The Android app has 2 separate flavors full or minimal . Both flavors require Android 5.0 or greater.
So theoretically, Home Assistant companion app can work even on Android System WebView v96 (last version for Android 5.0). But as you know, Android System WebView is continuously optimized with each update. We should update the built-in Android System WebView of NSPanel Pro ASAP.
Will it be possible to disable the AssistiveTouch button? What would be great would be to leave the sliding gestures (from top for settings and left/right to change app or screen)?
When you want to use the NSPanel as a wallpanel (HA or other launcher), the button would always be in the middle which wouldnāt be what we wantā¦
I think the good idea would be to be able to change all the settings (screensaver, update, etcā¦) from the eWelink appā¦ and even better if we also can do it via MQTT (who said update from HA? )
Introducing a secure remote interface (e.g. Web UI, API, or file upload endpoint) would greatly enhance usability and unlock the full value of NSPanel Pro for power users.
Interesting idea. Currently, you can install 3rd-party open source apps through F-Droid to partially archive this. I have tested:
They all work great as a quick and simple file server.
Additionally, with the planned adoption of zigbee-herdsman and broader support for third-party Zigbee devices, a built-in Zigbee network map would be extremely valuable. It would allow users to visualize device connections, signal strength, and routing paths, which is essential for troubleshooting and optimizing mesh performance. Given the scope of upcoming Zigbee improvements, this feature feels not only useful but necessary.
Even lightweight devices like Dongle-M offer basic web interfaces for configuration and diagnostics. NSPanel Pro, with its Android base and Wi-Fi connectivity, is more than capable of hosting a minimal web UI for setup, monitoring, and file transfer. This would significantly improve usability and align with the expectations of power users.
For remote configuration and diagnostics, as a first step, we plan to adopt Home Assistantās MQTT Discovery protocol, which could enable users to manage NSPanel Pro in Home Assistant, or other compatible MQTT broker. Weāll evaluate the necessity of a Web UI for NSPanel Pro.
Will it be possible to disable the AssistiveTouch button? What would be great would be to leave the sliding gestures (from top for settings and left/right to change app or screen)?
Technically itās not possible. NSPanel Pro apps (NSPanelPro app itself, and other apps installed through F-Droid) all run in full screen mode. For example, when Home Assistant companion app is in the frontend, all gestures are captured by Home Assistant, a left/right/top/down sliding only causes an action in Home Assistant, not Android System wide, like switching tabs of Home Assistant Dashboard if Home Asssitant supports it.
So there has got to be something like an AssistiveTouch button which sits on top (I mean layers) of Home Assistant, and is controlled by System App which is NSPanelPro app on NSPanel Pro device.
When you want to use the NSPanel as a wallpanel (HA or other launcher), the button would always be in the middle which wouldnāt be what we want.
You can long press and move AssistiveTouch button to anywhere on the screen. And if the AssistiveTouch button is close to the left or right edge, it will shrink into a translucent semi-circle shape, taking up less space on the screen.
I think the good idea would be to be able to change all the settings (screensaver, update, etcā¦) from the eWelink appā¦ and even better if we also can do it via MQTT (who said update from HA?
You will be able to change all the settings from the eWeLink App. And Do it via MQTT is on our roadmap (v4.3.0 on January 8th, 2026).
Since you are finally going to make available NSP resources into HA, a long awaited feature, why not adding a soft switch function? I mean buiding a TX swich inside NSP, to be used by sonoff or third party relays inside HA?
Well then, maybe itās time to think about a slick integration and let us manage NSPanel Pro from HA? Just a random thought from one of āmore than one million usersā - we do have ideas, you know
This still let the possibility to click on the button by errorā¦
Will there be a way to disable the NSPanel Pro app launching when changing the launcher app but still have the native screensaver (configurable via eWelink app and/or MQTT)ā¦
Basically, when using the NSPanel Pro as a HA wallpanel, the only AssistiveTouch button (or swipes) use is to change the settingsā¦ (or switch app if you want to, but if you plan to switch between apps, I would say itās not a good idea to set the HA Companion as launcher)
One more thing, I have to say Iām really impressed of how the dev team is open to discussion, and communicate a lot with usersā¦ thanks for that, and keep up the goog work guys!
I get your point, but I just canāt relate. Maybe my fingers are too slim, or the universe knows Iām not ready for accidental taps. Either way, Iāve yet to smack it by mistake!
I temporarily enabled https from my firewall for NSPanel (for other purposes), and it today updated itself from 3.8.7 to 4.0.12 without user input. I lost OpenAPI and the web browserās down arrow symbols (for displaying address bar) are also larger than before, taking a bit more usable screen area. For my use case, the device only became worse.
