Home Assistant mobile app on iPad4 IOS10

Mobile Apps Home Assistant Companion for Apple
1

Hi,

I recently started using HA and got really into it. I like the environment so much, I want to make it an integral part of my home automation setup, previously primally run on Philips Hue (iConnectHue) and IOS Shortcuts.

I tried installing the HA mobile app on an older iPad4 running IOS10 that I had laying around, with the intention of mounting it permanently on a central wall in our home. The app installation went straightforward, and all my dashboards and functions were accessible on the iPad. So far so great! Thus I invested in some iPad4 mounting hardware (somewhat higher grade, it will basically be in plain sight all the time). It got delivered today, it fits perfectly and looks great. Money well spend i thought…

With the intention of using this iPad solely for HA, I completely reset it and installed it as a new device. It’s running the latest IOS10 again. And here it comes: when going to the App Store and trying to install the HA app anew, I now get the message that this version is ONLY supported from IOS12 upwards. Going into the app history, I noticed that an app update was issued on March 6th, so after my initial test on my iPad. An iPad4 cannot be updated to IOS12, and I’ve just bought all the specific iPad4 installing hardware. This new HA version now renders this investment utterly useless. Money down the drain I now think…

Is there ANY way to still get the previous version of the HA app that is compatible with IOS10, or could an intermediate update of the latest version be issued that is backwards compatible to IOS10? Any other suggestions without jailbraking the iPad (I still want to keep it a secure installation), or breaking the bank for a brand new iPad and installation hardware?

Thank for your feedback!
Regards,
Nico - Belgium.

2

If you go into your purchases and download it from there, you may be able to download an older version that supports that iOS version. If not, how about just loading it in Safari?

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3

Not a great solution, but you could (I think iOS10 supports it) put the iPad into kiosk mode and use Safari to open your HA instance in full screen. The app itself isn’t really required for what you are trying to accomplish as it only adds sensors and geotracking for the device it’s installed on on top of showing your lovelace views. Given that you are using these iPads as wall mount controllers, sensors and geo-location shouldn’t really be needed.

https://www.bosstab.com/resources/ipad-kiosk-mode/

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4

Thanks for your feedback! The “purchases” solution actually worked. You saved my wallet :wink:

I tried loading in Safari by the way, but then the bar on top was taking away some screen real estate, and I’m running in dark mode so the grey bar was also an eyesore…

Thanks again, long live an active community!

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5

That’s actually also not a bad idea! Thank you!

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6

The app now requires iOS 15.

It’s a pity really as repurposing an otherwise useless tablet to control my lights shouldn’t require a 64 bit processor