Home Assistant Touchscreen Questions and Answers
Quick answers to common questions, with links to the detailed setup guides. Answers describe the current documentation; check firmware release status when a control is missing on an older panel.
Compare supported screens before buying. Start with Install for a new panel or Troubleshooting for a setup problem.
Most asked and essential questions
What Is Basalt, and Do I Need to Write Code?
Basalt turns a supported ESP32 touchscreen into a dedicated Home Assistant controller. Normal setup uses the browser installer and panel web editor; no YAML or UI coding is required.
Can I Use This Without Home Assistant?
Home Assistant is required for smart-home controls, entity readings, and media features. Add your devices there first. ESPHome Device Builder is not required for normal browser installation.
Which Panels Are Supported?
Supported families are Guition 4848S040, JC4880P443, JC1060P470, JC8012P4A1, and P4 86 Panel ETH-2RO. Exact revisions matter. Use Choose a screen to compare them and find the matching installer.
Should I Choose the S3 or a P4 Screen?
Choose S3 for a compact, lower-cost panel; choose P4 for more image slots or a larger screen. Compare capacity, networking, and hardware revisions.
Can I Display My Existing Home Assistant Dashboard Cards?
No. Basalt has its own touch interface and cards using Home Assistant entities. Lovelace and custom dashboard cards cannot be imported. See Configure your panel.
Can It Control Spotify, Sonos, Apple TV, Plex, or Music Assistant?
Yes, through compatible Home Assistant media_player entities. Playback, artwork, volume, and seeking depend on the integration. Add it to Home Assistant first, then configure a Media card.
Does the S3 Now Support Cameras, and Is It Live Video?
S3 and P4 panels support Camera cards showing still snapshots from Home Assistant camera or image entities. They do not stream live video. Tap to enlarge the latest image. See Cameras.
Why Do Track Details Work but the Album Image Is Missing?
Metadata and image downloads use different connections. Check that Home Assistant supplies artwork and the panel can reach its HTTP/HTTPS endpoint. Follow the missing-artwork checks.
Are There Stands or Wall Mounts, Including a 7-inch Mount?
Yes; Printable Stands and Mounts lists published files, including a 7-inch desk stand. Match the exact rear board and cable clearance. Prototypes mentioned in older discussions may not be published.
How Do I Open the New Controls or Change Their Tab Order?
Choose All Controls for Lights, Covers, Fans, or Media. Climate controls open on tap. Use Visible Tabs where offered. Missing options may require newer firmware and a browser reload.
Music, speakers, and cover art
Can I Group Speakers on the S3, and Can I Mix Sonos with WiiM?
Grouping works on S3 and P4 with compatible Home Assistant players. Basalt cannot make incompatible players join. Test grouping in Home Assistant, then follow Speaker Groups for discovery and actions permission.
Can I Make a Dedicated Album-art Screen or Migrate from the Older Media Controller?
Yes. Use a large Cover Art card or the automatic Media Cover Art screen. The migration guide covers layouts, playback controls, and idle behaviour.
How Do I Get the Speaker and Playback Tabs Shown in the Posts?
Use Media > All Controls, or tap a Cover Art card. Tabs appear according to the selected player's capabilities; speaker controls also need speaker discovery setup. A Speaker Group card opens that screen directly.
Can a Card Start a Playlist, Album, or Radio Station?
Choose Media > Track, Album or Playlist and supply a content ID accepted by the player integration. For complex playback, run a Home Assistant script with an Action card. See Media.
Cameras and photos
Why Does a Camera Change from Loading to Unavailable?
Check the image exists in Home Assistant, the panel can reach its HTTP/HTTPS endpoint, and the shared image limit is not exceeded. See Camera troubleshooting and connection settings.
Can I Show a Doorbell Snapshot When Someone Rings?
Use a Camera card and a Home Assistant automation with Screen: Wake. P4 panels also have a visible-camera refresh action. The card does not automatically open when the doorbell rings.
How Many Camera and Cover Art Cards Can I Use?
P4 panels have six shared image slots; S3 has two. Camera and Cover Art cards share that limit across all pages. Moving a card into a folder does not free a slot. See limits.
Can I Use Immich or Turn It into a Photo Frame?
Yes, through a Home Assistant image entity. The separate Immich Companion manages photos; the panel displays snapshots. See Immich setup and integration status, including its requirements and update path.
Updates, names, and multiple panels
How Do I Update the Firmware?
Standard firmware offers Auto Update and Check for Update under Firmware settings. Custom, Ethernet-only, and V3 installation paths have exceptions. Follow Firmware Updates for the correct method and release status.
Will Automatic Updates Keep My Custom ESPHome YAML?
No. Built-in updates install released binaries and do not rebuild custom YAML. Disable Auto Update and continue through ESPHome for custom builds. See release and custom-firmware guidance.
