FAQ

How do I find my device's IP address?

There are several ways:

• On the display itself — when no buttons are configured yet, the panel shows its address on screen.
• In your router — look at the connected devices list (usually at 192.168.1.1 or similar). The panel will appear with its hostname.
• In Home Assistant — go to Settings > Devices & Services > ESPHome, click on the device, and look for the IP address.

The web page looks broken or unstyled

The panel's built-in web page loads some visual resources from the internet. If the page looks plain or broken:

• Make sure your panel has a working internet connection, not just local network access. Some routers block IoT devices from reaching the internet.
• Try clearing your browser cache and reloading the page.
• Try a different browser (Chrome or Edge recommended).

My device won't connect to WiFi

• Make sure you're connecting to a 2.4 GHz network. The panel does not support 5 GHz WiFi.
• Double-check your WiFi password — it's easy to mistype on a small screen.
• Move the panel closer to your router during initial setup. You can move it to its final location afterwards.
• If the panel previously connected but can't anymore (e.g. you changed your WiFi password), it will create a hotspot so you can enter the new details. Look for a network called espcontrol-xxxxxx.

How do I reset the device?

To start completely fresh, re-flash the firmware using the install guide. Connect the panel to your computer with a USB-C cable and use the web installer. This will reset WiFi settings and the panel will create its setup hotspot again.

Your button configuration is stored separately and will be preserved unless you change it through the web page.

Can I use this without Home Assistant?

No. The panel is designed to work with Home Assistant. It needs Home Assistant for:

• Controlling your smart home devices (lights, switches, fans, etc.)
• Time synchronisation (for the clock and backlight schedule)
• Temperature sensor data
• Presence sensor data for screensaver wake

Without Home Assistant, the panel would have no devices to control and no data to display.

How do I update the firmware?

If Auto Update is turned on (the default), the panel checks for and installs new versions automatically. You don't need to do anything.

To update manually:

1. Open the panel's web page.
2. Go to the Settings tab.
3. Under Firmware, press Check for Update.
4. If a new version is available, the panel will download and install it.

See Firmware Updates for more details.

What if the icon I need isn't listed?

The panel includes hundreds of icons from the Material Design Icons set. If the one you need isn't there, open an issue on GitHub with the icon name (from pictogrammers.com/library/mdi) and what you'd use it for. We'll look into adding it.

Can I have more than 20 buttons?

The current firmware supports a maximum of 20 buttons. This covers most setups, but if you need more, open an issue and let us know your use case.

Does the panel work with other smart home platforms?

Espcontrol is built specifically for Home Assistant. It does not support other platforms like Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or SmartThings directly. However, if those platforms are integrated into your Home Assistant setup, the panel can control devices that are exposed through Home Assistant.

The display is stuck on the loading screen

• Give it up to 60 seconds on first boot. It needs time to connect to WiFi and download resources.
• If it stays on the loading screen, power-cycle the panel (unplug and re-plug the USB-C cable).
• If the WiFi hotspot appears after restarting, the panel couldn't connect to your network — go through the WiFi setup again.

How is my data handled?

Everything stays on your local network. The panel communicates directly with your Home Assistant instance over your home WiFi. No data is sent to external servers, cloud services, or third parties. The only internet connection the panel makes is to check for firmware updates and to load the web page styling.