Authentication

HomeBe·at supports two methods to connect to your Home Assistant instance: the standard OAuth flow and Long-Lived Access Tokens.

OAuth (Recommended)

When you first launch HomeBe·at, you'll be prompted to enter your Home Assistant URL. The app will open a browser window where you sign in to Home Assistant directly. This uses the standard OAuth 2.0 authorization flow — HomeBe·at never sees your password.

1
Enter your HA URL

Provide your local Home Assistant address, e.g. http://homeassistant.local:8123. On macOS and iOS, you can also configure a remote URL — the app automatically switches between local and remote based on availability.

2
Authorize in browser

A browser window opens. Sign in to Home Assistant and approve the authorization request.

3
Connected

HomeBe·at receives an access token and connects automatically. The token refreshes in the background.

Long-Lived Access Token

If you prefer not to use the OAuth flow, or need to connect from an environment where browser-based auth isn't practical (like tvOS), you can use a Long-Lived Access Token (LLAT).

Creating a token

1
Open your HA profile

In Home Assistant, click your user avatar in the bottom-left, then go to your profile page.

2
Scroll to Long-Lived Access Tokens

At the bottom of the profile page, find the Long-Lived Access Tokens section.

3
Create a token

Click Create Token, give it a name like "HomeBe·at", and copy the generated token. You won't be able to see it again.

4
Paste in HomeBe·at

In the app's connection settings, select the LLAT option and paste your token.

Note: Long-Lived Access Tokens do not expire automatically. You can revoke them at any time from your Home Assistant profile page.

tvOS Authentication

On Apple TV, browser-based OAuth isn't available. You have two options:

  • Pair with macOS — If HomeBe·at is set up on a Mac with the same iCloud account, credentials are shared automatically via the iCloud Keychain.
  • Long-Lived Access Token — Enter your HA URL and LLAT directly on the Apple TV using the on-screen keyboard or the Remote app on your iPhone.

Token Storage

All authentication tokens are stored securely in the system Keychain (macOS) or shared iCloud Keychain (tvOS). They are never transmitted to any third-party server.