automatically after a period of inactivity (e.g., 10 minutes) and to wake up when the motion sensor (if your tablet has one) detects a person nearby.

Step 3: Integration with Home Assistant

For Fully Kiosk to communicate with Home Assistant, you need to install the integration in HA.

1. In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices & Services > Add Integration.
2. Search for “Fully Kiosk Browser”.
3. During configuration, you will be asked for the tablet’s IP address and a remote administration password, which you’ll set in Fully Kiosk.
   • In the Fully Kiosk app, go to Remote Administration (ADMIN) > Enable Remote Administration. Set a password and note your tablet’s IP address.
4. Upon successful connection, Home Assistant will detect the tablet as a new device, and a new entity will appear in your panel, such as media_player.tablet_name, along with sensor entities like sensor.tablet_name_battery_level.

Step 4: Using Automations

After integrating with HA, you can create automations that will take your panel to the next level.

• Wake the Screen: Create an automation that wakes the screen when a motion sensor (e.g., from Home Assistant, Zigbee, or Z-Wave) detects movement in the room.
  • Trigger: when motion sensor detects motion
  • Action: call service fully_kiosk_browser.screen_on
• Change the View: You can automatically switch the view on the panel. For example, when you arm your alarm, Home Assistant can switch the view to a security camera feed.
  • Trigger: when alarm is turned on
  • Action: call service fully_kiosk_browser.load_url, providing the URL of the camera view.

By using these features, your panel becomes more than just a static display; it becomes an interactive command center that reacts to what’s happening in your home.

Installing and configuring Fully Kiosk Browser is a simple yet incredibly effective way to create a professional smart home dashboard.