Homepod Mini: Temperature and Humidity sensors not available as entity

[twcau]

The problem

HomePod mini includes a temperature and humidity sensor, which are exposed to Apple’s home app.

However, HA’s Apple TV integration does not detect these sensors to make them available as an entity.

What version of Home Assistant Core has the issue?

core-2023.11.0

What was the last working version of Home Assistant Core?

No response

What type of installation are you running?

Home Assistant OS

Integration causing the issue

Apple TV

Link to integration documentation on our website

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/apple_tv

Diagnostics information

No response

Example YAML snippet

No response

Anything in the logs that might be useful for us?

No response

Additional information

No response

[home-assistant]

Hey there @postlund, mind taking a look at this issue as it has been labeled with an integration (apple_tv) you are listed as a code owner for? Thanks!

Code owner commands

Code owners of apple_tv can trigger bot actions by commenting:

• @home-assistant close Closes the issue.
• @home-assistant rename Awesome new title Renames the issue.
• @home-assistant reopen Reopen the issue.
• @home-assistant unassign apple_tv Removes the current integration label and assignees on the issue, add the integration domain after the command.

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---

apple_tv documentation
apple_tv source
_{^{(message by IssueLinks)}}

[postlund]

These are only available via HomeKit and will thus not be exposed via the Apple TV Integration as pyatv does not support HomeKit (and I don't plan to support it either).

[codyc1515]

To be able to add these to HomeKit, they would need to be unpaired first. Conceptually, this just does not make sense so I don't think that there would be any way for us to do that.

[FermedePommerieux]

To integrate HomePod Mini sensors into Home Assistant when direct integration isn't possible, you can use the following method:

1. Create an input_boolean that will be exposed to HomeKit:

   input_boolean:
     homekit_sensors_update:
       name: Collection of HomeKit sensors
       initial: off

   Include this input_boolean in the HomeKit configuration:

   homekit:
     - name: your House
       port: 56320
       filter:
         include_entities:
           - input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update

2. Create input_number for the sensors:

   These entities will store the sensor values.

   input_number:
     homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature:
       name: "HomePodMini XXXXX temperature"
       initial: 21
       min: 0
       max: 100
       unit_of_measurement: "°C"
     homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity:
       name: "HomePodMini XXXXX humidity"
       initial: 50
       min: 0
       max: 100
       unit_of_measurement: "%"

3. Create sensors in Home Assistant:

   These sensors will use the input_number to display data.

   sensor:
     - platform: template
       sensors:
         homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature:
           friendly_name: "Living Room"
           unit_of_measurement: '°C'
           value_template: "{{ states('input_number.homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature') }}"
           icon_template: mdi:thermometer
         homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity:
           friendly_name: "Living Room"
           unit_of_measurement: '%'
           value_template: "{{ states('input_number.homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity') }}"
           icon_template: mdi:water-percent

4. Create an automation in Home Assistant:

   This automation will update the input_number based on data received via a webhook and will activate the input_boolean to request an update to HomeKit.

    - id: update_homekit_sensors
    description: Process temperature and humidity from HomePod Mini
    trigger:
    - platform: webhook
      webhook_id: homekit_sensors
      allowed_methods:
      - POST
      local_only: true
      id: WebHook
    - platform: time_pattern
      minutes: /2
      id: time
    action:
    - choose:
      - conditions:
        - condition: trigger
          id:
          - WebHook
        sequence:
        - service: input_number.set_value
          data_template:
            entity_id: input_number.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_temperature
            value: '{{ trigger.json.temperature }}'
        - service: input_number.set_value
          data_template:
            entity_id: input_number.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_humidity
            value: '{{ trigger.json.humidity }}'
      - conditions:
        - condition: trigger
          id:
          - time
        sequence:
        - service: input_boolean.turn_on
          data: {}
          target:
            entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
        - delay:
            hours: 0
            minutes: 0
            seconds: 5
            milliseconds: 0
        - service: input_boolean.turn_off
          data: {}
          target:
            entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
    mode: parallel
    max: 10

5. Set up an automation in the HomeKit app:

   This automation will trigger when homekit_sensors_update is activated. It will obtain temperature and humidity values and send this data to Home Assistant via the URL http://homeassistant:8123/api/webhook/homekit_sensors using the POST method with a JSON containing the sensor data.

   Format of the JSON to send:

   {
     "sensor": "XXXXX",
     "temperature": temperature value,
     "humidity": humidity value
   }

This method allows you to bypass the limitations of direct integration of HomePod Mini sensors into Home Assistant by using HomeKit as an intermediary.

