Url Scheme

Configuration
1

Hi everybody
here is A question
(not a programmer in my skill)
we all love HA and want to control every thing within it and
in my case i control my sonoff switches and ir devices with it,
but i want to add more sort of devices.
most of the devices today (cameras, tv’s, reciver’s, kodi, etc )come with theirs unique apps already
wouldn’t it be much easier just to use some kind of URL Scheme for Example in case of iso and other like URL Scheme for android, instead of trying to bring every thing into HA ?
and if so what would i need to do in HA and i would go back from the apps back to HA

Thanks
Refael

2

Why would you want that? Why would you want their UI on top of HA? Why not use their APIs and connect HA directly to the service?

3

for 1
the UI is much more pretty…
i’m not sure that i’l do it but for the sake of argument how can i?
for example i would like to go from HA to SPOTIFY app, can
i do it?

Refael

4

I’m not sure I completely understand what you’re looking for.

From your original post, it sounded like you wanted a way to connect devices without using HA? Now it sounds like you want to run other services in the same window?

I’m now confused on what you want to do.

5

Hi
of cores i want to use HA
but from the HA i want to be able to open others apps .
for better understanding i’v xbmc commander app wich
is a kodi control app(very good ui for kodi)
i want to be able to open this app from HA something like of URL Scheme

Refael

6

So you just want to create a link? I don’t know what you mean by URL Scheme.

In your first post you said:

Which is confusing. It reads like you don’t want to integrate things with HA.

7

yes. a link.

8

https://www.home-assistant.io/components/weblink/

9

sorry, but dosn’t weblink opens a page on the web browser …?
i want the actual app
for example not spotify on browser but spotify app

Refael

10
11

ok. got it.
yes indeed.
i need the web link component, but instead of
writing
url: https://open.spotify.com/browse/featured
i wrote
url: spotify:artist:12Chz98pHFMPJEknJQMWvI
witch i find in the internet
(this is the link where i found it)
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26009463/how-to-open-spotify-links-in-both-android-and-ios-device

that open the app instead of the web page.
i think it’s a good approach.
that way you have a link to the app itself.
dont you think?

BTW
thanks for the replays

Refael

12

That’s correct. If you want the browser to open an app for you, you need to write the URL in whatever way the app supports, which is specified in the APK as intent filters. Some apps may not support this at all, and the URL you need will vary across all the apps that do. For less popular apps, you might have to dig into the AndroidManifest.xml file within the APK in order to determine what it supports, if anything.

For example, here is one relevant portion of the Spotify APK:

<intent-filter
    android:autoVerify="true">

    <action
        android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />

    <category
        android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />

    <category
        android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

    <data
        android:host="open.spotify.com" />

    <data
        android:scheme="http" />

    <data
        android:scheme="https" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/album" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/app/browse" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/artist" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/autologin" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/charts" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/collection" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/connect-device-picker" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/concert" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/daily-mix-hub" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/episode" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/follow" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/hub" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/made-for-you" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/radio" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/running" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/search" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/show" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/special" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/station" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/track" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/user" />

    <data
        android:pathPrefix="/app/concerts" />
</intent-filter>

There are other sections as well, so you’d have to play around with the URL to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

13

i thinks its a better way to use HA .
if using only media-control card, your option is limed only
to play, pause, play next etc
- type: media-control
entity: media_player.spotify
this way you open the all app.
this approach witch using the appropriate app and just have the link in HA is better than the one who bring everything in to HA.
and not just for spotify, it could be for every device withh an app. i’v Yamaha reviser ( RX-V673).i’l try it too
i mean if you put fire hd tablet inside the door of your hose
this way you can do alot more
don’t you think?

refael

14

It really depends on your specific use cases. The great thing about HA is that it’s flexible enough to let you do whatever works for you.

I have lights/switches from multiple different companies, each with their own app, but HA gives me all the control I need for all of them in a single place. I much prefer that over going to each individual app to control the different lights.

I haven’t messed with it in awhile, but last time I tried, the media and camera controls were somewhat lacking in features. That could change in the future, though. For now, if you want a Spotify controller, simply linking to the app probably isn’t a bad approach. You could also just open the app from the launcher though, which would work for any app, even if it doesn’t have the necessary intent filters, and requires no work from the HA side.

However, the main focus of HA is the automation. If you want to turn off all media players in the house when you leave home, then just having the devices/services connected to HA will be better since you don’t need to interface through the Spotify app, which probably won’t even be installed on the server running HA. The ability to control those devices/services from the interface is basically just an added bonus on top of that automation.

15

That’s correct. in case of lights that the way to go.
i have KNX and sonoff and of course i do control them fro HA
but for instant Yamaha receiver with all the endless feature inside, the best way to go is to combine “weblink” and
Yamaha component just for the minimum control for automation (on, off, vol up, vol down, hdmi select).

Refael