Getting started

From unboxing to a working smart display in minutes. No ESPHome installation or YAML knowledge needed.

1
Get a supported screen

Pick one of the supported Waveshare ESP32-S3 touchscreen displays. Check our devices page for all compatible screens, their resolutions, and form factors. All screens come with a USB-C cable for the initial flash.

21° 480×480 14:32 21.4° 62% 800×480 68% 480×480 round Multiple screen sizes Square, landscape, and round All with USB-C for first flash See all devices →
Tip: Check our supported devices page for all compatible screens and their specifications.
2
Create your Home8 account

Sign up for free — no credit card required. Your first 2 screens are free with all basic widgets included.

Create your account Email address Password Create free account
3
Design your screen

Open the visual designer and drag widgets onto your canvas — sensors, buttons, arc gauges, clocks, and more. Connect each widget to a Home Assistant entity. See your layout update in real time.

Home8 Designer Save WIDGETS Sensor Button Arc Gauge Clock Cover 21.4° Living Kitchen PROPERTIES ENTITY sensor.temp_living COLOR #D95F3B SIZE W 160 H 160
Tip: Start with a template to get a head start, then customize it to match your setup.
4
Flash your device via USB

Connect your screen to your computer with a USB-C cable. Click the "Flash" button in Home8 — it uses ESP Web Tools to flash the firmware directly from your browser. No software install needed. This only takes about 2 minutes.

Flash firmware to device Connect your screen via USB-C Flashing... 70% Works directly in Chrome — no install needed
Note: USB flashing requires Chrome or Edge. This is only needed once — all future updates happen over wifi.
5
Add to Home Assistant

After flashing, your screen connects to wifi and announces itself on your network. Home Assistant will automatically discover it. Click "Configure" and paste the encryption key shown in your Home8 dashboard.

Settings → Devices & Services E ESPHome: New device discovered home8-living-room.local Configure Encryption key: aB3kL9mN2pQ5rS8tU1vW4xY7zA0cD... Copy this key from your Home8 screen settings page
Important: You do NOT need to install the ESPHome add-on or dashboard. Home Assistant's built-in ESPHome integration is all you need.
6
Allow device to control Home Assistant

For buttons and controls on your screen to work, you need to allow the device to perform actions. Go to Settings → Devices & Services → ESPHome, click the cog icon (⚙) on your device, and enable "Allow the device to perform Home Assistant actions".

⌃ ESPHome click → home8-living-room home8 · home8-living-room › ✎ Allow the device to perform Home Assistant actions Enable this toggle so buttons and controls work
Why? This is a Home Assistant security feature. Without it, your screen can display sensors but cannot toggle lights or control devices.
7
Update over the air

When you're happy with your design, click Save in the designer. Then click "Compile & Deploy" to build and push the new firmware to your device over wifi. No USB cable needed. Your screen updates within minutes.

1. Edit your design 21° Save Save when happy → 2. Compile & Deploy Compile & Deploy Building firmware... Uploads over wifi → 21° Screen updated! No USB needed

Ready to build your first screen?

Free to start. No credit card. No technical knowledge needed.

Start designing →