[jupurgepen]

Thanks @FermedePommerieux, this method works quite well!

However, the humidity value only gets correctly populated when I manually test the automation from the HomeKit app, otherwise it registers as 0.0%.

edit: I got it working, for some reason the Home automation was using the "Current state" variable instead of "current relative humidity". Weird that it worked when manually triggering...

[FermedePommerieux]

Ensure your HomeKit automation is correctly set to use the 'current relative humidity' attribute from your HomePod Mini's humidity sensor. Also, verify that the automation triggers as expected. I've successfully implemented this method with three HomePod Minis, so these checks should help resolve the issue.

[mensoh]

Hello! Thanks for the awesome tips, following the instructions in ran into a little issue that I'm surprised you didn't (or maybe I missed something?)

I could see the webhook incoming from Homekit in HASS but it is sending the data in the following format:

trigger:
  platform: webhook
  webhook_id: homekit_sensors
  json:
    sensor: homepodmini_bathroom
    temperature: 21,2°C
    humidity: '48'

I can see in the logbook:

Stopped because an error was encountered at 17 December 2023 at 00:28:01 (runtime: 0.01 seconds)

expected float for dictionary value @ data['value']

This is because the temperature field is not a float but 21,2°C coming from Homekit.

Fixed it by changing the automation line from:
value: "{{ trigger.json.temperature }}"
to:
value: "{{ trigger.json.temperature | replace('°C','') | replace(',', '.') }}"

and now it works like a charm.

Also, Homekit only worked for me using a hostname (e.g. http://hass.local/api/webhook/etc and not when using an IP address (http://10.0.0.1/api/webhook) in case anyone is running into this issue.

[mensoh]

🙈 Ok I'm an idiot, none of the above is necessary if you set the field in Homekit automation to Number instead of text, which wasn't clear to me.

[Seger85]

@FermedePommerieux, What great instructions and help. I haven't actually started yet, but I have already been able to follow all the steps. Tell me, I have 3 Homepods minis, do you have a template that I could use or would you create all 3 Homepods separately using the template? I'm asking because you mentioned that you have activated it for 3 Homepods and have certainly already played through all the pros and cons, whether it makes sense to pack everything into one automation (HA and IOs).

Best regards
Seger

[mensoh]

If you add:

"state_class" : "measurement"
"device_class" : "temperature"

or

"state_class" : "measurement"
"device_class" : "humidity"

to the JSON requests you can also track statistics on them instead of just history

[danishru]

If you add:

"state_class" : "measurement"
"device_class" : "temperature"

or

"state_class" : "measurement"
"device_class" : "humidity"

to the JSON requests you can also track statistics on them instead of just history

Please tell me where exactly I need to insert this? in homekit automation or somewhere in the sensor in home assistant?

[danishru]

I found a more correct way to add a history for the sensor.

Instead of the legacy sensor template, you need to use the new sensor template format https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/template, where you can specify state and device classes.

Below is a piece of code from point 2, which I converted to a new format.
Other parts do not need to be changed, they are compatible with the new sensor template format.

template:
- sensor:
    - name: "homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature"
      unique_id: ff02eebc-b4a5-4761-906c-d4603c70266f
      unit_of_measurement: '°C'
      device_class: temperature
      state_class: measurement
      state: "{{states('input_number.homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature')}}"
    - name: "homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity"
      unique_id: a5e5cf60-7ac1-4147-85d6-fa5e4536c462
      unit_of_measurement: '%'
      device_class: humidity
      state_class: measurement
      state: "{{states('input_number.homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity')}}"

[wildpash]

@FermedePommerieux: Nice work, thank you!

I don't know why, but I had some problems with the automation stored under bullet point 4.
The formatting wasn't right for me at all. I recreated the automation and got the formatting that was right for me.

In case anyone else has these problems, here is the formatting of the automation:

- id: '1703980955663'
  alias: update_homekit_sensors
  description: Process temperature and humidity from HomePod Mini
  trigger:
  - platform: webhook
    allowed_methods:
    - POST
    local_only: true
    webhook_id: homekit_sensors
    id: WebHook
  - platform: time_pattern
    minutes: /2
    id: time
  action:
  - choose:
    - conditions:
      - condition: trigger
        id:
        - WebHook
      sequence:
      - service: input_number.set_value
        data_template:
          entity_id: input_number.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_temperature
          value: '{{ trigger.json.temperature }}'
      - service: input_number.set_value
        data_template:
          entity_id: input_number.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_humidity
          value: '{{ trigger.json.humidity }}'
    - conditions:
      - condition: trigger
        id:
        - time
      sequence:
      - service: input_boolean.turn_on
        data: {}
        target:
          entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
      - delay:
          hours: 0
          minutes: 0
          seconds: 5
          milliseconds: 0
      - service: input_boolean.turn_off
        data: {}
        target:
          entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
  mode: parallel
  max: 10

[FermedePommerieux]

Nice ! Would you like me to update my initial post ?

