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KNOOP edited this page Jun 26, 2026 · 4 revisions

Sensors

Ava reads device sensor data and exposes it to Home Assistant, including environment sensors, battery, proximity, and diagnostic information.

Compatible with Android 5-16.

Why Ava's Sensors Are Different

Most Android apps that expose sensor data to Home Assistant rely on third-party integrations like REST API bridges, Tasker plugins, or MQTT gateways. Ava is different:

  • Native ESPHome integration — sensors appear as native entities in Home Assistant, no extra integration needed
  • Zero configuration — enable in Settings, entities auto-appear in HA
  • Runs as a foreground service — sensor updates continue even when the screen is off, unlike task-based apps that Android kills in the background
  • Combined sensor pipeline — light, magnetic, and proximity sensors share a single update cycle with noise smoothing, reducing drift and battery drain
  • Proximity + light fusion — proximity wake threshold adapts to ambient light, preventing false wakes in dark rooms
  • Battery whitelist — Ava automatically requests battery optimization exemption when root or Shizuku is available, ensuring sensor updates are never throttled

Sensor Categories

Category Description
Environment Sensors Light, magnetic field
Battery Monitor Battery level, voltage, charging status
Proximity Sensor Object proximity detection with screen wake
Diagnostic Sensors WiFi, IP, storage, memory, uptime, microphone volume

Environment Sensors

Go to Settings -> Device Controls -> Environment Sensors

Sensor Description Unit HA Entity
Light Sensor Ambient light intensity lux sensor.your_device_name_light_sensor
Magnetic Sensor Magnetic field strength (3-axis combined) μT sensor.your_device_name_magnetic_sensor

Settings

Setting Description Default
Environment Sensors Enable reading available sensors Off
Light Sensor Publish light level to HA On (if sensor exists)
Magnetic Sensor Publish magnetic field to HA Off
Update Interval How often to publish sensor data to HA (5-60s) 35s

Light Sensor

Measures ambient light intensity in lux. Ava reads the sensor and publishes to Home Assistant at the configured interval with noise smoothing to filter out spikes.

Built-in feature — Light sensor screen off:

When enabled in Screensaver settings, Ava turns off the screen in dark environments (e.g., face-down on a table or in a pocket) and turns it back on when light returns. This saves battery and prevents accidental touches without requiring a proximity sensor.

Scenario — Auto-adjust room lighting:

automation:
  - alias: "Auto Light Adjustment"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_light_sensor
        below: 50
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.living_room

Scenario — Curtains close when too bright:

automation:
  - alias: "Close Curtains in Bright Sunlight"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_light_sensor
        above: 3000
    action:
      - service: cover.close_cover
        target:
          entity_id: cover.living_room

Magnetic Sensor

Measures ambient magnetic field strength. Ava combines all three axes into a single magnitude value and publishes at the configured interval with noise smoothing.

Scenario — Key detection:

Place the device near a door or key rack. When someone brings metal keys close, the magnetic field spikes. Use this to trigger automations:

automation:
  - alias: "Someone Picked Up Keys"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_magnetic_sensor
        above: 80
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Keys detected — someone is leaving"

Scenario — Door/window open detection:

If a small magnet is attached to a door or window frame, the magnetic sensor can detect when the door opens (magnet moves away) or closes (magnet returns):

automation:
  - alias: "Door Opened"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_magnetic_sensor
        below: 25
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Front door opened"

Scenario — Remote control with built-in magnet:

Some TV remote controls or stylus pens have built-in magnets. Moving such an object near the device causes a detectable shift in the magnetic field. This can be used as a "magnetic switch" — wave the remote near the device to trigger a scene:

automation:
  - alias: "Magnetic Trigger - Movie Scene"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_magnetic_sensor
        above: 60
    action:
      - service: scene.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: scene.movie_night

Note: Earth's background magnetic field is typically 25-65 μT. Significant deviations from this baseline indicate a nearby magnetic or metal object. The baseline varies by location, so calibrate by observing the sensor value in the target environment before setting thresholds.

Battery Monitor

Go to Settings -> Device Controls -> Diagnostic Sensors

Sensor Description HA Entity
Battery Level Battery percentage sensor.your_device_name_battery_level
Battery Voltage Battery voltage sensor.your_device_name_battery_voltage
Charging Status Charging or discharging sensor.your_device_name_charging_status

Scenario — Low battery alert:

automation:
  - alias: "Ava Device Low Battery"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_battery_level
        below: 20
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Ava device battery is low ({{ states('sensor.ava_battery_level') }}%)"

Scenario — Auto-dim screen when not charging:

automation:
  - alias: "Dim Screen on Battery"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_charging_status
        to: "discharging"
    action:
      - service: number.set_value
        target:
          entity_id: number.ava_screen_brightness
        data:
          value: 30

