433 MHz RF proxy in Home Assistant

Home Assistant 2026.5+ 433 MHz

Home Assistant 2026.5 introduced a shared layer for radio-frequency control. A supported RF proxy can send commands to remote sockets, string lights, and other compatible devices without every appliance integration having to know the proxy hardware.

Home Assistant → appliance integration → RF entity → 433 MHz proxy → appliance

The architecture resembles infrared, but radio signals can travel through furniture and walls. Frequency, modulation, and protocol still have to match.

Good and poor candidates

Good candidates:

simple remote sockets with a supported protocol;
decorative lights and string lights;
cooker hoods or other harmless appliances with a documented integration;
older equipment where one-way control is acceptable.

Poor candidates:

alarms, locks, and doors without reliable feedback;
devices with rolling or encrypted codes the proxy does not support;
sensors where you expect reception but the hardware only transmits;
appliances where an incorrect state can cause damage.

A cheap fixed-code remote can often be copied or replayed. Do not use that protocol as the only security layer.

Understand the three layers

Layer	Job
RF proxy	The physical transmitter and network connection
Proxy integration	Creates a `radio_frequency` entity in Home Assistant
Appliance integration	Knows the commands for the particular product

Radio frequency is a building block that is not normally added on its own. You add the proxy integration, followed by the supported appliance integration.

Choose compatible hardware

ESPHome’s official Ready-Made Projects show a 433 MHz proxy built from:

an M5Stack Atom Lite ESP32 Development Kit;
an M5Stack RF Unit 433 MHz Transmitter (SYN115);
the Grove cable connecting them.

This is a specific transmitter example, not a promise of compatibility with every 433 MHz product. Confirm whether the appliance uses, for example, 433.92 MHz OOK, and whether the current Home Assistant integration supports both the appliance and transmitter.

Other supported adapters can provide RF entities as well. A Broadlink model may provide both IR and RF, but features vary by model and integration.

Set up an ESPHome RF proxy

Identify the appliance

Find its brand, model, frequency, and protocol. Read the appliance integration documentation before buying proxy hardware.
Assemble the documented hardware

For the ready-made ESPHome project, connect the RF Unit to the Atom Lite using the supplied Grove cable. Use the correct voltage and connector orientation.
Flash the Ready-Made Project

Connect the Atom Lite with a data cable, open ESPHome’s official project installer, and select Radio Frequency Proxy.
Add Wi-Fi and ESPHome

Wait for a stable network and API connection. Then accept the discovered ESPHome device in Home Assistant.
Check the RF panel

Open Settings → Radio frequency. The proxy transmitter should be online, and its last-transmission timestamp should change after a command.
Add the appliance integration

Add the integration that supports your product. Select the proxy’s RF transmitter when setup asks for one.

Placement and range

RF can pass through walls, but range is affected by:

large metal objects and equipment cabinets;
antenna length, orientation, and ground plane;
other transmitters on the same frequency;
noisy power supplies and electronics close to the antenna;
distance and receiver sensitivity.

Start close to the appliance. Move the proxy in small steps and repeat the same command. A central position is only best when it produces stable coverage.

Verify the result

Use a command with a visible result:

Send On from the appliance entity in Home Assistant.
Check the appliance physically.
Send Off and check again.
Repeat at least ten times from the intended proxy position.
Check the last RF transmission timestamp.
Run the same sequence from a simple automation.

The RF entity state is a transmission timestamp. It proves a command was sent, not that the appliance received it.

State and feedback

Many simple RF products do not acknowledge commands. Their appliance integration may therefore use an assumed state.

You can add stronger feedback with:

power measurement at a socket;
a contact sensor on a door or window;
a separate temperature sensor for heating or cooling;
a network integration when the appliance has a local API.

Keep physical measurement separate from the assumed command state. A switch=on state is not evidence of power consumption.

RF, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Matter?

Technology	Choose it when
433 MHz RF	You want to reuse a simple supported remote-controlled product
Zigbee	You need inexpensive mesh sensors with state feedback
Z-Wave	You need certified sub-GHz devices and two-way communication
Matter/Thread	You need local IP control and multi-admin

An RF proxy is useful for extending the life of compatible equipment. It is not a general replacement for a two-way smart-home network.

Troubleshooting

The proxy is online but the appliance does not respond

Check frequency, modulation, appliance model, and selected transmitter. Test close to the device and temporarily remove metal or interference sources.

No adapter appears in the RF panel

Confirm the firmware and integration expose the new radio_frequency entity. An older remote entity is not automatically the new building block.

Control only works sometimes

Repeat the same command from the same distance. Move or rotate the antenna, improve the power supply, and check for interference. Add another proxy when one area remains outside reliable range.

Home Assistant shows the wrong state

Check whether the integration uses an assumed state. Add physical feedback or use commands that do not depend on a toggle when the appliance supports them.

ESPHome Advanced

Read ESPHome Advanced before changing the ready-made project.

Smart garage

Review the safety boundaries in the Smart Garage guide.