Zones and connecting to HA when out of the home

[faint totem]

I'm getting very close to going full home assistant.
I've taken an old laptop and wiped it and made it my server (I have backups if I want to go back)
I've added all of my devices (including my phone) and checked they all work. (The govee lights have now failed because I didn't realise it was checking them every 10 seconds and left it on overnight. I've now changed it and have to wait some time for my API to let me back in)
I tried to test my first automation: when I leave home, send my phone a notification saying goodbye
Aaaannd... It didn't work. If I can't get this to work then it might be a deal-breaker. I want to be able to tell my robot vacuum to run when I leave university. I want to tell my smart switch on my boiler to turn on when I'm on my way home from work... I want to make sure all the lights are off when everyone leaves.....

Also, I'm trying to figure out a way that I can do these two automations well:
Have the brightness of the lights in my room start at 1% when I wake up with my alarm and gradually come up to 100% (would be cool to include a gradual colour change too)
Have the absolute brightness (the max they can go to) gradually decrease between sunrise and noon and increase from noon until sunset

Oh, and also I want to figure out how to do a "target temperature". I have a smart IR remote from Smart switch and their temp sensor but my AC is weird. I want it to be that I can tell my HA what temp I want (a slider on the home screen) and one of three things happen:
If the actual temp is too low, it sets the AC to full blast at 30°C heat
If the actual temp is within one or two degrees from the desired temperature, it turns off the AC
If the temp is too high, it sets the AC to full blast at 16°C
This is an automation that will either constantly be running or be triggered whenever the temp sensor detects a change in temperature

[fossil notch]

Hello @faint totem,
Here's the problem...
You have a lot of passion and a lot of thoughts are going thru your head. Then you write them all down.
We cannot help you with 8 problems at once, friend.
I suggest read this thru and focus your question to the top thing you need help with. You can always ask another question after that has an answer.

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/how-to-help-us-help-you-or-how-to-ask-a-good-question/

[faint totem]

@fossil notch Ok so let's focus on just the first one
First off, thanks for replying at all!
I have HA connected to my phone but it seems to only be able to read its situation when it's connected to the same wifi as the HA itself, exclusively. Is there a way to make it not that way?

[fossil notch]

Are you logging in thru NabuCasa?

[faint totem]

Nah, I'm still deciding on whether or not to commit to HA so I don't want to sign up for anything just yet

[fossil notch]

If you are logging in with your Home Assistants IP address it will only work from within your network. You need to set-up external access or use Nab-Casa address to get in from the real world.

[faint totem]

Is there a way to do that without a subscription? I think I will be willing to pay but that's maybe later down the line

[fossil notch]

Nabu-Casa has a free 1 month trial period and if you cancel it before the month is done free.

[marble pivot]

Yes there is. It's even in the HA docs.