Quick Answer: A Home Assistant dashboard is a set of views, each holding cards that show and control your devices. Home Assistant makes a default one automatically. Its documentation recommends leaving that one alone and creating a new dashboard instead. Views come in four types: Sections (the default), Masonry, Panel and Sidebar. Kiosk mode and themes are separate: themes go in the configuration file, and kiosk mode comes from a community project.
This guide is about the Home Assistant interface, not the screen. If you want to build a wall display with a Raspberry Pi and a monitor, see our Raspberry Pi dashboard guide or the DAKboard setup. Here you will learn how views and cards fit together, and three layouts you can copy. You need a working install first, from our install guide.
How do Home Assistant dashboards work?
A dashboard is what you and your family see when you open Home Assistant, in the app or on the website. According to the dashboards documentation, checked in October 2026, it comes with one out of the box, generated automatically from the devices you add. Each dashboard is made of views, and each view is a tab that holds cards.
To add your own, go to Settings, Dashboards, select Add dashboard and choose New dashboard from scratch for an empty one. The dashboards page says it is recommended not to change the Overview dashboard, and that a dashboard you take control of is no longer updated automatically when new dashboard elements become available.
Which view type should you use?
Use Sections unless you have a reason not to; it is the default. The views page describes four types. You cannot add views to the built-in dashboards, so create a new dashboard first.
| View type | What the documentation says |
|---|---|
| Sections (default) | Arranges cards in a grid system and lets you group them in sections |
| Masonry | Arranges cards in columns based on their card size |
| Panel | Displays one card in full width, for example a map or an image |
| Sidebar | Arranges cards in 2 columns, a wide one and a smaller one on the right |
To add a view, select the pencil icon in the top right to enter edit mode, then the plus button in the top menu bar. You can also restrict a view to specific users on its Visibility tab.
What are some Home Assistant dashboard examples?
Pick a layout by the job. The cards page lists the card types you can choose from, including tile, entities, glance, gauge, history graph, weather forecast, map, picture and Markdown. The three setups below are starting points, not the only way to do it.
| Job | View type | Cards to start with |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, for daily control | Sections | Tile cards for the lights and switches you use most, grouped by room |
| Wall tablet, for glancing | Sidebar or Sections | Weather forecast, clock, calendar, a few tiles |
| Single-purpose screen | Panel | One map, camera picture or history graph at full width |
To place a card, open the dashboard, select the edit button in the top right, then use the add control in the section or Add card at the bottom right. You can also open a device page and choose Add to Dashboard.
How do you set up kiosk mode?
Home Assistant's own pages on dashboards and the frontend do not describe a kiosk mode, so it comes from a community project. The Kiosk Mode project on GitHub describes itself as hiding the Home Assistant header and/or sidebar. It installs through HACS, covered in our HACS guide. Its options are kiosk to hide both, hide_header and hide_sidebar.
Test it carefully. The project notes that hiding the header or the sidebar menu icon can leave you with no native way to open the sidebar in a browser, because the swipe gesture was removed in Home Assistant 2023.4. Keep another way to log in. Custom code carries risk, which the HACS guide explains.
How do you change themes?
Define themes in your configuration, then pick one in your profile. The frontend integration page says themes live under frontend: and themes: in configuration.yaml, either inline or from a separate file or folder with an include. A theme selector then appears on your User profile page, and the choice applies immediately and is saved to your profile. After editing the YAML, use the frontend.reload_themes action to reload them. The page points to the community forums for themes to use.
When is Home Assistant's default dashboard enough?
When you have a few devices and one or two users. The auto-generated dashboard needs no work and updates itself. Build your own once you want rooms, a wall display or a view for a guest. Back up before large edits.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a new dashboard in Home Assistant?
Go to Settings, Dashboards, select Add dashboard, choose a starting option, enter a name and icon, and select Create. Choose New dashboard from scratch for an empty one.
Can I edit the default Home Assistant dashboard?
You can take control of it, but the documentation recommends creating a new dashboard and leaving Overview intact. A dashboard you take control of stops updating automatically.
What are good Home Assistant dashboard examples?
Match the layout to the job: a Sections view with tile cards for a phone, a Sidebar or Sections view with a clock and forecast for a wall tablet, and a Panel view for one full-width card.
Does Home Assistant have a kiosk mode?
Not in the dashboard and frontend documentation checked in October 2026. A community project called Kiosk Mode hides the header and sidebar and installs through HACS.
How do I install Home Assistant themes?
Add them under frontend: and themes: in your configuration, then select the theme on your profile page. Reload themes after changing the files.
Can I use Home Assistant dashboards on my phone?
Yes. The dashboards page says your dashboard is what you see when you open the Home Assistant app or website.