After a bit of forum searching, I finally found out that I cannot add Matter devices directly to Home Assistant because I use the minimal app flavor on a device that does not have Google Services installed. This is all that you see in the app, where it gaslights you into thinking you are on desktop instead of having a more helpful message explaining that Google Services are required:
I think that the official page describing the flavor differences should also mention this - it currently only mentions location services and some sensors being removed. Android Flavors | Home Assistant Companion Docs
Ideally, this functionality would just work without needing closed source proprietary blobs from Google on your device but I will not pretend I understand how that part works so if that is not possible, it would be great if the explanation was at least clear.
Editing the page requires a Github account and I do not feel comfortable using Microsoft services so until they use more open source friendly sources (Such as non profit Codeberg) or allow for anonymous edits, everyone cannot do that. If you are comfortable with Microsoft services and want to, that would be great.
And having incorrect (in this case incomplete) information anywhere is not great. The whole point of Matter is supposed to be unifying and simplifying the smart home device management process - expecting users to still be rifling through documentation instead of providing clear notices in the app is missing the entire point.
I disagree. There’s simplifying, and then there’s dumbing down.
If people can’t spend the 5-10 minutes required to read the clear step by step instructions provided in the integration docs, that’s their fault. At the very least, I’d expect anyone who ran into an issue to read the troubleshooting section of the docs.
If the devs had to provide these “clear notices in the app” for every possible issue (not just your particular case), then the users would end up with a wall of text inside the app. Hardly simple or clear.
How did you install Ga without accessing GitHub? Did you ever use HACS or any of the custom integrations, themes, templates, etc there? Have you installed any Addons?
These all required anonymous access to GitHub.
Make an account that is basically anonymous, do your issue and fix, then delete the account. Basically6 anonymous.
HA’s code it one of the top Open source accounts in GitHub with thousands of commits a month and they provide the engines to build all the release code. I doubt seriously if many other platforms could handle that, so put your soapbox away unless you understand the issues.
I have no Microsoft machines at all, and did not like that Microsoft bought GitHub, but not much I can do about it. Seeing they have pretty much left it alone (so far) I’m fine with it.
Good news - you can add matter devices on the web UI through a deeply hidden menu and the next update is making that more user facing so this issue will be resolved
Big win for making Matter the no nonsense standard it is supposed to be!
Be the change you want to see! The chicken and the egg issue. If you don’t push for alternatives then one won’t be made. It’s like the amount of people that don’t like Musk or Twitter but refuse to switch to something else because “the alternatives are boring”. I choose to not be a self fulfilling prophecy.
