🤖 AI Chat Control

👋 Introduction

AI Chat Control brings the power of AI to your smart home by connecting your Homey to advanced AI assistants like Claude. Using natural language, you can ask your AI assistant to control devices, trigger flows, and get information about your home - all without navigating through apps or remembering exact commands. The app uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard, making it compatible with any MCP-enabled AI assistant.

The app works by running a local server on your Homey that communicates with your AI assistant. This means you need to be on the same network as your Homey for the connection to work. The app also provides a special Flow trigger card that lets you create custom commands - when your AI assistant sends a specific command, your Flow can perform any action you want, from playing your favorite radio station to running complex multi-device routines.

Try It Out

Once you've completed the setup, start with these example questions to see what AI Chat Control can do:

• "What devices do I have in my home?" - Get a complete overview of all your Homey devices
• "Start radio station BBC1 on the kitchen radio" - A custom command example we'll create together in this guide

📦 Installation & Setup

Step 1: Install the App

1. Open the Homey app on your phone
2. Go to More → Apps
3. Tap the + (plus) icon to add a new app
4. Search for "AI Chat Control"
5. Tap Install

Step 2: Find Your Homey's IP Address

🔧 Configure Claude Desktop

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard that allows AI assistants like Claude to communicate with external tools and services. AI Chat Control uses MCP to let Claude control your Homey.

Step-by-Step Configuration

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "homey": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://[YOUR-HOMEY-IP]:3000/mcp",
        "--allow-http"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/Users/username/Documents"]
    },
    "homey": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://192.168.1.50:3000/mcp",
        "--allow-http"
      ]
    }
  }
}

🎯 Flow Trigger Cards

What are Flow Trigger Cards?

Flow trigger cards are "When..." cards you can add to your Flows. The AI Chat Control app provides an "AI Tool call" card that lets Claude start your Flows with custom commands.

The "AI Tool call" Card

This card has two purposes: it teaches Claude what your Flow does and what information is needed, and it triggers the Flow to run when Claude sends the command with the required parameters. Only Flows with this card are made available to Claude as tools.

Configuration Fields

Available Tokens

When the trigger fires, these tokens become available in your Flow:

• {{Command}} - The command name
• {{Parameter 1}} - First parameter value
• {{Parameter 2}} - Second parameter value
• {{Parameter 3}} - Third parameter value
• {{Parameter 4}} - Fourth parameter value
• {{Parameter 5}} - Fifth parameter value

Example: Play Radio Station

"Refresh the Homey flows"

"Start radio station BBC1 on the kitchen radio"

Parameter Format Guidelines

volume: number(0-100)? - Optional volume level

temperature: number(16-30) - Temperature in degrees Celsius
brightness: number(0-100) - Brightness percentage

mode: string(on|off|auto) - Operating mode
color: string(red|green|blue) - Light color

Tips for Creating Commands

• Use clear, descriptive command names (e.g., bedtime_routine instead of br)
• Keep parameter lists short (max 5 parameters)
• Provide good descriptions so Claude knows what to send
• Test commands with different phrasings to Claude
• Use snake_case for command names (e.g., turn_on_lights)

💡 Usage Examples

Basic Device Control

These commands work out of the box without creating any Flows. Just ask Claude and it will control your devices directly.

• "Is the attic light on?"
• "Set the thermostat to 18 degrees"
• "What's the temperature in the bedroom?"
• "Turn on the lights in the living room" (zone action)
• "Turn off all devices in the kitchen" (zone action)

AI Chat Control Flows

To start a Flow using Claude, the Flow must contain an "AI Tool call" card. You cannot start existing Flows that don't have this card.

• "Start my morning routine"
• "Set the house to vacation mode"
• "Water the plants for 10 minutes"
• "Start radio station BBC1 on the kitchen radio"

AI-Powered Queries

These questions leverage Claude's intelligence to analyze and interpret your Homey data in smart ways.

• "Which windows are open right now?" (derived information)
• "What brands of devices do I have?" (meta analysis)
• "Which devices are offline?" (status analysis)
• "What's the average temperature in my home?" (calculations)
• "Which devices use the most energy?" (comparisons)

🔧 Troubleshooting

Claude Can't Connect to Homey

http://[YOUR-HOMEY-IP]:3000/health

Flow Triggers Not Working

• Check that the command name in your Flow exactly matches what you tell Claude
• Make sure the Flow is enabled
• Ask Claude to refresh the flows: "Refresh the Homey flows"

Commands Not Recognized

• Be specific: "Turn on the living room lights" instead of "lights on"
• Use the exact device names as they appear in Homey
• Claude understands natural language - just ask normally

Performance Issues

• Restart the AI Chat Control app in Homey
• Restart Claude Desktop
• Check your Homey's performance in the Homey app

Still Having Issues?