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| The new Home Assistant power distribution card |
The steady drumbeat of innovation for the world’s most powerful local-first smart home platform continues. Just over a month after the feature-packed 2026.1 release, the Home Assistant project has unveiled version 2026.2, a significant update that refines the core user experience, introduces powerful new tools, and rethinks how we talk about expanding the system.
This release solidifies the platform's move towards a more intuitive and proactive smart home, making it easier for both newcomers and veterans to stay in control.
A New Default Dashboard and Smarter Device Management
The most immediate change for many users will be the interface. The Home Dashboard is now the default view for all new setups, officially named ‘Overview’. This modern, adaptable dashboard is designed to provide a cleaner, more informative starting point for your day-to-day control.
For those with a fondness for the previous layout, customization remains king. You can easily set the ‘Overview (legacy)’ template as your default under Settings > Dashboards.
The Overview is getting smarter, too. The For You section now features a new card that automatically highlights any newly discovered devices on your network, prompting you to set them up immediately—no more digging through logs.
Furthermore, the recently introduced Devices area receives a major quality-of-life upgrade. Now, when you view your device list, you’ll find convenient ‘Assign area’ actions next to each unassigned device. This allows you to categorize devices by room or area with a single click, dramatically speeding up the organization of a growing smart home.
"Add-ons" Become "Apps" & The Power of Quick Search
In a move to clarify its ecosystem, Home Assistant has renamed "Add-ons" to "Apps." According to the team, this change better distinguishes these standalone, often UI-driven applications (like backup tools or media servers) from "Integrations," which connect Home Assistant to external devices and services. It’s a subtle but helpful semantic shift for the community.
Perhaps one of the most powerful new tools for power users is the global Quick Search. Activated with Ctrl + K (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + K (macOS), this command palette-style search lets you jump instantly to any setting, device, entity, or area. It’s a faster way to navigate than any menu.
New Cards and Integrations Expand Possibilities
For energy-conscious users, the new distribution card is a standout addition. This visualization tool allows you to monitor how your electrical power is being consumed across different devices and appliances directly from your dashboard, providing at-a-glance insights for better energy management.
As always, the update broadens Home Assistant’s compatibility. New integrations in 2026.2 include:
- Cloudflare R2: For those moving away from cloud-dependent services, this integration enables local backups directly to Cloudflare’s object storage.
- Prana: Gain local control and monitoring over Prana heat recovery ventilation systems for improved indoor air quality.
- HDFury: A boon for home theater enthusiasts, this integration brings local control to HDFury HDMI video processors, including popular models like the VRROOM (curr. $599 at Amazon).
For a complete breakdown of every change, bug fix, and new feature, be sure to check out the official Home Assistant 2026.2 release notes on the blog.
The update is rolling out now to all managed Home Assistant users. Those running other installation types (like Home Assistant OS or Container) can update through their respective channels.
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| The new Home Assistant Quick search function |
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| The new Home Assistant 'Assign area’ actions in Devices |