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| The Home Assistant app for iOS (pictured) has been updated to version 2026.1. |
If you’re using Home Assistant on an iPhone, there’s a fresh update waiting that’s worth your attention. Just over a month after the substantial 2025.11 release, the team has rolled out version 2026.1 of the Home Assistant iOS app, packing refinements that streamline interaction—especially for CarPlay users—and add more flexibility to your widgets and entity management.
While the previous update was a notable step forward for CarPlay integration and onboarding, this release focuses on polishing those experiences and sprinkling in a few new conveniences.
CarPlay Gets More Polished and Practical
For those who use Home Assistant via Apple CarPlay, version 2026.1 introduces several thoughtful tweaks. The quick access tab now allows you to view the entity area, providing better context at a glance. To reduce clutter, the developers have wisely hidden diagnostic and configuration entities from the CarPlay interface. They’ve also squashed a bug that prevented the lock function from working correctly from that same quick access tab, restoring expected functionality for a smoother, safer driving experience.
Enhanced Widgets and Smarter Search
Beyond the car, your iPhone’s Home Assistant widgets are gaining utility. The Control Center widget now includes new options to open domain-specific entities directly in the app, cutting down the steps to control your most-used devices. A dedicated new control for fan devices has also been added, giving you quicker access from your home screen.
Finding the right device or automation just got easier, too. The Entity Picker’s search functionality has been upgraded with new filters for ID, name, and area, helping you pinpoint controls faster in a complex smart home setup.
Under-the-Hood Fixes and a Glimpse of the Future
The update addresses a handful of nagging issues. One notable fix resolves a problem where activating local push notifications previously required a device reboot—a small but welcome quality-of-life improvement.
On the experimental front, the team has added audio support to the Native WebRTC Player, a feature currently in early development. This marks continued progress toward a more robust, native real-time communication framework within the app.
Ready to update? You can download the latest version directly from the Apple App Store.
How to Get the Update
As always, you can find the complete technical changelog for Home Assistant iOS app version 2026.1 in the official release notes. To get the new features on your device, simply head to the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and update your Home Assistant app. If you haven’t tried the app yet, it remains the best way to take your powerful, local-first home automation platform on the go.
What’s your most-used feature in the Home Assistant iOS app? Let us know in the comments below.
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| The change log for the Home Assistant iOS app version 2026.1. |