Add an alternative method for setting up server endpoints in the companion app without requiring location services

[JosephM101]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

I have remote access for my Home Assistant server set up through Tailscale. Love the service, love the concept, but their mobile app for Android is a bit buggy. For example, if my phone restarts, the Tailscale app isn't automatically enabled and stuff like that, or it turns itself off randomly.

My companion app is set up with the Tailscale address as Home Assistant URL, which is used even when I'm at home. The reason I do this is because the Internal connection URL requires Home network WiFi SSID to be set, and that detection method requires location to be enabled all of the time. I keep location turned off on my phone because I view it as both a privacy risk and a battery drain, so turning it on for this just isn't viable for me.

Describe the solution you'd like

I would like an alternative method that doesn't require me to specify a Home network WiFi SSID. Basically, the way this alternative configuration option would work is I could specify the local/home address and the Tailscale address in a list, where the address at the top of the list is the one with the highest priority. In the background, either when a network change is detected or on a set interval, the companion app would ping each URL to see which are reachable, and connect to the first one available, or the one with the highest priority. So if I'm at home, and Tailscale deactivates itself, the companion app would detect that Tailscale was unreachable and instead try to use one of the other address(es) in the list.

Describe alternatives you've considered, if any

Can't think of any.

Additional context

[dshokouhi]

is this a request to add something for tailscale? because we will not be doing anything specific for that.

the reason location is required is so the app can read the connected SSID otherwise we have no idea what network we are on or any other network related data.

[JosephM101]

is this a request to add something for tailscale? because we will not be doing anything specific for that.

It's not specific to Tailscale. It would just be an alternate way of determining which URL to use. Instead of determining it on a network basis, you ping every URL in a list and pick the accessible one, thus negating the requirement for Location services to be enabled.

It wouldn't replace the original system. It'd just be an alternative.

[dshokouhi]

It's not specific to Tailscale. It would just be an alternate way of determining which URL to use. Instead of determining it on a network basis, you ping every URL in a list and pick the accessible one, thus negating the requirement for Location services to be enabled.

Settings > companion app > select your server > home wifi > change bottom option to prefer internal and you will need to be ok with any pop-ups that may need to be refreshed.

this is how it is intended to work.

[JosephM101]

Then I'm afraid that's a problem. I stated in my original post that I'm not okay with having location services always enabled on my Android phone because I view it as a privacy risk, plus it is a battery drain.

It appears that we have reached an impasse. My apologies for wasting your time. Have a good day.

[dshokouhi]

turn off location once you enable that setting and it should work as you expect