I find this kind of forced updates very annoying, as a regular user (without visiting this thread) wouldnāt have known that some features will be lost. Also, I find it even more annoying that the device updated itself without asking if the user wants to. Security enhancements are usually a good reason to update, but the things mentioned before are leading at least me to prevent the device from accessing internet at all, and leaving it purposefully outdated.
If I provide my device id, can you enable ability to roll back to fw 3.8.x?
Will there be a way to disable the NSPanel Pro app launching when changing the launcher app but still have the native screensaver (configurable via eWelink app and/or MQTT)ā¦
Actually there is no Native Screensaver or System Screensaver in NSPanel Pro now. The Settings -> Display -> Screen Saver feature is implemented by NSPanelPro App itself. It is a mimic of the System Screensaver, and only works when NSPanelPro App is the Home App, and also in the frontend (not in the backend which is the case if you open other apps).
We will provide real System Screensaver in NSPanel Pro v4.2.0 firmware.
Basically, when using the NSPanel Pro as a HA wallpanel, the only AssistiveTouch button (or swipes) use is to change the settingsā¦ (or switch app if you want to, but if you plan to switch between apps, I would say itās not a good idea to set the HA Companion as launcher)
It today updated itself from 3.8.7 to 4.0.12 without user input.
I find this kind of forced updates very annoying, as a regular user (without visiting this thread) wouldnāt have known that some features will be lost.
Iām sincerely sorry for the trouble. But there is no forced updates feature in NSPanel Pro. We havenāt implement it yet. Some users prefer Automatic Updates, others donāt. We fully understand and respect it.
I lost OpenAPI and the web browserās down arrow symbols (for displaying address bar) are also larger than before, taking a bit more usable screen area. For my use case, the device only became worse.
You have kindly described your usage scenario to us. I think your use of NSPanel Pro is absolutely smart and it blows my mind.
Yes, the lack of Open API breaks your setup. We will partially implement Open API in v4.1.1 bugfix version which should fix your setup. We also want to add several additional API which provide more control over the screen (on/off/brightness). Weāll also make the web browserās down arrow symbols as the same as v3.x firmware.
By the way, have you tried the Webview Kiosk App from F-Droid App Store? I tested it a little and I think it provides more features than Webpages of NSPanel Pro.
If I provide my device id, can you enable ability to roll back to fw 3.8.x?
Iām sorry to say there is no rollback mechanism. Donāt worry, v4.1.1 is coming next week. We are determined to make NSPanel Pro the best for your usage scenario.
@MichaelLearnsToCode and @JoJo - thank you so much for your efforts and hard work on the new version! Itās already a huge step forward.
Iāve just updated to v4.1.0 and the app to v5.21.0, and the new features are working as intended (at least in my setup). That said, Iām particularly looking forward to v4.2.0 for the Always auto-start on system boot, Apps Screen and App Switcher, System-level screensaver, Reorder default screens, and Notification optimization features (especially since some of them address issues and ideas I previously reported).
Earlier, I shared some observations here NSPanel Pro V4.0.7 Optimized Version Released - #321 by demonizator , which @MichaelLearnsToCode mentioned are already on the roadmap. However, since I havenāt seen them explicitly listed, could someone please confirm in which version we might expect these to be implemented? Especially the first one - the Screen timeout - since itās something that currently makes my panel running HA useless.
Screen timeout while running Home Assistant:
My NSPanel is set to turn off its screen after 30 seconds of inactivity, but while Home Assistant is running, the screen stays on indefinitely. This makes using the native HA app completely useless. Is there a setting or workaround to make the screen timeout apply while running apps? Update: Iāve already found a way to toggle the panelās screen on and off from HA (thanks to GitHub - AlexxIT/SonoffLAN: Control Sonoff Devices with eWeLink (original) firmware over LAN and/or Cloud from Home Assistant ), but this also only works with the main UI and not when running the HA app.
Proximity sensor behavior:
I know the NSPanel Pro has a proximity sensor - and I always assumed it would wake the screen when someone is in front of it (not wave!). This didnāt work for me in v3.x. Will this feature be implemented in v4.x, or is there another app or setting that enables this behavior?
Accessing the dropdown menu while running other apps:
When using apps like Home Assistant, I canāt access the NSPanelās dropdown menu without exiting the app. Is there a gesture or shortcut that allows opening the menu from within other apps?
I mean a screen where you can configure one, or two, maybe three of four icons, when you tap on an icon you change the state of a variable, which can be used inside automations, just like any hardware wall switch does, for example a short tap open the door, a long tap close the door, double tap locks the door.
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