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Share a project I've been working on: Ava, an Android voice assistant app that turns old tablets, phones, car head units, smart mirrors, and Android-powered appliances into powerful smart home control panels. Compatible with the full range of Android ecosystems.
This project is based on brownard/Ava with extensive modifications and extensions. The original was a great ESPHome voice satellite implementation, but with basic features. I researched existing solutions: Fully Kiosk is powerful but paid. WallPanel is no longer maintained. The Android smart home panel space has been stagnant for years. So I decided to combine the best of these projects, using Ava as the foundation to build something truly useful.
No Extra Integrations
No MQTT, no HACS. Devices are discovered natively by Home Assistant, just like ESPHome nodes.
Built for Low-End Hardware
Supports Android 7–16, including 32-bit devices. Cheap tablets and old phones work reliably.
Expanding to Android 4.4–6
Earlier Android versions are currently under active development. The goal is full BLE proxy compatibility without compromises.
This is a feature no other Android panel app has.
Your Android device becomes a complete Bluetooth gateway, extending Home Assistant's Bluetooth coverage. No ESP32 needed - just use your spare Android device!
Features:
BLE Proxy Forwards all Bluetooth Low Energy data to Home Assistant.
Whole-Home Coverage Deploy multiple Ava devices, each extends Bluetooth range.
Presence Detection Auto-detect phones, smartwatches, bands; trigger home/away automations.
All BLE Devices Compatible Temperature sensors, plant monitors, smart locks, all supported.
Why This Matters: ESP32 Bluetooth proxies need firmware flashing and configuration. Ava works out of the box - your Android device is already a powerful Bluetooth transceiver. Perfect for apartments or multi-story homes where one Bluetooth source isn't enough. Turn that dusty old tablet in the bedroom into a Bluetooth relay point.
Presence Detection Use Cases: Phone enters Bluetooth range → Auto lights on, AC on, play welcome message. Phone leaves for a while → Auto lights off, security mode on. Detect specific family member devices → Personalized scene triggers. Adjustable RSSI threshold and away delay for precise sensitivity control.
This feature alone is worth trying if you've struggled with Bluetooth coverage in Home Assistant.
Note: Bluetooth proxy source code is not open source, only available in release builds. All other feature code is available on GitHub.
This is what makes Ava visually unique. Floating windows overlay on top of any app - display a full-screen HA dashboard while still seeing clock, weather, and notifications overlaid on top.
Other apps force you to choose: dashboard or clock. With Ava, you get both.
Always VisibleOverlays on any app, including full-screen browsers.HA ControlRemotely toggle each window from Home Assistant.Non-IntrusiveDesigned to complement, not block the main interface.
Available floating windows:
Dream Clock Elegant always-on clock.
Vinyl Cover Rotating record cover when playing music.
Conversation Subtitles Shows what you said and AI responses.
Notification Scenes Full-screen alerts for doorbell, alarms, etc.
Ava is a voice assistant app based on the ESPHome protocol. It turns your Android device into a voice satellite for Home Assistant.
What can you do with it? Control smart home devices with voice (lights, AC, music, etc.). Display beautiful screensavers and clocks. Show real-time weather information. Display full-screen notifications (doorbell, alerts, etc.). Play music with album cover display. Take photos and stream video.
Put your old phone or tablet at home, and it becomes a smart control panel!
System Requirements: Android 7.0 or higher. Home Assistant connection required.
This makes Ava suitable for turning any phone or tablet into a native-looking Home Assistant panel, consistent with the rest of your HA ecosystem.
Ava does not impose a custom UI identity. Instead, it deliberately follows Home Assistant’s visual language and iconography. This ensures that any device running Ava feels like an extension of Home Assistant itself, not a third-party layer on top.
- Download the Ava APK file from GitHub Releases Built-in auto-update feature.
- Tap to install.
- Allow all permission requests (microphone, overlay, etc.).
In Home Assistant:
- Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Integrations.
- Search and add ESPHome integration.
- Ava will be discovered automatically, tap Configure.
In Ava app:
- Open Ava app.
- Tap the Settings icon in the top right.
- Select Voice Satellite.
- Tap Start Service.
After successful connection: Status bar will show "Connected". You can see this device in Home Assistant.
Say the wake word (default is "Hey Jarvis"), then say your command: "Turn on the living room light". "What time is it". "Play music". "What's the weather tomorrow".
Required:
Microphone To hear you speak.
Overlay To show screensaver, notifications, weather, etc.
Foreground Service To keep service running.
Optional:
Camera For photos and video.
Bluetooth To detect if you're home.
Location Required for Bluetooth scanning.
System Settings Screen brightness control.
Root (Recommended): Better background protection, boot scripts, screen control, reboot. Works without Root, but more stable with it.
Optimized for 24/7 operation: battery optimization exemption WiFi wake lock auto-reconnect boot auto-start auto-recovery when killed.
- Original Project: brownard/Ava
- ESPHome: https://esphome.io/
- Home Assistant: https://www.home-assistant.io/
Last Updated: 2026-03-12