[FermedePommerieux]

@FermedePommerieux, What great instructions and help. I haven't actually started yet, but I have already been able to follow all the steps. Tell me, I have 3 Homepods minis, do you have a template that I could use or would you create all 3 Homepods separately using the template? I'm asking because you mentioned that you have activated it for 3 Homepods and have certainly already played through all the pros and cons, whether it makes sense to pack everything into one automation (HA and IOs).

Best regards Seger

Hello Seger,

Thank you for your question regarding the setup of the automation. To clarify, you will indeed need just one automation to manage all three devices. This single automation is designed to update the sensor corresponding to the specific HomePod Mini that sends a webhook.

It's important to note that any sensor you wish to update via a webhook triggered by each HomePod Mini must be manually configured in Home Assistant (HA). As of now, I have not yet figured out a way to add sensors on the fly in HA, so this setup must be done carefully for each device.

In summary, you do not need to create separate automations for each HomePod Mini. One automation can manage all three, but each HomePod Mini requires specific manual configuration to ensure that the correct sensor is updated based on the received webhook.

I hope this clarifies the situation. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have more questions or need further assistance with your setup.

Best regards

[FermedePommerieux]

However, I've noticed an issue with one of my HomePod Minis in cold environments (around 12°C): the temperature readings do not drop below 17.5°C. I suspect this might be related to the operating temperature of the HomePod Minis themselves. Therefore, be cautious when setting up automations that rely on triggering at temperatures lower than 17.5°C.

[mensoh]

If you add:

"state_class" : "measurement"
"device_class" : "temperature"

or

"state_class" : "measurement"
"device_class" : "humidity"

to the JSON requests you can also track statistics on them instead of just history

Please tell me where exactly I need to insert this? in homekit automation or somewhere in the sensor in home assistant?

You do it through webhooks and submitting to specific endpoints for your sensors and HA will create sensors for you on the fly, no need at all to configure anything for it.

For example, for my kitchen homepod:

Get contents of: http://hass.local:8123/api/states/sensor.kitchen_temperature
Values I'm submitting:

"state" : <current numeric value>
"device_class":"temperature"
"state_class": "measurement"

Get contents of http://hass.local:8123/api/states/sensor.kitchen_humidity
Values I'm submitting:

"state" : <current numeric value>
"device_class":"humidity"
"state_class": "measurement"

You will now have two new sensors in HA, namely sensor.kitchen_temperature and sensor.kitchen_humidity as soon as the automation is triggered. I use @FermedePommerieux their trick of setting the switch on and off with the timer to trigger the automations.

Note that you can simply change the sensor names, so if you want to have a sensor called sensor.my_sensor you just change the url you call to http://hass.local:8123/api/states/sensor.my_sensor

Hope that helps! I've got it running for 4 homepods in my house, which means you have to unfortunately call 8 different URLs to get both sensor and humidity but no config on the HA side of things.

[metbril]

Super cool workaround. But the majority of Home Assistant users will probably not be able to find this and learn from this. It would be better if you guys create a new topic in the Community forum at https://community.home-assistant.io/ and discuss there?

Additionally, we can continue monitoring this specific issue (no native support) with GitHub.

Thanks!

[wildpash]

@FermedePommerieux yeah sure!

[FermedePommerieux]

Get contents of: http://hass.local:8123/api/states/sensor.kitchen_temperature Values I'm submitting:

Wow, this is a perfect example of KISS: Keep It Stupidly Simple! I absolutely love it!

Super cool workaround. But the majority of Home Assistant users will probably not be able to find this and learn from this. It would be better if you guys create a new topic in the Community forum at https://community.home-assistant.io/ and discuss there?

Responding to the suggestion about creating a new topic on the Home Assistant community forum, I am fully supportive of it. It's indeed a great idea to disseminate this workaround to a broader audience. With your permissions, I plan to initiate a new, simplified version of the how-to guide, utilizing Mensoh's method. I'll submit it here before opening a new topic. Additionally, I would be very grateful for any English-language screenshots of HomeKit automations. These visual aids would be tremendously helpful in enhancing understanding and aiding others in implementing similar setups in our community.

