A new open-source project is giving Home Assistant users a compact way to add physical controls without buying a finished smart home product. The Zigbee Touch Keypad is designed to work locally, stay off the cloud, and fit neatly near a front door or any other spot that needs quick access.
Its main appeal is not just convenience, but control. Built around Zigbee, the keypad can connect to systems that accept Zigbee signals and be added directly into a Home Assistant setup.
Built for a cleaner wall-mounted setup
The project was created by 2dom with a clear goal in mind: a keypad that looks tidy on the wall, stays thin, uses wireless power, and avoids visible screws. That makes it a better match for users who want smart home gear to blend into the home rather than stand out.
According to Hackster.io, the project stands out because it keeps control in the user’s hands. It is not tied to a third-party service and it does not lock the device into a single ecosystem, which gives it more flexibility than many commercial alternatives.
| Key Detail | What It Offers |
|---|---|
| Connection | Zigbee |
| Cloud dependence | None |
| Battery life | About six months per charge |
| Build materials | Files, bill of materials, and instructions available on GitHub |
Small size, practical use
The keypad is said to be roughly the size of a Pez dispenser, which helps it disappear visually once mounted. That small footprint makes it easier to place near an entryway without crowding the wall.
Its slim design is paired with a clean exterior, including the absence of visible screws. For many Home Assistant users, that detail matters because the device is meant to feel like part of the house rather than a visible gadget attached to it.
Despite the compact form, it is still intended to be useful as a physical trigger for automations. Once paired through Zigbee, it can act as a simple local interface for other smart home actions inside Home Assistant.
No wires and no cloud lock-in
Wireless operation is another major benefit. Users do not need to run cables to the wall or depend on mains power just to place the keypad where it is needed most.
That local-first design also avoids one of the common frustrations in smart home products: cloud dependency. With this project, the device remains under the user’s control and does not require an external service to function.
2dom created the keypad partly in response to the shortcomings of many ready-made Zigbee keypads on the market. Those products are often expensive, require mains power, or are locked to a single ecosystem.
Everything needed to build it is public
For users who want to assemble it themselves, the project is fully open. The files, bill of materials, and assembly instructions are all available through the Zigbee Touch Keypad GitHub page.
That openness lowers the barrier for Home Assistant hobbyists who want to try building their own hardware. It also gives them room to understand, modify, and repair the device instead of replacing it when something goes wrong.
The result is a rare combination in the smart home space: a thin, wireless keypad that works without cloud services and integrates cleanly with Home Assistant. For users looking for a more private and customizable entry-point controller, the project offers a straightforward alternative to closed commercial options.
