HomeControl A home automation system for your Raspberry PI and your Android smartphone.

Install Android client

• You can choose between the regular version and the beta version:
  • Regular version can be installed like other apps from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jens.homecontrol.client.android
  • If you want the beta version do the following steps:
    • Since it's beta you can't install it from Google Play the easy way. To join the beta test first join Google group androidappbetatester
    • Go here with your webbrowser: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.jens.homecontrol.client.android
    • Login, then confirm you want to participate. Use the link at the bottom of the confirmation page to go to the app page. Install it from there.
    • Currently you cannot install if from the Play Store app on your phone. That's because there's no final version, yet - only this beta.
    • The default Play Store settings will automatically update your apps when new versions become available. This means that compatibility between client and server application may break when you already have a new client and an old server version. To avoid that I suggest you set your server to install updates automatically or deactivate automatic updates for both server and client.
    • If you are using SSL you have to install the root certificate into your Android device's root certificate store.
    • After start go to settings and enter your details according to those you setup on your server.
  • Now go to settings and enter the configuration data that matches your server.

Setup devices

• First create one or multiple rooms. That's pretty self-explanatory.
• Afterwards create a device.

433 MHz devices

Select a room. Enter a name. Check the "Radio 443MHz" checkbox Enter a code manually or ask the server to suggest the next free one. Commands are not necessary at first. Except for scheduling they only make sense for infrared devices. Setup a socket with the same code.

Infrared devices:

Select a room. Enter a name. This name needs to be the same you specified in lircd.conf (see screenshot)!!!! Check the "Infrared" checkbox Click Commands -> Add Enter a name. This would be something of your own choice. Select infrared as carrier type. For signal name: Enter what you named a command during lircd setup. E.g. "KEY_POWER" (see screenshot). For command type: Select one of three things this does, power on / power off / anything else. That categorisation is necessary for scheduling.

• The android client supports being started with parameters. So another Android application can start it and directly give instructions without you actively using the device.
• How does that help? You can use an If-then-that program to automate stuff.
• For example use (yes, it's also mine) Automation.
• Examples:
  • Setup trigger's you like use (simple example: I come home -> turn on the lights, but you can make them as complex as you'd like.)
  • We have tablets on the walls to operate this whole environment. Since I don't want them to be charged permanently and kill the battery in few months they are controlling their charging state themselfes. When battery level drops below a specified level charging is started. When it's full charging is stopped.
• It needs the following parameters:
  • String, name: objectType, value (not case-sensitive): Command | Device | Room | All
  • String, name: objectName, value (case-sensitive): whatever you named your command/device/room
  • boolean, name: desiredState, value: true | false
  • The start application dialog should look similar to this:

    

  • When you're finished the rule should look something like this:

    

  • Click "Save". Now the client should start when all triggers you specified are met. Of course this should also work when your phone/tablet is in standby.

HomeControl - Copyright by Jens Schröder, 2015 - 2025