[FermedePommerieux]

Well, it seems that the /api/states/ method requires authentication. How did you manage that? This might make configuration in HomeKit more challenging.

I'm planning to explore calling localhost/api/states/ in the automation to create sensors on the fly, without needing additional configuration. I'll look into it tomorrow.

[mensoh]

Ah this is a fair point, you need to enable the REST API and create an API key, you can read more on how to do that here in the HA documentation.

So this means in your Apple Home automation when you make the Get contents of request you will need to add an additional Header to the request:
key: Authorization
text: Bearer <your api key>

then in the Body you send state, state_class and device_class as mentioned before.

[FermedePommerieux]

I've found a way to bypass the limitation and eliminate the need for authentication/configuration: a simple Python script that can be called from the automation.

update_homekit_sensor.py:

sensor_name = data.get('sensor_name')
sensor_state = data.get('state')
sensor_attributes = data.get('attributes', {})
hass.states.set(sensor_name, sensor_state, sensor_attributes)

I recognize that this approach represents a decrease in security and poses a potential risk of overloading Home Assistant with a large number of spam sensors, which could lead to problems if misused.

Although I prefer using authentication with HomePod Minis, their setup can be quite tedious. Therefore, this method, albeit less elegant and somewhat 'rougher', seems to be more practical and easier to implement for less experienced users.

Here is the updated automation, which doesn't require any further configuration:

alias: Homekit - Sensor Collection
description: Processes temperature and humidity data from the HomePod Mini
trigger:
  - platform: webhook
    webhook_id: homekit_sensors
    allowed_methods:
      - POST
    local_only: true
    id: WebHook
  - platform: time_pattern
    minutes: /2
    id: time
action:
  - choose:
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id: WebHook
        sequence:
          - service: python_script.update_homekit_sensor
            data:
              sensor_name: sensor.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_humidity
              state: "{{ trigger.json.humidity }}"
              attributes:
                unit_of_measurement: "%"
                state_class: humidity
                device_class: measurement
          - service: python_script.update_homekit_sensor
            data:
              sensor_name: sensor.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_temperature
              state: "{{ trigger.json.temperature }}"
              attributes:
                unit_of_measurement: "°C"
                state_class: temperature
                device_class: measurement
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id: time
        sequence:
          - service: input_boolean.turn_on
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
          - delay:
              hours: 0
              minutes: 0
              seconds: 5
              milliseconds: 0
          - service: input_boolean.turn_off
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
mode: parallel
max: 10

I propose offering two ways of configuration: one secure using an API key and one less secure with a Python script. I'm planning to create a blueprint for this.

[FermedePommerieux]

Integrating HomePod Mini Sensors into Home Assistant When Direct Integration Isn't Possible

You can use the following two methods:

Method A (Less Secure):

1. Create an input_boolean Exposed to HomeKit:

   input_boolean:
     homekit_sensors_update:
       name: Collection of HomeKit Sensors
       initial: off

   Include this input_boolean in the HomeKit configuration:

   homekit:
     - name: Your House
       port: 56320 # Or another available port
       filter:
         include_entities:
           - input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update

2. Create a Python Script in the config/python_script Directory:
   update_homekit_sensor.py:

   sensor_name = data.get('sensor_name')
   sensor_state = data.get('state')
   sensor_attributes = data.get('attributes', {})
   hass.states.set(sensor_name, sensor_state, sensor_attributes)

3. Create an Automation in Home Assistant:
   This automation updates/creates sensors based on data received via a webhook and activates the input_boolean to request an update in HomeKit.

   alias: Homekit - Sensor Collection
   description: Processes temperature and humidity data from the HomePod Mini
   trigger:
     - platform: webhook
       webhook_id: homekit_sensors
       allowed_methods:
         - POST
       local_only: true
       id: WebHook
     - platform: time_pattern
       minutes: /2
       id: time
   action:
     - choose:
         - conditions:
             - condition: trigger
               id: WebHook
           sequence:
             - service: python_script.update_homekit_sensor
               data:
                 sensor_name: sensor.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_humidity
                 state: "{{ trigger.json.humidity }}"
                 attributes:
                   unit_of_measurement: "%"
                   state_class: humidity
                   device_class: measurement
             - service: python_script.update_homekit_sensor
               data:
                 sensor_name: sensor.{{ trigger.json.sensor }}_temperature
                 state: "{{ trigger.json.temperature }}"
                 attributes:
                   unit_of_measurement: "°C"
                   state_class: temperature
                   device_class: measurement
         - conditions:
             - condition: trigger
               id: time
           sequence:
             - service: input_boolean.turn_on
               target:
                 entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
             - delay: '00:00:05'
             - service: input_boolean.turn_off
               target:
                 entity_id: input_boolean.homekit_sensors_update
   mode: parallel
   max: 10

4. Set Up an Automation in the HomeKit App:
   This automation triggers when homekit_sensors_update is activated. It obtains temperature and humidity values and sends this data to Home Assistant using a Get content action via http://homeassistant:8123/api/webhook/homekit_sensors using POST with a JSON payload.

