Assist + timers doesn't seem to work

Configuration
1

I was playing with a new irrigation valve today and I had home assistant open on my workstation. I went into assist and just asked it “turn off irrigation1_zone1 in 10 minutes”

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a few moments later i inquired about the status.

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So I decided to try another simple one.

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and just as before no timer exists.
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I feel like I am missing something. But not quite sure what. I know i can create timer helpers and then start/stop those. But I was under the impression that adhoc timers were a thing now (for a while now).

2

You can code in a 10 minute delay possibly by voice.
Timers are a specific thing and when you say timers, it will look for a timer entity… which has to be created as a helper.

This is voice stuff, so I may have things wrong. I’m more used to coding an answer than doing complex things via voice, so get other opinions as well.

3

Time-delayed commands are working for me on 2026.5.0b1… no timer entities needed.

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But I don’t use an LLM… so I don’t know how that affects the process.

Raw response 
stage: done
run:
  pipeline: 01k33xrwdf1jydkvazgbj3bkjh
  language: en
  conversation_id: 01KQT2K71C5HG88MSF7AQJRQV2
  runner_data:
    stt_binary_handler_id: null
    timeout: 300
events:
  - type: run-start
    data:
      pipeline: 01k33xrwdf1jydkvazgbj3bkjh
      language: en
      conversation_id: 01KQT2K71C5HG88MSF7AQJRQV2
      runner_data:
        stt_binary_handler_id: null
        timeout: 300
    timestamp: "2026-05-04T18:04:20.909301+00:00"
  - type: intent-start
    data:
      engine: conversation.home_assistant
      language: en
      intent_input: turn on tv light in 2 minutes
      conversation_id: 01KQT2K71C5HG88MSF7AQJRQV2
      device_id: null
      satellite_id: null
      prefer_local_intents: false
    timestamp: "2026-05-04T18:04:20.909399+00:00"
  - type: intent-end
    data:
      processed_locally: true
      intent_output:
        response:
          speech:
            plain:
              speech: Command will be executed in 2 minutes
              extra_data: null
          card: {}
          language: en
          response_type: action_done
          data:
            success: []
            failed: []
        conversation_id: 01KQT2K71C5HG88MSF7AQJRQV2
        continue_conversation: false
    timestamp: "2026-05-04T18:04:21.453832+00:00"
  - type: run-end
    data: null
    timestamp: "2026-05-04T18:04:21.453877+00:00"
started: 2026-05-04T18:04:20.909Z
intent:
  engine: conversation.home_assistant
  language: en
  intent_input: turn on tv light in 2 minutes
  conversation_id: 01KQT2K71C5HG88MSF7AQJRQV2
  device_id: null
  satellite_id: null
  prefer_local_intents: false
  done: true
  processed_locally: true
  intent_output:
    response:
      speech:
        plain:
          speech: Command will be executed in 2 minutes
          extra_data: null
      card: {}
      language: en
      response_type: action_done
      data:
        success: []
        failed: []
    conversation_id: 01KQT2K71C5HG88MSF7AQJRQV2
    continue_conversation: false
finished: 2026-05-04T18:04:21.453Z

They’re a thing, but it’s complicated.

AFAIK, the delayed-commands can be started both by the Assist UI input and voice input, but they don’t populate the timer variables on voice devices. Voice input can populate the timer variables on Voice devices, but the Assist UI cannot. I don’t think there are any built-in options to start a timer on the HA server.

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The Assist UI input can modify existing timers on Voice devices.

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4

Did your command turn on the tv after the 2 minutes? I get the not being able to populate the vars on the voice assist devices (esphome devices ect). I have not moved to the 2026.05 yet. still on 04.

Ill keep playing with it. :slight_smile:

5

Yes, it did.

6

I built a thing for this: Voice Assistant Persistent Timers - Voice Assistant Persistent Timers

7

This particular sitation has nothing to do with voice assistant. just the assist you can type messages into. This is 100% based around the idea of the ephemeral timers like the egg timer, or pasta timer ect. Not timers that are pre-known. Example. Todays timer with the sprinkler. I have normal schedules for that. But i had an edge case today that i just needed it running for 10 minutes.