I was looking into several different solutions for getting a feed of the security cameras (I’m using Eufy cameras, but this guide can be applied to any other brand as well, as long as several conditions are met, as will be explained below).
This was not too difficult to set up, however the feed was unreliable, took a very long time to be seen on the HA dashboard, sometimes getting error messages, this was not something that could pass the spousal approval test.
The best solution I could find so far, and this I found to be very reliable, is to basically install the Eufy app on the tablet, to make sure it has all the permissions it needed and then to use tasker with a plugin called AutoNotification, which “grabs” the notification on the tablet when someone rings the doorbell, it can then simulate a click on the notification to directly open the Eufy app (which automatically launches the app in the relevant camera, with the feed on, like a proper intercom system). And then it’s possible to set up a short timer to then close the Eufy app automatically and relaunch HA into our dashboard.
You can’t use this method to watch feed “on-demand”, only when a notification is arriving. For on-demand feed watching, I’ve set up picture cards that when you click on them it just opens the Eufy app. Not into the appropriate camera, but at least you get the Eufy camera grid and you can select which camera to watch.
So breaking it down into steps, for anyone who wishes to follow:
Install the Eufy app (or whatever app you have for your own camera system if not using Eufy). I have no idea how this works with iPads, I’m using an Android tablet for all of this.
Install tasker and AutoNotification. Tasker is free, however AutoNotification requires a very small one time fee, which is definitely worth it.
Follow the guide here to set up AutoNotification to grab the notification and to click on it. (In step #4 of that guide, I used the id %antouchaction to click on the notification itself).
I also added another step in Tasker, to cancel the notification after it is clicked on, it’s supposed to be cleared after the click, but just in case, to prevent double launching of the script.
In the Tasker task - you wait 30 seconds after the “click”, then relaunch HA.
Another small thing I did, in HA, in Automations, if the house door opens (there’s a sensor there), you can also close the Eufy app and relaunch HA.
For me this accurately serves the purpose - if someone rings the doorbell, to be able to see who it is as fast as possible.
Since posting this in November I’ve been working with it, and it has been extremely reliable. Every time someone rings the doorbell, the live video is immediately brought up on screen by faking a click on the notification.
Hi @lk-hrmns , thank you for trying the guide!
I re-read my first post now and I don’t see a mixup between ‘Tasker’ and ‘Autonotification’. If there’s something specific in the guide that’s not clear let me know and I’ll gladly clarify.
From what I see, if you just install the Eufy app on the tablet, make sure that when the event happens (doorbell ringing for example), you get a notification on the phone or tablet you’re using, then if you also install autonotification (paid version), and tasker, and followed step 3 in my first post, then together with my backup.xml things should just work… Whenever an event happens it simulates a click on that notfication.
Here are a few screenshots from my tasker configuration:
Grab the notification and run a task sequence, I called the task sequence “Flash” in this screenshot.
This is the Flash task. Notice that I also set some variables (line 3, 4,5 in the automation script), that’s not needed, I was just experimenting with something, this works without it.
If you look at the script in my screenshot - step 1 is clicking on the notification, step 2 is canceling the notification to avoid clicking on it again, then just wait a minute and then run home assistant again. I’m using Kiosk browser so I’m opening that, you can open whatever you want instead.
Hi, thank you very much for your detailed instructions. I have installed the Eufy app on a Samsung tab 7. I have also installed Tasker, autonotication (paid version) and your backup.xml so that I receive a notification when the door camera detects movement. (1)The problem I have is that the video feed is only displayed when the tablet is on. I would like the tablet to automatically run the video feed from sleep mode (i.e. when it is off) after a notification. so far I have made all the settings in the tablet.
The current situation is that the feed that has been played remains after playback. Therefore, I would also like to set Tasker so that the played feed does not persist and it goes back to the start page of the Eufy app.
Can you please help me with the two requirements?
I did both of these with the help of fully kiosk browser which is running home assistant on my tablet. The trick is this - you disable screen timeout completely in the tablet settings, and instead you define a “wallpaper” in fully kiosk browser. You define the wallpaper as color black 000000 so that it looks like the screen is off.
Then you install the fully kiosk integration in home assistant.
A simple automation can be created - whenever the doorbell rings, turn off wallpaper. This looks like the tablet is “waking up”. I also wait 30 seconds and then launch home assistant again so that eufy app stops running, not sure right now if I do that from home assistant or from tasker, I think both options are possible.
@DrMor not sure whats happening but this seems to be failing for me, i think i have followed the setup to a T. But my %anaction variable is gettin an error stating it doesnt have a value. Any ideas?
Much appreciated
Did you verify the tablet is getting a notification from the eufy app? If it’s getting a notification then AutoNotification should pick it up. If it doesn’t then perhaps try to reach out the devs of AutoNotification, and maybe drop a line here when you solve it for others who see it in the future… thanks!
Thanks for your feedback, but I have tried everything. I couldn’t get it to work with fully kiosk. do you have a step by step guide on how to set it up? Thanks in advance
I can try to help you with your problem but the most important thing is to understand if your tablet (is it a tablet?) is getting a notification in the notification drawer when the event happens? That’s the key to everything and you first need to verify you’re correctly receiving notifications from the Eufy app.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7, but I have tried to turn off the display timeout always. even via the developer mode. I think this only works when the device is charging.
Below you can see that when an event happens a notifaction is sent by Eufy. Many thanks for your support
Did you go to Android Security → Notification Access preferences in your Android Settings to allow AutoNotification to intercept the Android Notifications?
It could be in Settings → Apps → Special App Access → Device & App Notifications → All, then find AutoNotification and make sure it’s on Allowed and not Denied.
I have found another setting via the search.
app notification “Choose which apps are allowed to send you notification”
its also enabled
I received another message when I opened Tasker. Something is wrong with the Battery Optimizer. I have actually set everything according to the instructions
In step 7 you’re launching Eufy Security again. That’s not what I’m doing. After a minute I launch Home Assistant again (via Fully Kiosk). That’s what I’m doing. If you want to stay in the Eufy app and stop the viewing, doesn’t it stop automatically after a while? Maybe just remove step 7 completely and it’ll timeout the feed and get back to the main eufy page, in any case, I’m not sure what the exact solution is here because that’s not what I’m doing.
You need to wake the tablet up. In order to wake the tablet up that’s a different issue altogether, and I apologize, I didn’t notice that that’s what you initially reported as your issue, I’m sorry about that. So for that you need an automation in home assistant, but again, I’m using Fully Kiosk browser which has the ability to turn the screen off and on (it’s called “Wallpaper”):
I’m using the following automation, so basically a bunch of reasons cause the screen to wake up, it’s the ringing of the bell but also a few other things as well.
If you’re not using Fully Kiosk Browser then I really don’t know how to wake the screen up, I’m sure there’s a solution, but it’s not what I’m doing.
alias: Wake Screen Up When Arriving Home
description: ""
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id:
- binary_sensor.front_door_contact_sensor_sensor_open
- binary_sensor.front_door_doorbell_ringing
- binary_sensor.front_door_doorbell_motion_detected
- binary_sensor.front_door_doorbell_person_detected
- binary_sensor.front_gate_doorbell_ringing
condition: []
action:
- metadata: {}
data: {}
target:
entity_id: switch.wall_mounted_tablet_screensaver
action: switch.turn_off
mode: single
