QuickBars for Home Assistant

Analysis by Appwesome

I like the idea of controlling a smart home from the same screen I use to watch television, rather than reaching for a phone every time I want to change something. QuickBars for Home Assistant is aimed at that small but familiar bit of friction: it brings Home Assistant controls onto a TV through an overlay and remote-key actions. That makes it a different kind of smart-home tool from a phone dashboard. Its usefulness depends less on how many devices you own and more on whether you want to operate them from the couch with a remote.

A TV-first way to reach Home Assistant controls

QuickBars is a free House & Home app from Trooped, currently at version 1.3.3. It is designed for people who already use Home Assistant and want convenient access to controls while watching TV. Rather than treating the television as just another screen for a full dashboard, its central idea is to make selected actions reachable as an overlay and through remote keys. That distinction matters: the appeal is quick access, not replacing every way you interact with your smart home.

The app has a 4.7 average from around 140 ratings, with more than 10,000 installs. Those figures suggest that it has found an audience, though they do not tell me whether it will fit a particular Home Assistant setup. It is rated for Everyone and was released in August 2025, so it is still a relatively young product. I would approach it as a focused companion rather than a mature, all-purpose control center.

Where it fits in a real evening

Picture settling down to watch something and noticing that the room is too bright. With a phone-first setup, you might pause, find the phone, open a dashboard, locate the right light, and then return to the show. A TV overlay can make that adjustment feel more direct: bring up the controls, use the remote, and get back to watching. The same pattern makes sense for a quick change to another Home Assistant-controlled device without turning a relaxed moment into a trip through several screens.

The strongest use case is therefore a shared living-room screen, where more than one person may want a simple way to make familiar adjustments. A remote is already in someone’s hand, and an overlay can keep the interaction in the context of the TV. I would start by choosing a small set of actions that are genuinely useful from the sofa, rather than trying to reproduce an entire home dashboard. A short, deliberate control set is easier to navigate with directional keys and less likely to interrupt what is on screen.

What to expect from the controls

QuickBars’ TV-oriented design is the useful detail to keep in mind when deciding what belongs in it. Controls that work well as quick decisions—such as switching a light or triggering a familiar home action—are natural candidates. Anything that needs careful adjustment, a lot of information, or several steps may be more comfortable on a phone or in Home Assistant itself. The remote is convenient, but it is not a substitute for a touchscreen when precision matters.

A practical tip is to think in terms of moments, not rooms alone. A control you want while watching television may be different from one you need when leaving the house, even if both affect the same devices. Grouping by the situation in which you reach for the remote can reduce hunting around. It also helps keep the TV interaction quick: if a bar becomes a long catalogue, the advantage of an overlay starts to disappear.

Remote-key actions also make the physical layout important. I would test navigation from the seat where the TV is normally watched, paying attention to whether moving between choices feels predictable and whether a frequently used action takes only a few presses. If an item is awkward to reach, it may be better suited to a phone dashboard. The best arrangement is not necessarily the one with the most controls; it is the one that makes the handful you need in that setting easy to find.

How it compares with familiar alternatives

Compared with opening the Home Assistant interface on a phone, QuickBars puts the interaction on the television and lets the remote do the work. That is a real convenience when the goal is a quick adjustment without picking up another device. A phone remains the better choice when you want a larger selection of controls, need more detailed status, or prefer touch navigation. The two approaches solve different problems, so I would use QuickBars alongside a phone dashboard rather than expect one to make the other unnecessary.

Compared with a conventional TV remote that controls only television functions, this approach can connect the viewing experience to home automation. But it is also more dependent on the user already having Home Assistant in place. Someone who wants a ready-made smart-home system, or simply wants to control devices without setting up Home Assistant, is unlikely to get much value from it. Likewise, if you rarely use a TV remote or usually control the home from a phone, the TV-specific advantage may not be important enough to change your routine.

What is QuickBars for Home Assistant?

So, what exactly is QuickBars for Home Assistant? Essentially, it’s an app designed to simplify the way you interact with your smart devices through Home Assistant. It allows you to create customizable "Quick Bars" that can be accessed with just a tap on your screen. Imagine having all your frequently used controls right at your fingertips. Sounds pretty neat, right?

Setting Up: Easy Peasy!

I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the setup process was. After downloading the app, which you can find on both Android and iOS, it took me just a few minutes to integrate it with my existing Home Assistant setup. The app walks you through each step, so even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy, you’ll find it easy to get started.

