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How to access Home Assistant Green remotely

There are 3 common ways to do remote access for Home Assistant Green – allowing you to access and control your Home Assistant setup when you are away from home (including using the Home Assistant app). The safest/easiest is Home Assistant Cloud (Nabu Casa), then VPN, then (least recommended) port forwarding + SSL.

Option 1: Home Assistant Cloud (Nabu Casa)

This is the simplest: it creates a secure remote URL without you opening router ports. It is offered by Nabu Casa, the actual developers of the Home Assistant platform – which being open source, is one of the few ways they can make money (it is a paid service). Besides being secure and convenient, it helps support Home Assistant development, which is nice.

    1. In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Home Assistant Cloud.
    2. Sign in / create a Nabu Casa account.
    3. Turn on Remote control (Remote UI).
    4. You’ll get an Internet URL (your remote link).
    5. On your phone, open the Home Assistant app and log in – it will use that remote URL when you’re away from home.

Why people choose this option: easiest setup + also helps with Alexa/Google Assistant integrations.

Option 2: VPN

Home Assistant’s docs recommend using a VPN (examples: Tailscale or ZeroTier) so you can securely connect back to your home network, then open Home Assistant like you’re at home. There are free and paid VPN options, you will need to do your research here.

Example VPN setups…

“Tailscale-style” steps

    1. Install a VPN solution on your network (many people run Tailscale on their router, a mini PC, or as an add-on if supported in their setup).
    2. Install the VPN app on your phone/laptop.
    3. Connect to the VPN when you’re away.
    4. Open Home Assistant using your local IP (e.g. http://192.168.1.50:8123) inside the VPN.

“WireGuard-style” steps

WireGuard is a popular VPN option for Home Assistant users.  You create a WireGuard tunnel, then your phone can access Home Assistant as if it’s on your home LAN.

Why people choose this option: maximum privacy/security, no third-party relay required (depending on setup), and it can also give you access to other devices at home.

Option 3: Port forwarding + HTTPS

This can work, but it exposes your Home Assistant to the internet, so you must do it properly (HTTPS, strong auth, updates, etc.). Community guidance is clear that port forwarding increases security risks if not hardened. Use with caution.

Typical approach…

    1. Dynamic DNS (e.g., DuckDNS)
    2. Valid SSL certificate (i.e Let’s Encrypt)
    3. Reverse proxy (Nginx / Nginx Proxy Manager)
    4. Strong security configuration & regular updates

“WireGuard-style” steps

WireGuard is a popular VPN option for Home Assistant users.  You create a WireGuard tunnel, then your phone can access Home Assistant as if it’s on your home LAN.

Why people choose this option: usually because they are super geeks who know what they are doing! If you’re not really comfortable / proficiant with networking/security, use Nabu Casa or VPN instead.

Updated on February 18, 2026