Build a Wi-Fi Presence Detector Using ESP32 and Home Assistant

Ever walked into a room and wished the lights would just know to turn on? Or wanted your smart home to react the moment your phone connects to Wi-Fi? With an ESP32 and Home Assistant, you can build a Wi-Fi presence detector that does exactly that—no fancy sensors or wearables required. In this guide, I’ll walk you through my own journey of setting this up, complete with code snippets, troubleshooting tips, and a few laughs at my own mistakes.