Android Tablet as Smart Home Control Panel

A wall-mounted or desk-mounted tablet running smart home apps provides a dedicated control surface for lights, thermostats, cameras, and more.

Setup

Wall mount the tablet in a central location. Connect permanent power through a USB-C charger routed along the wall. Set the display to stay awake while charging.

Google Home

Google Home app controls Nest, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, and hundreds of other devices. Dashboard view shows favorite devices and routines. Voice control through Google Assistant handles hands-free operation.

Samsung SmartThings

Samsung tablets integrate deeply with SmartThings. Control compatible devices, create automations, and view security cameras from a unified dashboard.

Home Assistant (Advanced)

Home Assistant provides the most powerful home automation for technical users. The Android companion app displays dashboards with real-time status and controls. Runs on a local server for privacy and speed.

Dedicated Dashboard Apps

ActionTiles and Fully Kiosk Browser create custom dashboard layouts optimized for wall-mounted displays.

Best Tablets

A budget tablet like the Amazon Fire HD 10 works well as a dedicated controller. The Google Pixel Tablet with its Charging Speaker Dock was designed for this use case.

Choosing Between Google Home and Samsung SmartThings

The two dominant smart home platforms on Android tablets each have strengths. Google Home works best if you use Google Nest speakers, Nest cameras, and Nest thermostats throughout your home. Samsung SmartThings excels if you have Samsung appliances, a SmartThings hub, and want deep integration with your Samsung tablet. For maximum device compatibility, SmartThings supports more third-party devices including Zigbee and Z-Wave protocols through the SmartThings hub. You can run both platforms simultaneously on the same tablet.

Creating Effective Automation Routines

The real power of a smart home control tablet emerges with well-designed automation routines. Morning routine: at your alarm time, gradually turn on lights, adjust the thermostat to daytime temperature, and display the weather and calendar on the tablet dashboard. Leaving home routine: triggered by your phone leaving the geofence, turn off all lights, lock smart locks, set thermostat to away mode, and arm the security system. Bedtime routine: activated by voice or tablet tap, dim lights, lock doors, set thermostat to sleep temperature, and switch the tablet display to a dim clock face.

Dashboard Design for Wall-Mounted Tablets

For tablets mounted as permanent smart home panels, a well-designed dashboard provides at-a-glance status and one-tap control. Home Assistant dashboards offer the most customization, with cards displaying room temperatures, security camera feeds, device status indicators, weather forecasts, and control buttons. ActionTiles for SmartThings users creates grid-based dashboards optimized for touch control. Design principles: group controls by room, use large buttons for frequently used actions, display status information prominently, and minimize the number of taps required for common tasks.

Security Camera Integration

A wall-mounted tablet provides a convenient always-available security camera monitor. Google Nest cameras display live feeds in the Google Home app. Ring cameras display in the Ring app. Both support live view, recorded clip playback, and motion alerts. For a dedicated security monitoring dashboard, Home Assistant aggregates cameras from multiple manufacturers into a single view.

Voice Control Integration

A wall-mounted or desk-mounted smart home tablet gains additional functionality through voice control. Google Assistant responds to Hey Google commands for controlling lights, thermostats, locks, and cameras without touching the screen. Samsung Bixby provides similar voice control on Samsung tablets with deeper integration into Samsung appliances and SmartThings devices. For a completely hands-free experience, enable always-on listening so the tablet responds to voice commands from across the room. Combine voice control with physical dashboard buttons for the most flexible control experience: use voice for quick adjustments like dimming lights, and the touchscreen dashboard for complex operations like reviewing security camera footage or configuring automation schedules.