What is the current feeling/way ahaed with Groups

Configuration
1

I just moved into a new home and rather than try to get my previously configured home assistant instance working in a new home, I decided to start fresh. I feel like I had a lot of things set up in a way that “worked” but could probably be done better. Especially since my first install was a few years ago.

So one thing I set up when I first started was Groups. I know they are still supported, but I don’t see much love for them in the UI. I see a lot of requests for that and yet no action. Before I get back in and start configuing something that may eventually be depricated. I was just wondering if others are still actvely using groups.yaml? Are there better ways to accomplish the same thing. I feel like “Areas” has improved a lot, but dont see how to use them like I used group.

Thanks in advance for any advice, or information

2

I use groups all the time. I just haven’t put in any effort in converting things to Scenes. Areas is getting an update to their templating tomorrow which may make them more useful for covering some of the other common functions that people commonly use groups for, especially groups of lights and switches.

Maybe part of the reason for groups not getting “much love… in the UI” is that Scenes (and maybe Areas next) have a bigger bang-to-buck ratio and will be more helpful to new users…?

So, I guess the current feeling is “Watch this space”…

3

there are still uses for groups but much less so since Lovelace came online.

I still use them on occassion where they make sense.

I doubt they are going away.

4

Interesting.

While I agree with everything already said (or at least I don’t disagree) I am not sure why the question arises.

I am interested in what ‘love’ groups could be shown? They are, to me, incredibly simple and I am not sure what else they could have added to them (genuine question). Hence the bigger bang for buck in ‘upgrading’ scenes and areas :wink:

Also I may be missing something but I don’t see how scenes could be used in place of groups in any case. Scenes are far more flexible and feature rich but I can’t see how they overlap with groups?

There is one very specific thing that I can think of off the top of my head that groups can do that can’t easily be done any other way and that is just to see if any entity in the group is on. Useful for example in determining occupancy.

A group can be interrogated (to some extent), scenes can’t (to the best of my knowledge).