Home/Away Presence Detection Guide

Why Presence Detection Matters

Presence detection is the foundation of truly smart home automations. When Home Assistant knows who is home and who is away, it can automatically adjust heating, lighting, security systems, and more—all without you lifting a finger.

Presence Detection Methods

1. GPS Tracking (Mobile App) – Most Reliable

The Home Assistant Companion app uses your phone GPS to track your location in real-time.

Advantages:

  • Works anywhere (not limited to home WiFi range)
  • Accurate location data with zone detection
  • Provides arrival/departure times
  • Shows distance from home

Setup:

  1. Install Home Assistant Companion app
  2. Settings → Companion App → Manage Sensors
  3. Enable Location sensors and grant permissions
  4. Go to HA → Settings → People → Select person → Add device tracker

2. WiFi Detection – Fast Response

Detect when devices connect to your home WiFi network.

Advantages:

  • Instant detection when you arrive home
  • Works with any WiFi-connected device
  • No battery drain

Disadvantages:

  • Only works at home (cannot detect when you leave work)
  • Can be unreliable if phone aggressively manages WiFi

Setup Options:

  • Router Integration: UniFi, pfSense, FritzBox integrations
  • Ping (ICMP): Settings → Devices & Services → Add Integration → Ping
  • Nmap Tracker: Install Nmap add-on for network device scanning

Setting Up Person Entities

Person entities combine multiple device trackers for maximum accuracy.

Create a Person

  1. Go to Settings → People
  2. Click Add Person
  3. Enter name and optionally upload a photo
  4. Link device trackers (mobile app, router, BLE beacon)
  5. Save

Related Tutorials

Conclusion

Presence detection transforms your smart home from manually controlled to truly automated. Start with GPS tracking via the mobile app, add WiFi detection for speed, and combine them into Person entities for best results.