#Core 2025.5.0 Friendly Names Changed!!! [Resolved]

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

elfin bane
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All my Entity Names now contain "extra" characters - How to fix??

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Previous was:

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tame stirrup
elfin bane
tame stirrup
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just rename the entity in your device page if you don't want the device name

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this is done in HA, as the change happened in HA, not your esphome config

elfin bane
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^^ For Every Entity??

tame stirrup
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If you were using the default names, yes

elfin bane
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I have 978 entities !!!

tame stirrup
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978 esphome entities?

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this change was only in esphome integration

elfin bane
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I have 174 ESPhome devices with 622 Entities!

tame stirrup
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Well, unfortunately you'll have to rename them all if you don't want the device name in the entity name.

elfin bane
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And that will be the case for every new device I make too then, right??

tame stirrup
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Yes

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and every other integration that uses this as well, which is pretty much all integrations that are in the UI that create devices

elfin bane
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There should be a "Toggle" for this behaviour too, me thinks! 🙂

tame stirrup
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I'm just the messenger, not a feature request sound board 😉

elfin bane
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I wasn't requesting LOL

modern nest
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Removing thefriendly_name: option from your device configs would mean only 174 changes instead of 622. I'm now thankful I've never used it.

elfin bane
# modern nest Removing the`friendly_name:` option from your device configs would mean only 174...

I don't use it either, never have.
Trouble is friendly names is not the problem. HA now adds "Device Name" to "Friendly Name" which is what set by name: in ESPHome

In the example code above, my device is called "6candles-shelf" and I have I set name: to be "Candles ${name}" (The substitution "name" is "Shelf")
So, my Entity was " light.candles_shelf" and have a name in HA as: "Candles Shelf".

  • With the new Core Update, that now becomes: "light.6candles-shelf_candles_shelf" with the name as: "6candles-shelf Candles Shelf" 😩
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... This will mean either changing all 174 ESPHome devices, and their respective 622 Entities, or all my automations, scripts, etc in HA and every instance in Node-Red.

modern nest
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Well that's weird as I'm not seeing the same renaming issues for all my ESPHome entities. I assumed it was because of the device friendly_name.

sage radish
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I'm getting this issue too. I wasn't able to find help here or on the esphome discord, so I just renamed my entities manually (or at least the ones I interact with frequently)

sage radish
modern nest
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Yeah just noticed some of mine have changed to include the device name. All others I had already modified.

tame stirrup
elfin bane
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@tame stirrup I reverted back to Core 2025.4.4 to fix the Names.
I'll be re-update later today to try new ways of "fixing" the Entity Names in HA. I'll report back asap

elfin bane
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Ah... I forgot...
Until the Backup>Settings page gets fixed, Core 2025.5.0 is unusable/untrusted - Reverting back 2025.4.4 😩

tame stirrup
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just add cloud: to configuration.yaml

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it only adds cloud in your UI and gets around the backup page issue.

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it does not actually connect you to any cloud, just enables the integration for potential use.

elfin bane
warm briar
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Is there a way to disable this prepending of device name to entity name?
Is there a way to specify the full HA name in the esphome config?

elfin bane
elfin bane
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The trouble is a single device with multiply components...
Say I have several devices with multiple Functions (Components). E.G.:
bedroom-thermostat.yaml

climate:
  - platform: thermostat
      name: Bedroom Thermostat
...

light:
  - platform: monochromatic
      name: Bedroom Night Light
...

Previously these would have 'Friendly Names' of
"Bedroom Thermostat" and "Bedroom Night Light" - Easy!

  • but now they become "bedroom-thermostat Bedroom Thermostat" and "bedroom-thermostat Bedroom Night Light" Which is REALLY UGLY, not to mention way too long.

I could change the code to:

climate:
  - platform: thermostat
      name: Thermostat
....
light:
  - platform: monochromatic
      name: Night Light
...

So they would be: ""bedroom-thermostat Thermostat" and ""bedroom-thermostat Night Light" - Still not what I want !

  • PLUS, that would change the entity IDs too ???
elfin bane
tame stirrup
elfin bane
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I'll try again then LOL

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Confirmed YAY!!

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Well this is F*cked-up....
ESPHome Device info shows the name: I set with ESPHome (Left). Where-as the Dashboard shows <device name> + name: WTF!!

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elfin bane
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Thnx 💖

tame stirrup
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what does that have to do with esphome?

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that's a PR for a future release

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those are also all tests

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i.e. not code that runs on the system

elfin bane
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Like I say I don't know enough about coding, but, this PR seems to involve checking names/etc

tame stirrup
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it's not

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they aren't going to change this

elfin bane
tame stirrup
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this is how device names and entity names are derrived in HA and it's done in the backend, not the frontend

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every integration treats device / entity names like this

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they aren't going to change it now because a few people don't like it for esphome

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there's 100s of other integrations that already follow this naming convention, esphome was brought up to speed

elfin bane
tame stirrup
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That's how all integrations work...

