Install the app

Tessera Screen Manager is an app for Home Assistant OS. It brings its own copy of ESPHome, so you don't need the ESPHome Device Builder, MQTT, a blueprint or a long-lived token.

On Home Assistant Container there is no app store. Use the Docker route instead; the rest of this manual applies just the same.

Add the repository

Tessera is not in the standard app store, so Home Assistant has to know where to find it. One click does it:

Add to Home Assistant

By hand:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Install app. On older versions this is Settings → Add-ons → Add-on Store.

2. Open the menu in the top right (⋮) and choose Repositories.

3. Add this address and click Add:

   https://github.com/MaxGramser/homeassistant_espscreen

Install and open it

1. Find Tessera Screen Manager in the store and click Install. The store downloads a ready-made image, so this takes a minute.
2. Click Start.
3. Turn on Start on boot and Show in sidebar.
4. Click Tessera in the sidebar.

You now see the Tessera page, with New screen in its sidebar. That is the next step: Add a screen.

Keep the app running

The screens get their tiles and their values from the app. A screen whose app has been stopped shows "Tessera not active" after about five minutes.

Updating the app

Home Assistant tells you about a new version under Settings → Apps → Tessera Screen Manager → Update, like any other app. Your tiles and pages stay. Updates explains the order: the app first, then each screen.

Never remove and reinstall the app to update it. Removing it can erase your tiles.