I turned an old smartphone into a smart home dashboard with Android Auto

I'm deep into the smart home rabbit hole and have spent a lot of time building dashboards and even a wall-mounted control center. When it came time to get a similar setup for my desktop, I had a couple of options. I could pick up a Google Nest Hub or even a tablet and just plonk it on my desk, but that doesn't really serve the purpose. I wanted a convenient way to control my smart home without constantly shuffling through apps, nor did I want a full-fledged streaming app. The goal was to reduce friction, not add another point to the mix. So, I took the unconventional approach.

You see, Apple's new HomeView tackles this very same problem in an interesting way. Instead of running apps on the display, it lets you tap into CarPlay. This allows your phone to extend apps over to the HomeView, exactly how it would in a car running CarPlay. I wanted to bring the same idea to my setup. So, I set up Headunit Revived, also known as Open Headunit, to bring Android Auto to my desk. It gives me a simplified interface for everyday tasks, with large touch targets and quick access to apps like Spotify and Home Assistant. Honestly, it's the perfect desktop assistant.

Building an interface designed for quick interactions

An Android tablet can, obviously, already do most everything I want. Between calendar apps, music widgets, Google Home or even the Home Assistant app, all the functionality is right there. But my inhibition was more around the interface and the lack of a good desktop dashboard experience.

As good as widgets are, interacting with them can be hit or miss. Some show only a limited amount of information, while others immediately drop you into the full app experience as soon as you tap them.

Headunit Revived solves this differently. It turns your Android tablet or smartphone into an Android Auto receiver. Just install it, tap Self Mode, and you'll be able to pull up supported apps onto the larger display with an interface that is designed specifically for quick but meaningful interactions. Instead of building a dashboard with individual widgets, this immediately gives you an interface designed around quick interactions.

Android Auto, by its very nature, prioritizes a curated selection of features and presents them in a consistent layout. That's exactly what you want in a smart home dashboard. It means that I can reach media controls and communication apps without digging through app drawers.

Android Auto gives me quick access to everything I need

My smart home controls are always within reach

This dedicated phone sits right within arm's reach under my monitor. When I'm writing, I usually have Spotify running. The phone automatically pulls up the Android Auto version, which gives me quick access to playback controls and a curated list of recent albums and playlists. This is much better than getting lost in the full-fledged version of Spotify.

Similarly, it'll show me calendar appointments and even incoming messages. I can choose to quickly respond with voice and carry on with my work without getting distracted.

It's surprising how well this works and how it can even do the job of the Nest Hub by letting you pull up Google Assistant to help with timers or other requests. Sure, Gemini on your phone is more powerful, but when all you need to do is turn off the lights, you don't need the full-fledged assistant.

That said, the more important part is how well it integrates with Home Assistant. Home Assistant's Android Auto integration isn't well known to begin with, but it's capable enough to show you direct button controls for specific smart home devices and zones and even let you build automations. While the last part isn't particularly relevant for a display that's going to sit static on my desk, everything else is precisely what I need.

In practice, this means that every single part of my smart home is accessible to me in a touch-friendly format through an interface that has already been designed for a small screen and on-the-go use. That's the premise of Apple's HomeView, too. Apple combines smart home controls, personal information and entertainment in a dedicated display rather than expecting people to reach for their iPhones every time they need something. And since iPhone apps have already been optimized for the CarPlay experience, bringing the same apps to the smart display helps developers avoid supporting yet another platform.

My rigged-up Android phone running Headunit Revived does the same without having to spend $300. What's not to like?

An old phone is all I needed

I'm aware that a dedicated smart display offers a more polished experience. However, for my purpose, I needed something a bit more custom and bespoke. After all, I can't have a Google Nest display Home Assistant dashboards. Plus, I already had an older phone handy. However, even if you don't have one on hand, a budget tablet or smartphone will likely still run you less than a smart home hub while giving you the full range of functionality you need to set this up.

What makes the effort worth it to me is how little effort it takes. There are no widgets or apps to set up. Everything from my phone just shows up as normal and gives me all the controls I want in a way that's designed from the ground up for quick in-and-out access.