From Entertainment Screen to Smart Home TV Dashboard
The biggest screen in your home is getting a promotion. With Homey’s new apps for Android TV and LG webOS, your television can now function as a dedicated smart home TV dashboard instead of just a streaming portal. Once the app is installed on an Android TV device or a compatible LG set running webOS, you log in by scanning a QR code, avoiding clunky text entry with the remote. The interface is built specifically for remote navigation rather than touch, putting clarity and simplicity first. Favorites sit at the top level so you can reach commonly used devices, automations, and “Moods” in a couple of clicks. This lets you dim lights, arm sensors, or start scenes directly from your sofa, turning the TV into a TV smart home hub that is always on, always visible, and shared by everyone in the household.
Why TV-Based Control Changes the Smart Home Experience
Centralizing smart home control on the TV is about more than convenience; it changes how people experience automation. Instead of hunting for a phone, tablet, or wall panel, you can use Android TV smart home control right from the remote you already reach for every evening. Homey’s layout puts favorites, devices, and Flows in clearly separated sections, so quick actions like “movie night” lighting or bedtime routines only take a few button presses. Because the display is large and shared, it also becomes a teaching tool for guests or family members who may not have the app installed. They can see which devices are active, what scenes are available, and how the home is behaving without asking the household tech expert, reinforcing the idea of the living room TV as a neutral, communal control surface.
Android TV and LG webOS: A New Layer of Platform Integration
By launching on both Android TV and LG webOS, Homey is pushing smart home control deeper into mainstream TV ecosystems. On Android TV, the app can sit alongside streaming services, giving users a quick way to open a smart home TV dashboard without switching devices. On LG’s side, the LG webOS smart home app supports compatible smart TVs released in 2021 or later, though availability can still differ by model and region. This cross-platform reach reduces the need for dedicated smart displays or proprietary hubs, turning existing televisions into a TV smart home hub with relatively little setup. Homey’s apps are compatible with Homey Cloud, Homey Pro, Homey Pro mini, and self-hosted Homey Server setups, giving both casual users and power users a consistent interface regardless of which backend they rely on for their automations and devices.
Beyond the Living Room: Browser-Based Control in Cars and More
The shift toward TV-based control is part of a broader strategy to put smart home dashboards wherever screens already exist. Homey’s browser-based platform, homey.tv, extends the same concept beyond the living room into vehicle browsers and other connected displays. The company highlights support for in-car systems, including Teslas, where drivers could, for example, open the garage door before pulling into the driveway using the same visual dashboard they see at home. This reinforces the idea that a smart home TV dashboard is just one node in a larger, screen-agnostic ecosystem. Whether on an Android TV, an LG webOS television, or a car’s browser, users get consistent access to devices, Flows, and Moods. Over time, this multi-surface strategy could reduce dependency on phones altogether, as more people rely on shared screens to view and manage their connected homes.