Dashboard as a screensaver option for DayDream

[aigarius]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. Android provides a way to show a screensaver view from third party apps. I would love to use this to have a separate view-only dashboard the my tablet could show while idle (and charging). Currently that is possible using Fully Kiosk Browser app as an intermediate step. That does requires a paid app license.

Describe the solution you'd like HA app should advertise as a screensaver option and settings in the app should allow choosing which dashboard should be shown as screensaver, separate from default dash.

Describe alternatives you've considered, if any Using Fully Kiosk Browser as intermediate app works.

Additional context The feature is primarily advertised on Pixel Tablet and autoactivates when docked, if the feature is enabled.

[dshokouhi]

Can you please direct us to the feature you are referring to? Preferably developer documentation.

Looking at official Android 14 documentation I do not see the word screensaver even mentioned. Are you sure you are not confusing a device hardware feature for an OS feature?

https://developer.android.com/about/versions/14/summary

[dshokouhi]

The closest option I see is the DreamService feature which was added about 10 years ago and only plays videos, audio and pictures I believe. It does not allow to show a website. If that is the case we cannot take this request as that would be extremely outdated. Maybe a better option is to just automate opening the app when on the dock?

[aigarius]

I'll take some screenshots. The feature was very restricted when Pixel Table launched, but now has it become far more powerful. In the latest versions of the Fully Kiosk Browser app the feature has been added to expose that browser as the "screensaver". By default it just shows the black color, however you can give one or multiple web pages as the source for the "screensaver". Interaction with the pages is not possible - first touch on the device turns the screensaver off and dumps you back to the lock screen. So it is only useful for view-only dashboards that show you the various values. When you walk up to the tablet and unlock it, then a different dashboard can be used for interaction.

[aigarius]

Here are the screenshots of the functionality.

In the Android settings app:

In the Fully Kiosk Browser app settings:

[aigarius]

The only thing in the API that even remotely looks like that is https://developer.android.com/reference/android/service/dreams/DreamService

Could they have reused the past API for a new function somehow?

Edit: https://github.com/square/leakcanary/issues/2534 suggests that it is indeed the same thing

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2012/12/daydream-interactive-screen-savers.html details a bit more.

[dshokouhi]

That's what I thought it was but since you mentioned Android 14 I thought it was something new. Personally I don't think it's a good idea for something that will be so out of date and it's a hack than anything to save a screenshot of the dashboard. For an app like fully kiosk I think it makes sense but not for our app where the expectation is that things are live and current.

[aigarius]

The view is live and not a screenshot - I have a dashboard with animation of the weather radar on it showing - the animation plays without issue. One of Google examples in the 2012 blog is a WebView.

[mattague]

Android 15 is implenting its own version of something like this, but it would be great if I could use native HA for it instead.

[S0ulf3re]

I'd like to point out this app real quickly that I've been using on my pixel tablet for having a screensaver of a dashboard. It does cost a little bit though.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=chyzinr.webpagescreensaver

I would love to see this integrated into the Home assistant app as well though.