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v1.3.0 ESPHome BLE Keyboard

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@markusg1234 markusg1234 released this 23 Jul 08:56
· 154 commits to main since this release

ESPHome BLE Keyboard v1.3.0

A big release focused on the remote, per-host customisation, and much easier
Home Assistant installation.

Firmware + cards. Re-flash your device to get the component changes. The
Lovelace cards can now be installed and updated through HACS (see below).

🎬 Remote controls

  • Record button (HID Record 0x00B2) added to the web server remote and the
    Home Assistant remote card.
  • The web server remote gained colour keys (F1–F4) and app-launcher
    shortcuts
    (Explorer, Browser, Email, Calculator, Search), matching what the
    Home Assistant card already offered.
  • Every remote button is now a named action, which is what makes per-host
    remapping and hiding (below) possible.

🎛️ Per-host action overrides

  • Any named remote action can now be remapped per host slot, from YAML
    (hosts: → actions:) or live in the web UI's new Host Actions card — no
    re-flash needed to change one.
  • Every remote button is now a named action, so all of them are remappable
    (D-pad, power, channel, colour keys, app launchers …). Up to 8 overrides per host.
  • Example: make Record drive Windows Game Bar on your PC while a TV keeps
    native HID Record.

🙈 Remove remote buttons per host

  • Untick the buttons a host doesn't need — they disappear from the remote for
    that host only (the action still works from macros / YAML / HA). Up to 40 per host.
  • Optional hidden_buttons text sensor lets the Home Assistant card mirror
    the same per-host hiding.

💾 Backup & Restore

  • Download every runtime setting (macros, host actions, layout, mouse
    calibration, hidden buttons, learned hosts, UI prefs) to a JSON file and
    restore it later or onto another board — new buttons next to Host Actions.

📦 HACS support + visual card editors

  • The repo is now HACS-installable (custom repository, category Dashboard)
    — one download brings all three cards and keeps them updated.
  • All three cards now have a visual editor in the dashboard UI, so you no
    longer need to hand-write YAML. YAML editing still works.

⚠️ Changed behaviour

  • OK button now sends keyboard Enter (0x28) instead of HID Menu Pick
    (0x0041).
    Enter is accepted by far more hosts (fixes OK doing nothing on
    some smart TVs/monitors while the arrows worked). Hosts that need Menu Pick
    can restore it with a per-host override: ok → consumer:0x0041.

🖥️ Web UI improvements

  • New Mouse and Cursor Position preset groups; added the missing plain
    left/right/middle-click presets.
  • Host-bar layout fixes so a wrapped host button no longer stretches the row,
    and hosts + Forget Host pack onto one line.
  • Tooltips with worked examples on the Host Actions inputs.

📖 Docs

  • Documented per-host overrides, button removal, backup/restore, the
    text_sensor platform, HACS install, and a "Developing the cards" guide.
  • Fixed the Usage Example, which was missing the web_server: block required by
    web_control: true.

Install / upgrade the cards: HACS → ⋮ → Custom repositories → this repo,
category Dashboard. Migrating from a manual install? Remove the old
/local/*-card.js dashboard resources afterwards.