Why Did Home Assistant Say Transport Encryption Was Disabled After an Update?
Mixed custom and stock firmware can change encryption behaviour. Keep the device-stored key package documented in manual setup. Do not dismiss an unexpected warning; check encryption troubleshooting.
Can I Rename a Panel Without Compiling Firmware?
Yes. Use Settings > System > Device Name > Save & Restart. Entity IDs stay unchanged, but hostname-based ESPHome action names change. Update affected automations. See Naming Your Panel.
Can I Back Up My Setup?
Yes. Use Export and Import under Backup to save cards and settings or copy a setup to another panel. Layouts adapt to different screen sizes. See Backup and restore for exclusions.
Can I Copy Just a Few Cards to Another Panel?
Use Copy Code and Paste Code in Setup for cards and attached subpages. Use Backup for a whole configuration. Each panel keeps its own web page and identity.
Can I Restart from Home Assistant and Update Without Reconnecting USB?
Yes. Home Assistant exposes a Restart button; online panels can usually update wirelessly. USB remains necessary for initial flashing, recovery, or networking-type changes. See manual installation.
How Do I Reset the Device?
Back up first, then use Settings > System > Factory Reset. Partial reset keeps WiFi and the Home Assistant key; Complete reset clears them. Both retain firmware. Follow Reset the display.
Can I Stay on Releases While Managing the Panel in ESPHome?
Yes, by building from matching tagged sources and dependencies. Rebuilding the current source is different from installing a published binary. See release versus custom firmware.
Troubleshooting and privacy
Why Do Cards Show State but Tapping Does Nothing?
Enable Allow the device to perform Home Assistant actions in the panel's ESPHome integration options. Then test a command that works directly in Home Assistant. Follow Enable Actions.
The Web Page Looks Broken or Unstyled
Check that your browser can reach the hosted web resources, then force-refresh or try a private window. If needed, use the embedded-editor fallback in Troubleshooting.
My Device Won't Connect to WiFi
Use 2.4 GHz WiFi, verify the password, and wait up to 90 seconds for the setup hotspot if reconnecting fails. Ethernet-only builds have no hotspot. Follow WiFi troubleshooting.
How Do I Find My Device's IP Address?
Tap the connectivity icon in the clock bar, check the unconfigured display, or look in your router's device list or Home Assistant ESPHome device page. Then open that address in a browser.
The Display Is Stuck on the Loading Screen
Allow startup time, then power-cycle and check WiFi setup if it remains stuck. Use the loading-screen checks, including USB logs if you need to report it.
What Should I Do about Stripes, Haze, or a Halo around the Screen?
Check firmware revision, supply, and cable first. If the fault persists, document the hardware and symptoms; a panel defect may need seller support. Follow the display checks.
Where Should I Report a Bug or Request a Feature?
Use GitHub issues with model, revision, firmware, reproduction steps, and relevant logs or photos. Remove credentials and private details. See Contributing and USB logs.
How Is My Data Handled?
Smart-home control normally runs locally. Updates, web assets, network time, artwork, webhooks, and integrations can contact external services. Basalt has no central smart-home data collection service. See Privacy for details.
Cards and everyday controls
What Card Types Are Available?
The card catalogue covers lights, switches, climate, fans, covers, locks, alarms, media, cameras, sensors, weather, actions, and more. Choose a simple one-tap card or a supported All Controls view when you want several controls behind one card.
How Many Cards Can I Have?
Standard home grids have 9 slots on 4-inch panels, 6 on 4.3-inch, 15 on 7-inch, and 20 on 10.1-inch. Larger cards occupy multiple slots. Subpages add pages; image limits apply separately.
What Is a Subpage?
A Subpage card opens another page of controls, like a folder for a room or device group. Each subpage reserves one slot for Back. See Subpages.
Can the Screen Sleep, Wake on Touch, or Wake When Someone Arrives?
Yes. Screensaver settings support timer- or Home Assistant presence-based behaviour, touch wake, and Screen: Wake. Built-in camera face detection is not a supported presence source.
Can It Control Mini-split Fan Speed, Swing, and Heating/Cooling Targets?
Yes, when the Home Assistant climate entity exposes those capabilities. Range thermostats show separate heating and cooling targets. See Climate and compare missing controls with the entity's Home Assistant attributes.
Why Does My Weather Card Only Show Cloudy Instead of a Temperature?
Current Conditions shows the state. Select Temperatures Today or Temperatures Tomorrow for forecast highs/lows and enable actions permission. Use a Sensor card for measured temperature. See Weather.
Can I Choose a Different Background Colour for Every Card?
The current interface uses a shared Primary colour for active cards and fixed colours for inactive and information cards. It does not offer arbitrary per-card background colours. Change the accent in Appearance.
Can I Send Blinds to 25, 50, or 75 Percent?
