Why does the companion app knowing my wifi SSID require me to turn on location? I just want to have an automation that if my wife or I are connected to our wifi then home assistant knows we are home and does certain things…
This is a requirement by Android, not specifically the companion app. Since SSID information can be used to effectively track users’ location down to a relatively specific point, they require that users give expressed permission to share that data with apps.
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But why when uisng wifi for a browser or facebook do you not have to have location turned on? Seems like it would be a permission written into the companion app?
I have to do it with YT TV to know what channels to send me, but Home Assistant shouldn’t really care where I am in the world, I should be able to set that manually like I do in the Home section…
That isn’t the same thing. As an analogy, using wifi for a browser versus giving an app the wifi SSID is like the difference between sending a letter from your post box versus telling someone the street you live on…
Again, the location permission is a requirement of the Android operating system, not Home Assistant or the Home Assistant companion app. Android requires you to give it permission to share the SSID with the HA companion app.
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The browser and FB apps neither one care how you’re connected to he internet (what WiFi, Mobile data etc) – they just need to HAVE internet access.
The HA app needs to know what WiFi (if any) you’re connected to.