Once everything was up and running, creating my first Quick Bar was a breeze. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing you to drag and drop your favorite controls into a neat little bar. You can customize it to your heart's content, choosing from a variety of icons and colors to match your home’s vibe.

Features That Stand Out

One of the features I love the most is the ability to create multiple Quick Bars for different rooms or situations. For instance, I have one for my living room that controls the lights, TV, and thermostat, and another for my bedroom that manages the nightstand lamp and fan. Switching between these bars is as simple as swiping, making the app incredibly efficient.

Another standout feature is the integration with voice assistants. If you’re a fan of talking to your devices, you’ll appreciate how seamlessly QuickBars integrates with Google Assistant and Alexa. Just a quick voice command, and your Quick Bars are ready to go.

User Experience

In terms of aesthetics, the app has a clean, modern design that’s easy on the eyes. But beyond looks, it’s the functionality that really impresses. Everything is right where you’d expect it to be, and there’s no unnecessary clutter. It feels like the developers really thought about the user experience.

Performance-wise, the app runs smoothly without any noticeable lag. It’s reliable too, which is crucial when you’re dealing with home automation. Nobody wants to be left in the dark—literally—because of a glitchy app.

Questions worth considering before you install

A natural question is whether this is useful if you already have a Home Assistant dashboard. I think it can be, provided the TV is a place where you often want to make quick changes. It offers a different point of access rather than a reason to discard a dashboard you already like. If your existing setup is already easy to use from the couch, the extra layer may not earn a regular place in your routine.

Another consideration is whether the app makes sense for everyone in the household. A TV remote can be more approachable than asking guests or family members to navigate a detailed smart-home interface, but only if the choices presented are clear and intentionally limited. I would avoid exposing a crowded set of controls to occasional users. Keeping the most obvious actions together makes the TV a simpler shared control point, while more involved settings can stay in the usual Home Assistant interface.

It is also worth deciding what should happen when a quick action is not enough. An overlay can be excellent for a simple command, but troubleshooting a device, changing a complex setting, or checking a detailed state is a different task. In those cases, I would switch to Home Assistant rather than keep trying to make the TV workflow do everything. That division of labor is a strength, not a failure: a focused remote experience can stay fast precisely because it does not need to handle every possible job.

Who Is It For?

If you’re someone who already uses Home Assistant and wants to make your life a bit easier, then this app is definitely for you. It’s perfect for both smart home novices and seasoned pros looking to enhance their setup. The app brings a level of convenience that’s hard to beat, streamlining your controls into user-friendly bars.

Whether you have a few smart bulbs or a fully automated home, QuickBars for Home Assistant will likely fit right in with your current setup. It’s designed to scale with your needs, so whether you’re just starting out or expanding your smart home ecosystem, it’s a great tool to have on hand.

What its current version means for existing users

At version 1.3.3, the app has moved beyond its initial release, but I would not read a version number alone as proof of a particular new feature or overhaul. What I can say is that the product is still early in its life, so existing users should judge it by the way their own TV workflow behaves today. If you already rely on it, it makes sense to keep your important controls simple and check that the actions you use most remain convenient after any update.

For someone considering a first install, the relatively recent release is a reason to keep expectations measured, not a reason to dismiss the app. It has enough traction to show that other users are exploring the idea, and the current version gives a clear sense of the product’s present stage. I would try it with a limited set of everyday controls first, then decide whether it deserves a larger role in the living room.

Where I would draw the line

The main trade-off is that a TV-first tool is only valuable when the television is the right place to control the home. It will not be my first choice for managing devices while moving between rooms, and remote navigation can feel cumbersome for anything that calls for careful input. People who want a broad dashboard, detailed monitoring, or a control method that works independently of the TV should stick with their usual Home Assistant interface or another approach that better matches those needs.

I would also be cautious about assuming that every household member will prefer the same layout. Someone who likes a minimal remote experience may find it appealing; someone who wants to see lots of information at once may prefer a tablet or phone. Start with a few controls, observe what people actually use, and remove anything that adds more navigation than convenience. That small bit of curation is likely to matter more than filling every available space.

In conclusion, QuickBars for Home Assistant is a game-changer for anyone invested in smart home tech. It simplifies your interactions, saves you time, and adds a touch of convenience that you didn’t know you needed. Trust me, once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. So go ahead, give it a try—I promise you won’t be disappointed!