Home Assistant 2024.12 brings new scene modes, voice assistant, and updated integrations

Home Assistant has released version 2024.12 of its open-source home automation software, introducing a host of new features, enhancements, and bug fixes. A key update in this release is the introduction of two modes in the scene editor: review mode and edit mode. Review mode allows users to view the current setup of a scene without applying it, while edit mode activates the scene for adjustments and snapshots.

Another significant feature is the new voice assistant setup, which prioritizes a fast, community-driven conversation agent and only defaults to an LLM-based agent if necessary. This aims to blend the benefits of both approaches while minimizing drawbacks, along with an enhanced sentence-matching logic for a quicker voice experience.

The Integration Quality Scale (IQS) has been revised to emphasize overall user experience rather than just code quality. The update also includes new integrations such as Acala and Music Assistant, along with improved existing integrations, various enhancements, updated translations, and an upgrade to Python 3.13. Additionally, the release brings backward-incompatible changes and addresses several bugs.