Home Assistant Dashboards: Backgrounds, Browser Mod and Photo Frames
A Home Assistant dashboard does not have to look like an admin screen. This guide builds the foundations of a wall-mounted dashboard with its own background, navigation, full-screen browser display and photo-frame mode.
1. Create a dedicated dashboard
Go to Settings → Dashboards and create a dashboard from scratch. Add separate views for the main controls, photos and cameras if those are part of your plan.
2. Add a background
Edit the dashboard view and add a background image that suits the room. A subtle texture normally works better than a busy photograph because controls still need to be readable.
3. Install Browser Mod
Browser Mod is available through HACS. Install it, restart Home Assistant and add the integration. Register the browser used by the wall panel with a clear name such as Dashboard.
Important: test Browser Mod changes in a separate browser first. Hiding the sidebar and header can make it awkward to get back into the settings if you apply them to the browser you are using for configuration.
4. Hide the Home Assistant furniture
For the registered wall-panel browser, Browser Mod can hide the sidebar and header so the dashboard behaves more like a dedicated control panel.
5. Add your own navigation
Once the normal header is hidden, add navigation buttons or Mushroom template badges that switch between the dashboard, photos and camera views.
6. Add photo-frame mode
The Photo Frame custom card can display images stored in Home Assistant media. Create a media folder, configure the folder sensor as required by the card, and make the card fill the view.
If you accidentally hide everything
Do not panic. Browser Mod can still be reached directly, and clearing the Home Assistant site cookies for that browser can reset the browser-specific state. You will need to sign in again.