WTH feature request: "Guest Assistant"

Feature Request:

I would like to provide an app experience for guests.

(1) Easy invite / account creation
Guests need a simple guest-account-creation flow. As an administrator, I want to invite a guest and grant them temporary access to limited dashboards. Ease of guest adoption is high priority.

(2) Simple reduced interface
I will use this not as a “dashboard” with multiple options to configure, but as a welcome tool. Includes functions to unlock the front door / open the garage / get on wifi. For this reason, it needs to be drop-dead simple - without the complexity of the regular HA app left-panel menu.

This may even come in the form of a second iOS/Android application called “Guest Assistant.” A severely crippled version of the full HA app, this app would provide a view to only one dashboard (as configured by the administer).

Thanks for reading my proposal!

Good idea, but I suggest changing the thread title to “Guest Access to HomeAssistant”.

Additional application is a bad idea. It is enough to use what comes with some modifications. That’s how I see it:

  1. Add person - Create an account for the guest in HomeAssistant.
  • Name: Guest
  • Allow person to login: Yes
  • Ability to log in only from the local network: Yes
  • “Guest” user group selection. As we can read now in HA “Work on user groups is ongoing.”. For groups, we must therefore be able to specify the desktops to which they have access.

So in the case of the HomeAssistant system, we only lack the ability to define groups with appropriate permissions.
2. NFC tags (maybe and QR codes) - The ability to easily download the HomeAssistant Companion application and log in to it as a guest.

  • The guest puts the smartphone to the NFC tag or scans the QR code, if the Home Assistant Companion application is not installed, he is redirected to the screen where the application can be installed.
  • The guest puts the smartphone to the NFC tag or scans the QR code, has the Home Assistant Companion application already installed, and is automatically logged in to the guest account.
  • The guest puts the smartphone to the NFC tag or scans the QR code, has the Home Assistant Companion application installed (he uses it to control his home, is logged in to it), a new home is created in the application, and the guest is automatically logged in to it to guest account.
    We already have NFC tags in HA, you can use them to log guests into the HomeAssistant Companion. The ability to log in to HA will be useful to expand. And here the option of logging in to the HAC application using a QR code. The code should be available in the person’s settings. And we have the ability to easily pair the HomeAssistant Companion application with the HomeAssistant. We can also download a QR code and print it, make it available in some place and allow our guests to log into an account dedicated to them. In the HAC application, a QR scanner should be available. Scanner for pairing the application with HA, allowing you to log in to the application in this way.

By introducing the above, we have the maximum possible. In addition, in a simple form and all in one application.

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I would have to be staying at someone’s house for a pretty long time to consider downloading an app for guest control. I avoid downloading more apps as much as I can, I don’t even download apps for most of the sites I use regularly.

Even a guest login seems kind of a lot tbh. I mean I guess if there’s truly no other way to control the lights and im a guest for a couple days so it’s likely I’ll need to turn on the lights myself at some point then fine. But like if it’s possible to use the physical switches I’m 100% going to do that instead. And I’m someone who actually likes home automation.

Getting out my phone to go to try and learn some unfamiliar website just so I can turn the lights on and off for a few days sounds like something I definitely don’t want to do. I get frustrated in the rare cases I have to open my HA to change the lights because some automation didn’t work. And I’m the one who made the dashboard lol.

Maybe your guests are different idk. I feel like if you want guests to interface with your HA you should probably put an already logged in tablet on the wall. It just seems like a stretch that they’re going to deal with creating an account and logging in to some foreign app and/or website to be able to turn the lights on and off during their brief stay. I mean they will if that’s the only option but I would guess they’ll find it frustrating no matter how nice you think the dashboard looks.

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Companion apps might be a bit too much for a guest, why would they need sensors, widgets, notifications etc…? The web interface with a guest account would be a better approach.

The ability to create Guest user groups and easily log them into the HAC application can be used in many scenarios. Naturally, the option will not be used by most HA users.

  • We have visitors for a long time, access to the HAC application can be helpful in controlling the entrance and presence.
  • Our guest goes to the beaches, leaves the Home zone, the TV turns off automatically in his room, which has been left on.
  • Our guest is returning by car from the beach to our house. When approaching the driveway, the gate opens automatically for him.
  • We rent apartments, access for guests to the HAC application is an advantage of the offer (intelligent apartment for guests). And here we can have a number of automation programmed.

Installing the HAC app for guests so that they can only turn on / off the light in their room is a poor solution. On this point, I agree with @CentralCommand. However, I see more uses for guest HA access.

I think this is all totally really overthinking the issue.

I have guest mode built into my system. My house modes are home, night, away, guest, and vacation.

When the house is in Guest mode it disables all the “personal” automations and there are even separate configurable wake time with alarm clocks, bed time, climate settings, and even automated media presets so the guest can set these without messing with my personal settings.

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Guest mode can be activated by either clicking a button on the dashboard (there is a main wall tablet in a central location) or by a guest alarm code being entered into the door lock or guest code being entered into an alarm panel. (They are tied together so if you unlock a door with a code it also automatically disarms the alarm). The house will not go into guest mode if (or my wife) is home and if it is already in guest mode when when arrive back home, guest mode automatically turns off.

When the house is in guest mode, when a door is locked from the outside the house goes into away mode. The only issue I’ve run into is if there are TWO guests at home and one guest leaves locks the door from the outside out of habit the house goes into away mode with the other guest still home. But putting it back into guest mode is done by simply clicking the button on the dashboard and there is also a two minute countdown while the alarm is arming with audio cues so there is ample time to click the button before everything shuts off for away mode. As long as your guests are aware this may come up and how to fix it (one button) it’s not a big deal.

The other thing I do for a longer term guests is create a guest HASS user account (not a person) that can only log in from the local network. Then I have them open a limited guest dashboard in their browser, log with their user account, and then “Add It To The Homescreen”. On android with chrome at least, this looks no different than the app and there is nothing to install. They just delete the shortcut from their phone when they don’t need it any more.

So for new guests all I need to do is:

  • Give them access to WIFI
  • Add a user account in HASS with limited permissions (non admin, local only)
  • Set the main kiosk to guest dashboard (I should really automate this)
  • Create the “App” shortcut on their phone to the guest dashboard
  • Make sure their code is in the alarm system/locks

Automatic guest mode, with an “app” if desired. Easy peasy.

I should also add that everything is either automated or will work normally as expected (eg light switches etc). Dashboards are really only necessary for information (eg weather), media control, and changing settings.

Feels like it is mostly a duplication of WTH2 - WTH!? No RBAC - Role Based Access Control? (Users & Groups rights)

The only part that is really new is the temporarily access link, which could be a feature that could be implemented pretty easily after probably permissions/groups.

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@AngellusMortis, it is a HomeAssistant Companion pill for home guests. To implement it, we need: (yes) the ability to define groups with appropriate permissions, we need a QR code reader in the application, and the QR code itself must be in the user’s (person’s) profile. Taking everything together, we can launch the application for guests. So it is not a copy, it is an extension, development of the functionality that can be provided by the functionality of groups. However, it requires other ingredients. :slight_smile:

It’s a nice idea, but the role based users (as linked by @AngellusMortis ) would cover a lot of the features.

I also agree with others that most people would be reluctant to download an app.
For that reason I reused an old Tab E tablet that almost made it to retirement which I set up by the guest bed that only lets them operate items in their room such as room lights, smart sockets and to watch plex or play radio.

It’s pre logged in with a guest account and I made the same simple layout for a phone in case they decide to install the app, but there isn’t really any need with the tablet there.