Resources

Learn more about home automation through these excellent online resources, communities, and channels.

📺 YouTube channels

Automate Your Life

Comprehensive reviews and tutorials for all major smart home platforms.

Best for: Beginners
  • Product reviews and comparisons
  • Platform guides (Alexa, Google Home, HomeKit, Home Assistant)
  • Automation ideas and tutorials
  • Smart home news and updates

Smart Home Solver

In-depth technical content and problem-solving for advanced users.

Best for: Advanced users Home Assistant
  • Advanced Home Assistant tutorials
  • Complex automation setups
  • Integration guides
  • Troubleshooting common issues

Paul Hibbert

Honest reviews with a British sense of humor and real-world testing.

Best for: Product research
  • Detailed product reviews
  • Real-world testing
  • Pros and cons analysis
  • Budget-friendly options

💬 Reddit communities

r/homeautomation

The main home automation community with 500k+ subscribers.

Very active All platforms
  • General home automation discussion
  • Platform comparisons
  • Project showcases
  • Troubleshooting help

r/smarthome

Beginner-friendly smart home discussion and recommendations.

Best for: Beginners
  • Product recommendations
  • Simple automation ideas
  • Setup help
  • News and announcements

r/homeassistant

Dedicated community for Home Assistant platform users at all levels.

Home Assistant
  • Setup and configuration help
  • Custom integrations
  • YAML configuration
  • Dashboard designs
r/smartthings

Samsung SmartThings community for automations and device compatibility

r/hubitat

Hubitat Elevation users focused on local processing and privacy

r/alexa

Amazon Alexa routines, skills, and Echo device discussions

🌐 Forums and communities

Home Assistant Community

Official Home Assistant forum with excellent documentation and active developer community.

Hubitat Community

Hubitat Elevation users sharing custom apps, drivers, and support.

SmartThings Community

Official SmartThings forum for device handlers, SmartApps, and platform updates.

📰 Blogs and news

Home Assistant Blog

Official updates, feature announcements, and community highlights.

The Ambient

Smart home news, product reviews, and how-to guides.

CNET Smart Home

Product reviews, buying guides, and smart home trends.

🎙️ Podcasts

Home Gadget Geeks

Smart home discussions, product reviews, and expert interviews.

Automate Your Life Podcast

Weekly smart home news, community Q&A, and product discussions.

🛒 Before you buy

Recommended retailers

Amazon

Easy returns and wide selection

Best Buy

In-store pickup and returns

Home Depot / Lowe's

Construction-related smart home products

Direct from manufacturer

Better support and latest firmware

🤝 Get involved

Contribute to open source

Home Assistant on GitHub - Submit bug reports, contribute code, or create custom integrations.

Share your knowledge

  • Write blog posts about your setup
  • Make YouTube videos
  • Share automation blueprints
  • Help others in forums and Reddit
  • Document your configurations

Contribute to this site

This guide is open source! Visit our GitHub repository to submit issues, create pull requests, share automation recipes, or improve documentation.

📧 Stay updated

Newsletters

Home Assistant Newsletter

Monthly updates, new integrations, and community projects

The Ambient Newsletter

Weekly smart home news, product launches, and guides

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