How to install Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi 4 and 5

This guide takes you from choosing the hardware and writing Home Assistant OS to a microSD card through first login, basic security and your first backup. It covers Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 used primarily as a Home Assistant server.

Home Assistant OS is written directly to the card. Do not install Raspberry Pi OS first and do not use apt commands. Writing the image erases everything already stored on the selected device. This guide covers Home Assistant OS, not an installation in Docker or on Raspberry Pi OS.

A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 is a sensible starting point and is sufficient for many normal installations. If you already own either model, you do not need to buy an expensive server before you begin.

A larger system with many apps, a substantial database, monitoring or extra services may eventually justify a mini PC. Raspberry Pi is not the best platform for everyone, but it is a straightforward, officially supported route into Home Assistant.

The simplest official starting procedure uses a microSD card. A good A2 card is enough to get started. There is no honest universal lifespan figure: card quality, power stability and write activity all matter.

Faster, more durable storage may be worthwhile in a system that runs continuously and writes a lot of data. An SSD can be a sensible upgrade, but it requires compatible hardware and configuration. This main procedure uses microSD to keep a first installation uncomplicated.

1. Go to the official Raspberry Pi Imager page.
2. Download and install the version for your computer.
3. Insert the microSD card into a reader connected to the computer.
4. Copy away any files you need from that card before continuing.

Warning: the selected storage device will be erased. Check its name and capacity before writing.

1. Open Raspberry Pi Imager and choose Raspberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi 5 as the device.
2. Choose the operating system and open Other specific-purpose OS → Home automation → Home Assistant.
3. Select the Home Assistant OS image made for your exact Pi model.
4. Choose the microSD card as storage and verify its name and capacity again.
5. Select Next, then Write, and confirm that the card may be erased.
6. Wait for writing and verification to finish. Select Finish, then eject the card safely.

Raspberry Pi OS account, SSH and Raspberry Pi OS customisation options are not part of HAOS. Do not configure an operating-system account that will not exist. If Imager does not work, obtain the current image from the official Home Assistant installation page and use a compatible writer such as Balena Etcher. Do not rely on a fixed release link.

1. Disconnect power from the Raspberry Pi.
2. Insert the prepared microSD card.
3. Connect Ethernet to your router or switch and ensure that the network has internet access.
4. Only then connect the correct power supply.
5. Do not power the device off while the system is being prepared.

The first boot prepares and downloads required components. Its duration depends on the Pi, card and network, so do not expect a fixed time or cut the power merely because the preparation screen remains visible.

On a computer or phone connected to the same network, try these addresses in order:

• http://homeassistant.local:8123
• http://homeassistant:8123
• http://192.168.x.x:8123 after replacing the example with the Pi’s IP address.

Find the IP address in your router’s DHCP client or connected-device list. It is the local address assigned to the Pi. Use http:// for the initial local connection; https:// becomes available only after you configure encryption or a secure remote service.

1. On the welcome screen, create a new installation. If you are migrating, you can upload a compatible backup instead.
2. Create the owner account. The display name identifies the person in the interface; the username is used to sign in and must use lower-case letters without spaces.
3. Choose a strong, unique password and store the credentials in a secure password manager. Do not assume that owner credentials will be easy to recover.
4. Set your home location and check the time zone, unit system and currency.
5. Choose whether to share anonymous analytics.
6. Complete the wizard. The main dashboard will appear after the discovery stage.

1. Check updates. Review updates shown for Home Assistant Core, Supervisor, HAOS and installed apps.
2. Configure automatic backups. Go to Settings → System → Backups, set a schedule, download the emergency kit containing the recovery key and keep at least one copy away from the Pi.
3. Create a DHCP reservation. Reserve the Pi’s address in the router. This is usually simpler for a beginner than manually assigning a static address in the operating system.
4. Add your first devices. Continue with the Home Assistant integrations guide.
5. Plan secure remote access. Do not expose plain port 8123 directly to the internet. Home Assistant Cloud or a properly configured VPN are safer beginner-friendly approaches.

A useful order is: installation → integrations → dashboard → automations → regular backups → Zigbee expansion.

• What is Home Assistant?
• Home Assistant integrations
• Entity unavailable
• Home Assistant dashboard
• Home Assistant automations
• Home Assistant database
• Stable Zigbee and connection troubleshooting

If Home Assistant starts but you are stuck on integrations, networking, automations, Zigbee or the next configuration step, describe the problem. I will first check whether I can genuinely help and suggest an appropriate scope.

This guide was checked on 11 August 2026 against current official resources:

• Home Assistant installation on Raspberry Pi,
• onboarding,
• installation troubleshooting,
• backups,
• remote access and security,
• Raspberry Pi Imager.