Does anyone know if the 2024.5 Companion App update for iOS removed the ability to control entities from the widget? I’ve read the release notes but there’s no mention of any features being removed.

I could absolutely swear that I had a working widget with most of my lights on it, a solitary button for each light, that I could single tap to toggle said light.

Then, a few months or so back, I noticed the widget didn’t seem to be working. The entity icons had change to black, round shadows, and tapping them did nothing.

I deleted the widget, thinking it got corrupted somehow and have never been able to get it back exactly as described above.

Now, it seems that only thing I can do with widgets is use Actions. Some Actions have been auto-created by the Companion App for each scene on my server, and I can obviously create my own Actions, to trigger automations.

But, I don’t want to have to frig around with Actions (using input_booleans and automations) to do something as simple as turning a light on or off.

Am I dreaming? Did the iOS widgets never have this ability? Or am I missing something really obvious to configure entities onto a widget?

Thanks in advance for any useful advice.

  • Luckyfriend222@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    Never used it, but checked iOS widget now, and you are correct. It only gives options to three things: Ask AI, Actions, and open page. Nothing else on my iOS.

  • maxprime@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    I wonder if HomeKit and HomeKit bridge would satisfy that itch.

    I set it up so I can use Siri to open my garage door. Works great! You just need at least one HomeKit device like an Apple TV or a HomePod.

    • DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.comOPEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      It possibly would, but I don’t have any Homekit devices, and I just feel hat this is a simple thing a home automation app should offer, it’s almost conspicuous by it’s removal/absence.

        • DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.comOPEnglish
          0·
          3 months ago

          So you can’t possibly conceive that a single finger tap on a home screen widget to control a light is far simpler, and takes less effort, than having to open the app each time, potentially scroll to the location of the entity you want to control, then tap?

          • NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            3 months ago

            Believe it or not, I do understand that :)

            But then I have about 15 of these switches here, and in my home it feels like I have just started to make it smart… would you want to create 15 widgets then, instead of using the 1 app?

            • Stoposto@lemmy.worldEnglish
              0·
              3 months ago

              Worst kind of commenter. I bet when people ask for advice on buying sneakers you list 5 pair of sandals, and bait to start an argument against wearing shoes…

              Anyway OP I also just looked on my iPhone and get the same results as the top poster for widgets. Does indeed look like they changed it at some point. I am also sure I had one with buttons for lights on both the phone and watch.

              • DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.comOPEnglish
                0·
                3 months ago

                Disappointing that, if this was a thing, they removed it. Seems like the very definition of regression to me.

                At least I know I’m not imagining it. Or that I’m not the only one. ;) Cheers!

            • Luckyfriend222@lemmy.worldEnglish
              0·
              3 months ago

              He is probably talking about light switches like a porch light or garage light that you want quick access to when you get home and for some reason your automation never switched it on, so you want to quickly access it on a homescreen via a widget, and not have to go into the app and search through multiple dashboards etc. His use case and therefor his question is totally valid.

          • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            2 months ago

            Look into the Shortcuts app. This is Apples answer to creating automations on your iPhone. While I’ve never tried this, I see that it can send actions to the HA app. Perhaps that will do what you want

            So your options include

            • use your HA dashboard
            • create a link to an action or scene in HA
            • configure HomeKit bridge and use a HomeKit dashboard
            • configure HomeKit Bridge and use Siri
            • Use the Shortcuts app to automate the HA app
      • Luckyfriend222@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        Sorry, reread your post. I am indeed wrong. My entity control is done with script like turning porch light on, so that is why I have it in my widget. It is a script. Sorry about that.