At the center of the Homey Portal is a 2.8-inch circular touchscreen surrounded by a stainless-steel rotary ring. The touchscreen can be tapped to select smart devices and switch them on or off, while the physical dial provides a more tactile way to adjust settings such as brightness, volume and temperature.

For smart lighting, for example, users can tap the display to turn lights on or off and then rotate the dial to dim or brighten them. The Portal can also display real-time room temperature and humidity, with the rotary control providing a way to adjust temperature when compatible devices are connected.

The device also works as an interface for smart speakers. When audio is playing, the circular screen can display the artist, track and album artwork. Users can rotate the dial to change the volume or swipe across the touchscreen to move between tracks.

Homey Portal can also interact with Flow-based automations and alerts. These can be configured for tasks such as reminding users to water their plants or displaying a snapshot from a connected doorbell camera when someone rings the bell. With a Homey Energy Dongle or another supported energy-monitoring device, the Portal can additionally display real-time household power consumption, solar generation and the cheapest periods for running appliances.

Its compact form allows the Portal to be placed on a desk, bedside table or countertop, while it can also be mounted on a wall. Both a desk stand and a wall mount are included with each unit, allowing users to choose where the controller makes the most sense in their home.

The Homey Portal is designed to work with the broader Homey ecosystem, including Homey Pro, Homey Pro Mini and Homey Cloud. According to Athom, the platform already supports more than 70,000 devices from over 2,000 brands.

The central idea behind the Portal is therefore less about adding another smart-home app and more about removing the phone from simple interactions. Turning off a lamp, adjusting a thermostat or changing speaker volume can be handled with a tap and a turn. By giving the controller a fixed place in a room, the system also becomes accessible to everyone in the household, including people who may not want to install or learn another smartphone application.

According to Yankodesign