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Install the tablet

Seven steps, in this order: nothing to compile, the firmware installs from the browser. Steps 1 to 6 are needed, step 7 is optional.

Just want to see it first? The demo mode shows the full dashboard on a flashed tablet, with no Home Assistant at all.

What you need

  • An M5Stack Tab5, and the name of its display chip: it is printed on the sticker on the back, above the Espressif logo (ST7123, ST7121 or ILI9881C, see hardware revisions). The 7-inch Waveshare ESP32-P4 7B also runs it, as an experiment: its firmware installs from the same page, in the beta channel for now, or you build it on your computer (Waveshare 7B).
  • A computer with Chrome or Edge (the install page talks to the tablet through Web Serial) and a USB-C cable that carries data: with a charge-only cable, no port shows up.
  • Home Assistant 2026.8 or newer, any installation method, and a way to copy files into its config/ folder: Samba share, or the File editor or Studio Code Server add-on. With HACS, this is only for the one line of configuration.yaml: the « Tab5 » integration that HACS installs puts the files in place, then updates them in one click at each release.
  • A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network: the tablet's Wi-Fi 6 chip is listed for 2.4 GHz only (M5Stack Tab5 page). A router that merges both bands under one name needs nothing; with separate names, pick the 2.4 GHz one.
  • A USB-C power source. M5Stack gives no input rating; a 5 V / 2 A charger is advice, not a requirement, and the author's tablet runs from a PC's USB port (power).
  • Optional: a weather integration (Met.no comes with Home Assistant), your calendars, a Home Assistant voice assistant (see the two voice modes).

The seven steps

Step Where What you do
1. Home Assistant files Home Assistant unzip one archive (or let HACS do it), add one line to configuration.yaml, restart
2. Install the firmware the install page, over USB pick your display chip, Connect and install
3. Wi-Fi the same window, or a phone give the tablet your network
4. Add the tablet to Home Assistant Home Assistant Configure the discovered device, within 30 minutes
5. Your sources Home Assistant weather, calendars, phone… in the « Tab5 · » lists
6. Your devices Home Assistant one automation from the blueprint: rooms and tiles
7. A dashboard (optional) Home Assistant every setting of the tablet in one dashboard

Why Home Assistant first: the tablet gets everything it shows from these files, and asks them for the rest through events. Without them it does not crash, but nothing of your home reaches the screen.

The screenshots of Home Assistant's own pages (device page, entity table, automation and template editors) come from the project's fresh-install test: a new Home Assistant with test devices, where these steps are run for real whenever the Home Assistant files or the tablet's API change.

After the installation

Everything else is set in Home Assistant, with the mouse: the « Tab5 · » lists for your sources (step 5), one automation made from the blueprint for your rooms, tiles, sensors, cameras, what each zone of the home screen shows and what each gesture does (step 6). Each field is optional and explained; a change reaches the screen at once, without a flash.

First installation: nothing shows up?

What you see What to check
No « Tab5 · » entity in Home Assistant The three folders went straight into config/ (not into a tab5_home_assistant/ folder), the packages: line is in configuration.yaml, and Home Assistant was restarted: step 1.
Home Assistant does not find the tablet The tablet has its Wi-Fi (step 3), and it started less than 30 minutes ago: restart it to open the window again (step 4).
The screen is in French That is the default. Change « Langue » in the tablet settings; the tablet restarts to apply it.
The clock shows, but no weather, rooms or tiles Normal until steps 5 and 6 are done: the « Tab5 · source des prévisions » list (step 5, weather providers) and the blueprint (step 6).

Something went wrong? Known incidents.