Home Assistant Core 2022.4 introduces a significant enhancement to our favourite home automation software: update entities. This new feature simplifies the process of managing updates for various devices and services, centralising control within the Home Assistant Dashboard.
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Introduction to Update Entities
Update entities streamline the way we handle updates for services such as WLED running on an ESP8266 or ESP32, Pi-hole, and Synology DSM. These entities notify Home Assistant whenever an update is available, allowing you to install these updates with a simple click, without needing to open any other dashboards or applications.
Integrating Updates into Automations
Beyond manual updates, you can incorporate update entities into your scripts and automations. For example, you could set up a notification that persistently reminds you until you install the pending update. Alternatively, if you have verified that updates won’t disrupt your devices, you can automate the process to update all your devices with a single command.
Initial Supported Services
At launch, the update entity feature supports WLED, Pi-hole, and Synology DSM. However, it is expected that ESPHome will soon be added, and Zigbee2MQTT is also anticipated to implement this feature shortly.
Conclusion
The introduction of update entities in Home Assistant Core 2022.4 marks a significant improvement in managing updates for home automation enthusiasts. This feature not only centralises control but also integrates seamlessly with existing automations, enhancing the overall user experience.