Yes. Cover > All Controls > Presets offers 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent when the entity supports position control. A Set Position card provides a direct shortcut. Home Assistant uses 0 for closed and 100 for open; the card's fill represents how much is closed. See Covers.
Is There a Full Fan Control View?
Yes. Fans > All Controls combines supported power, speed, preset, oscillation, and direction controls. You can also attach a separate light entity for an on/off Light tab. See Fans.
Can I Select WLED Presets?
Yes, when the WLED integration exposes them as a select entity. Add an Action card, choose Option Select, and select the preset entity, such as select.wled_preset. Use a Light card for the capabilities exposed by its light entity. See Option Select.
Can One Sensor Card Show Temperature and Humidity Together?
A Sensor card has one source entity. Use separate cards or a combined text sensor from Home Assistant. A dedicated multi-sensor tile is not a current mode. See Sensors.
Why Do Light Controls Use Colour Presets Instead of a Colour Wheel?
The light popup uses touch-friendly colour choices. Its available tabs depend on the light's capabilities in Home Assistant, and Visible Tabs can put the controls you use most first. See Lights.
Can the Clock Show Seconds?
There is no seconds option for the normal clock bar or Date & Time card. The clock bar updates by the minute. See Time Settings for timezone and 12/24-hour options.
What If the Icon I Need Isn't Listed?
The panel includes hundreds of icons from the Material Design Icons set. If the one you need isn't there, open an issue on GitHub with the icon name (from pictogrammers.com/library/mdi) and what you'd use it for. We'll look into adding it.
Screens, power, and mounting
Which 10-inch Revision or 4-inch P4 Variant Should I Buy?
Check revision identification. JC8012P4A1 V3 silicon takes precedence over case dates. P4 86 support targets ETH-2RO; other boards are not automatically compatible.
Can I Use a Cheap Yellow Display or Another ESP32 Screen?
Only listed models have ready-to-install firmware. A matching processor, screen size, or resolution does not make another board compatible.
Will It Fit a Standard Wall Box or Replace a Light Switch?
Check the panel's dimensions and mounting holes against your actual wall box; regional boxes such as Italian 503, North American single-gang, and 86-type boxes are not interchangeable. Some supported variants have relays, but the screen still needs the correct power supply and room for its rear hardware. Use the manufacturer's wiring instructions and a qualified installer for mains wiring; a neutral may be required depending on the supply.
Can I Power a Panel over PoE?
An Ethernet port alone does not establish PoE support. Check the exact panel and rear-board specifications. A PoE splitter can supply a panel through its supported power input only when its output voltage, current, connector, and polarity match that panel. See the relevant screen guide before choosing power hardware; do not copy another model's wiring from a comment.
Can the Panel Also Be a Bluetooth Proxy?
Bluetooth proxy is not included in standard panel setup or documented Ethernet-only builds. Use a separate proxy. Ethernet firmware turns off the WiFi/Bluetooth co-processor; see networking options.
Can It Run on a Battery and Show the Charge Level?
Power and measurement are separate hardware features. Battery Status is optional on compatible JC8012P4A1 battery hardware, estimates charge, and does not detect charging. S3 experiments do not establish supported charge reporting.
Can I Use a 10-inch Display in Portrait Mode?
Use Settings > Display > Rotation. Available orientations depend on panel and firmware. Check the preview and usable card space after rotating. See Rotation.
Does It Have a Room Temperature Sensor?
Do not assume an ambient sensor is built in. Select a Home Assistant temperature entity or a supported Local Sensor. Sensors near the processor or backlight can read warmer than the room.
More about Basalt
Does the Panel Work with Other Smart Home Platforms?
Basalt connects to Home Assistant. Google Home, HomeKit, SmartThings, and other platforms work indirectly only through devices and entities exposed by their Home Assistant integrations.
Where Is the Source Code, and How Can I Help?
The source is on GitHub. See Contributing for feedback and contributions and the repository licence before reusing it. The documentation's support button offers a way to support development.
Community discussions
The questions above combine the accessible product questions, feature requests, and troubleshooting reports from these discussions. Answers link to the current setup guides; the original replies may describe older firmware.
| Topic | Original discussions |
|---|---|
| S3 camera support | r/homeassistant · r/Esphome |
| Device management and WiFi sharing | r/Esphome |
| Speaker groups | r/sonos · r/espcontrol · r/homeassistant · r/Esphome |
| Cover art and playlists | r/homeassistant · r/Esphome |
| Media and climate controls | r/homeassistant · r/Esphome |
| Lights and blinds controls | r/Esphome · r/homeassistant |
Coverage note: Reddit did not make the r/espcontrol S3-camera discussion or the r/homeassistant device-management discussion accessible during compilation. Hidden, removed, or subsequently added comments are not guaranteed to be covered.