Proximity Sensor

Go to Settings -> Device Controls -> Proximity Sensor

Sensor Description HA Entity
Proximity Object proximity detected (near/far) binary_sensor.your_device_name_proximity
Proximity Distance Distance value sensor.your_device_name_proximity_distance

Settings

Setting Description Default
Proximity Sensor Enable proximity sensor Off
Send to Home Assistant Expose proximity distance as HA sensor Off
Proximity Wake Wake screen when object is near On
Trigger Threshold Wake screen when closer than this (auto-adjusted) Sensor max range
Away Delay Seconds before marking as away (10-120s) 30
Send Interval How often to send proximity distance to HA (5-120s) 20
Auto Unlock Also dismiss keyguard on wake Off

How Proximity Wake Works

Ava's proximity wake is smarter than a simple threshold:

  1. Light-aware threshold — In low light (< 20 lux), the "far" threshold lowers from 130 to 120. This prevents false wakes in dark rooms where the proximity sensor may behave differently.
  2. Debounced wake — After waking, a 3-second cooldown prevents repeated wake triggers from the same hand wave.
  3. Away delay — When the object moves away, Ava waits the configured delay (default 30s) before marking as "away". This prevents flicker when someone is moving around near the device.
  4. Immediate refresh — On startup, Ava aggressively polls the proximity sensor (up to 12 attempts at 500ms intervals) to get an initial reading quickly, rather than waiting for the first sensor event.

Scenario — Wake screen when someone approaches:

automation:
  - alias: "Proximity Wake"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.ava_proximity
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_off
        target:
          entity_id: switch.ava_screensaver

Scenario — Turn on display for kiosk:

automation:
  - alias: "Kiosk Wake on Approach"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.ava_proximity
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.ava_display

Diagnostic Sensors

Go to Settings -> Device Controls -> Diagnostic Sensors

Sensor Description HA Entity
WiFi Signal WiFi signal strength sensor.your_device_name_wifi_signal
Device IP Network address sensor.your_device_name_device_ip
Storage Remaining storage capacity sensor.your_device_name_storage_free
Memory Used memory sensor.your_device_name_memory_usage
Uptime Device running time sensor.your_device_name_device_uptime
Microphone Volume Microphone volume level (0-2.0) number.your_device_name_microphone_volume

System Control Entities

Entity Description
button.your_device_name_kill_app Force close Ava app
button.your_device_name_reboot_device Reboot the entire device (requires root)

Scenario — Reboot on high memory:

automation:
  - alias: "Reboot on Memory Pressure"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_memory_usage
        above: 90
        for:
          minutes: 10
    action:
      - service: button.press
        target:
          entity_id: button.ava_reboot_device

Scenario — Alert on storage low:

automation:
  - alias: "Storage Low Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.ava_storage_free
        below: 500
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Ava device storage is low ({{ states('sensor.ava_storage_free') }} MB)"

Intent Launcher

Go to Settings -> Device Controls -> Android Intent Executor

Remote intent execution via Home Assistant. See Intent Launcher for detailed guide.

Device Capability Detection

Ava automatically detects if the device has each sensor at startup. The detection is cached — it runs once and the result is reused for the session.

Detection Method Description
hasLightSensor System sensor query Has light sensor
hasMagneticSensor System sensor query Has magnetic sensor
hasProximitySensor System sensor query Has proximity sensor
hasAnySensor Any of the above Has any environment sensor

If a device lacks a sensor, the corresponding entity will not be created in Home Assistant. No error, no empty entity — Ava simply skips it.

FAQ

Sensor data not updating?

  1. Check if the device has that sensor (see Device Capability Detection above)
  2. Check if Ava service is running
  3. Check the update interval setting (Settings → Device Controls → Environment Sensors)
  4. Some device ROMs restrict sensor access for background apps — try disabling battery optimization for Ava

Light sensor screen off not working?

  1. Confirm the device has a light sensor
  2. Check if "Turn off in dark" is enabled in Screensaver settings
  3. Make sure the sensor is not blocked (e.g., device in a case)

Proximity sensor wake not working?

  1. Confirm the device has a proximity sensor
  2. Check if Proximity Wake is enabled in Settings → Device Controls → Proximity Sensor
  3. Check the proximity sensor's maximum range — some devices report very short range
  4. The trigger threshold auto-adjusts based on ambient light — try in a well-lit room first

Magnetic sensor readings seem wrong?

  1. Move away from large metal objects, speakers, or monitors — these affect the magnetic field
  2. Calibrate the baseline by observing the sensor value in the target environment
  3. Some devices have very sensitive magnetometers that drift — noise smoothing helps but cannot eliminate all noise

Battery sensor not showing?

  1. Enable Battery Level in Settings → Device Controls → Diagnostic Sensors
  2. Check if the device reports battery info (some kiosk devices lack battery hardware)

Reboot device not working?

  1. Reboot requires root access
  2. Check root status in Settings → Permissions
  3. Alternatively, use Shizuku for elevated permissions

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