Announcing MQTT/Android bridging app: Zanzito. Beta testers wanted!

Mobile Apps Zanzito for Android
#21

OK! Well first impressions: great for mqtt and my device traacking. I would rather suggestto replace owntracks as your app updates GPS data more efficient than owntracks. Send photo has to be continued as for the moment i think it is unusuable. Where are pic uploaded to?

Logs are nice but with filter function would be more readable. Want to check mqtt data to get an overview about this.

Battery usage is a bit high i guess but i think this will be fixes in the future.

Frequently update settings are great! U might want to add TLS for MQTT ? I dont need it personally but i think it will be asked :slight_smile:

I’d like to see my cam also in this app and would just use it for remoting hass from distance.

I ported all my sensors to MQTT. I*d like to see them in this app if possible. couldnt find the setting to read out my sensors topis.

would be nice having the possibility to subscribe to tops from my mqtt server to revceive sensor stats

#22

ok… will read the manual :slight_smile:

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#23

you should maybe use markdown for your codes on your site :slight_smile:

#24

Thanks!
You can have Zanzito automatically send photo at the interval of your choice (it would drain the battery, though), see preferences.
The pictures are on your MQTT server :slight_smile: see manual

Battery usage: it really depends on your settings. Many sensor trackings, Instant updates, automatic pictures, high precision location, they all drain the battery by themselves, not much to be done there.

Best disable “Instant updates” and have “heartbeats” sent at regular intervals (you can set this up in the preferences).
In my experience so far, it is not even necessary to have “high precision” in location: it works well without it and it drains a lot less energy.

TLS, custom topic subscriptions, photo push notification (home cameras): already in my TODO list :slight_smile:

thanks again
gl

#25

Thank you for your app. I have downloaded and tried it. Without TLS this is almost useless for me, I trying to setup TOR and orbot without success.
Other than that whatever functions I tried(Setting up a sensor etc) worked flawlessly.
I will do more testing once I get my TOR setup going.

#26

Thanks for your feedback!
Can I be of help with Tor?
Actually, I’d be glad to discuss TLS vs tor, not about my app but in general. I first setup HA with SSL and opened a port on my router, but after I switched over tor and I think things got simpler: I can access HA (and have Zanzito working) from anywhere, including my home network, without having to switch configuration.
I’ll write to you…

gl

#27

I got the TOR setup working and can connect to both HA and MQTT through Orbot.
Seems like one of the app(Zanito or Orbot is eating up my mobile battery though. Didn’t last full day. Will have to investigate.

#28

I am very interested in this app, however I have a suggestion could we then use old android devices to work as sensors in the house? Or the main purpose of the app is to be installed in my main cellphone? I have some broken cellphones with the processor intact and android OS intact that is why I am making this question.

Thanks for the work you have made!

#29

Hi,
I have two old phones hanging from a couple of walls in my house, with Zanzito.
They take pictures at regular intervals and both have a proximity sensor that I use as a switch (through HA) to control a door and a heater: you just pass your hand in front of them and the switch toggles…

#30

@MrMep –

Having some issues, can you please help me out? Thanks!

  • I can see the MQTT connections in the Cloud MQTT database, however, no device_tracker entities appear in my Home Assistant.
  • I cannot see any devices in the map view of Home Assistant.
  • I can see the MQTT updates in my cloudmqtt.com account.

MQTT Portion of Configuration

#31

Hi,
there’s no support for HA mqtt device tracker component yet (but there will be very soon).
You can use “Owntracks emulation” (Zanzito->Preferences->Location) and, in HA:

device_tracker:
  - platform: owntracks

that should be all. You can check the name of the device_tracker in known_devices.yaml (and make some customization, if you want).

Thanks for pointing out this, I will update Zanzito manual accordingly!

gl

#32

Your app works even better than owntracks so far :wink:

Would like having like background function and start on boot. Very nice

#33

Hi,
there should already be both! In the preferences you have to set “Autostart Zanzito” and “Automatic connection” to on, and it should start on boot.
Also, you can swipe-kill the app: the service runs in the background.

gl

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#34

My fault ! Thanks again ! Great great great . Just must delete old devices now for front-end as they are still showing up after updating device ID

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#35

Can the Owntracks option be updated to include battery as a parameter? Then it would be available as an attribute of the device and wouldn’t require its own sensor.

#36

Hi, thanks for pointing this out!
It’s already done, it will be in the next beta release, very soon, along with some other HUGE improvements, thanks to the great suggestions Zanzito’s beta testers are sending me :wink:
gl

2 Likes
#37

Unfortunately, after some digging, I discovered that currently the HA mqtt device tracker component doesn’t support gps coordinates, but only a generic location “name”.
Starting from the next beta release, Zanzito should be HA compliant (it will have the right JSON keys), but the HA component will need some improvement: I’ll start working on it as soon as possibile…

gl

#38

Hi,
A new beta version of Zanzito is now available to all beta testers via Google Play store.

Now there’s support to custom topics, meaning you can add your own MQTT publications/subscriptions, including receiving push pictures, push notifications and alarm from MQTT/HA, and send messages (anything is possible, of course, like switching a light on, opening a door, etc.)

Again, a lot of thanks to all of you who gave me great ideas and feedbacks!

There are still a few beta testing slots available, write to [email protected] if interested.

Thanks
gl

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#39

Hi,
starting from beta version 0.9.4b, Zanzito supports SSL/TLS connections (without client certification authentication, only usernames and passwords).

#40

Thanks to everyone who took part in Zanzito’s closed beta testing. That phase is now over.
Zanzito is now in open beta testing, meaning that everyone can go to:
https://play.google.com/apps/testing/it.barbaro.zanzito
become a tester and download the app.

If you wish to discuss Zanzito’s features, configuration and eventual issues, here’s the official Telegram group:
https://t.me/joinchat/AAAAAAymRHffr1_N5FZiVw

thanks
Gianluca Barbaro

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