   JSON format:

   {
     "sensor": "XXXXX",  # Must be text
     "temperature": numeric value,  # Must be numerical
     "humidity": numeric value  # Must be numerical
   }

This method uses HomeKit as an intermediary to integrate HomePod Mini sensors into Home Assistant.

---

Method B (More Secure, No Python Script Required):

1. Create an input_boolean Exposed to HomeKit:
   (Same as in Method A)

2. Create an Automation in Home Assistant:
   (Same as in Method A, but with only the time_pattern trigger)

3. Set Up an Automation in the HomeKit App:
   This automation triggers when homekit_sensors_update is activated. It obtains temperature and humidity values and sends this data to Home Assistant via http://homeassistant:8123/api/states/your_sensor_humidity and http://homeassistant:8123/api/states/your_sensor_temperature using POST with a JSON payload.

   Before this step, enable the REST API and create an API key in Home Assistant.

   In your Apple Home automation, add an additional header in the two Get contents of the request:

   • Key: Authorization
   • Text: Bearer

   JSON format for temperature:

   {
     "state": current_homepodmini_temperature,  # Must be numerical
     "device_class": "measurement",
     "state_class": "temperature"
   }

   JSON format for humidity:

   {
     "state": current_homepodmini_humidity,  # Must be numerical
     "device_class": "measurement",
     "state_class": "humidity"
   }

[FermedePommerieux]

Here is the link to the community guide topic: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/how-to-integrate-homepod-mini-sensors-into-home-assistant-when-direct-integration-isnt-possible/665074

[wizardofozzie]

I found a more correct way to add a history for the sensor.

Instead of the legacy sensor template, you need to use the new sensor template format https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/template, where you can specify state and device classes.

Below is a piece of code from point 2, which I converted to a new format. Other parts do not need to be changed, they are compatible with the new sensor template format.

template:
- sensor:
    - name: "homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature"
      unique_id: ff02eebc-b4a5-4761-906c-d4603c70266f
      unit_of_measurement: '°C'
      device_class: temperature
      state_class: measurement
      state: "{{states('input_number.homepodmini_XXXXX_temperature')}}"
    - name: "homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity"
      unique_id: a5e5cf60-7ac1-4147-85d6-fa5e4536c462
      unit_of_measurement: '%'
      device_class: humidity
      state_class: measurement
      state: "{{states('input_number.homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity')}}"

Newb Q- is it relevant the entity name has XXXX in homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity?
I see in other parts of the code _temperature is appended.
Can I call these entities homepod_gen2_1of2 instead of homepodmini_XXXXX?

[FermedePommerieux]

The choice of the entity's name is entirely up to your personal preferences and how you want to organize and identify your devices.
The "XXXX" in homepodmini_XXXXX_humidity is a unique identifier for a specific device. It helps to distinguish this entity from other similar entities you might have in your system. However, there is no technical constraint that prevents you from renaming this entity.
Additionally, using suffixes like _temperature helps to distinguish between different types of sensors, such as a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor, making it clearer which is which.

[Seger85]

@mensoh, However, the values must be summarised as a dictionary under the key attributes.
Then they are listed, at least for me. Or am I doing something wrong ;-)?
Is it possible to give a unique ID so that the icon can be edited? I don't think so, at least I couldn't manage it. You can enter something via attributes, but the UI doesn't care (maybe because it's a read-only sensor?). The icon is displayed correctly for temperature, but unfortunately not for humidity. Can you perhaps help again? Thank you

JSON format for temperature:

"device_class": "measurement",
"state_class": "temperature"

JSON format for humidity:

"device_class": "measurement",
"state_class": "humidity"

[issue-triage-workflows]

There hasn't been any activity on this issue recently. Due to the high number of incoming GitHub notifications, we have to clean some of the old issues, as many of them have already been resolved with the latest updates.
Please make sure to update to the latest Home Assistant version and check if that solves the issue. Let us know if that works for you by adding a comment 👍
This issue has now been marked as stale and will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[metbril]

Not yet fixed