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the device page hides the device name in the entities

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that's only on the device page

elfin bane
tame stirrup
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because the dashboard shows the name of the entity

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it has no concept of the entities device

elfin bane
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I see that but, I think it'll be a bit confusing to show one "Name" on one page and not another. 🙂

tame stirrup
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it's been this way for 4 years now

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again, this is not new. This is an old system

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you're just hitting it for the first time, but everyone else has been used to this for 4 years

elfin bane
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Hmmm, ok... But, I still think it's wrong to display different things in different places for the same entity.

elfin bane
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Ok, ok... Looking back at other integrations. I see now I've had to rename entity names per/device.

  • I guess I was used to this "Old Way" from ESPHome naming.
    So, yeah.. we're cool.

I'll close the Issue and update my thinking LOL

  • Bonus: I get to add extra steps to my future YouTube tutorials. #LongerContent đŸ€ŁđŸ€Ł
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@tame stirrup Thank you for taking the time to help... sorry it took me taking so long to get my head around it. 🙏

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Core 2025.5.0 Friendly Names Changed!!! [Resolved]

modern nest
elfin bane
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As noted and discussed this IS now correct and in-line with how every other Integration works.

E.G.: This ARANET BlueTooth device. Left: Integration Right Dashboard Entities:

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modern nest
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@flint hornet care to way in on this?

elfin bane
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FYI: "Aranet Studio" is the name I GAVE the found "Device". Previously is came in as: "Aranet4 28C1A"

modern nest
elfin bane
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Yes, as you posted links to PR that noted this WAS the behaviour. However, ESPHome Integration has been brough in-line with all others

modern nest
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And still should be.

elfin bane
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I know it was nice to set the actual name required in YAML in ESPHome. But, now it's Integration has been updated to act the same as all others - That's no longer the case.

Here's what I do now to get my entity name(s)` back...

  • Copy this to here:
Entity_Names.JPG
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Here's the full yaml for that Device:

esphome:
  name: bugzapper-bedroom

esp8266:
  board: esp01_1m
<<: !include .e_base.yaml

logger:

switch:
  - platform: gpio
    name: "Bedroom Bug Zapper"
    pin: GPIO12
    icon: mdi:spider
    id: relay

status_led:
  pin:
    number: GPIO13
    inverted: yes
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With ".e_base.yaml" being:

####### To use add: #######
## <<: !include .e_base.yaml  ##
#######################

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password

api:
ota:
  platform: esphome
modern nest
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You don't get it.

elfin bane
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... So, from now on, and just like we've had to do for every other Integration, we will have to rename entities coming from ESPHome devices.

modern nest
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This was a specific exception for esphome and is still documented in esphome.

elfin bane
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Then the DOCs need updating too

modern nest
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Nope the frontend needs fixin

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This exception was done on purpose. If someone has accidentally fucked it up then it needs reverting again just like bdraco did previously.

elfin bane
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@modern nest I think you're confusing friendly_name: with "Device Name".
Before 2025.5.0, unlike every other Integration, ESPHome Integration did NOT Prepend Entities with the ESPHome Device Name.

IF friendly_name: is set within ESPHome YAML THEN it would be prepended to Entity Names, obviously it won't if it's NOT Set.
However, and again, just like Every Other Integration... ESPHome now Prepends "Device Name" to Entity Names.

modern nest
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There is no "device name" option only "name". And no that specifically should not be prepended to the entity names.

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This was done specifically because of the shitfight it caused last time. If they have tried to sneak it back in then prepare for a rowdy rabble with pitchforks.

elfin bane
modern nest
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As i said that is "name" not "device_name".

elfin bane
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Bdraco himself stated:

image.png
modern nest
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And then he did revert it.

elfin bane
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and then stated: "... we could revert this change and restore the bug but it's kinda moot to do that since at some point it will become mandatory"

modern nest
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Well that point aint yet. I don't need some nanny fucking up my carefully chosen entity names that fit nicely in my dashboard. And I certainly don't need to have to specify them twice becasue some meddling twit reverted a perfectly working system.

elfin bane
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LOL - I hear that... I too was pissed at the change. As Predro said, it IS a pain but it IS the way it is now.

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It's like ESPHome updates. "They" add a feature that NONE of my devices are using. Yet, I still have to update ALL OF THEM!

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... and, as a YouTube Tutorial maker, I MUST have the latest versions of everything installed to be correct at time of filming

modern nest
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It's because of the shitty UI editor. People can't work out how to find the right entity because they name them badly and don't realise they can turn on the entity id visibility. Just one in a long line of bad decisions we have to live with.

elfin bane
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See that's the difference between peeps that are organised and those that are not. "We" name things logically. However, the DEVs have to consider the "Lowest Hanging Fruit" and make things "idiot proof" - It's defo a pain but that's how the world works. 😩

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Point: CLI vs GUI 😉 LMAO

modern nest
tame stirrup
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yes, its not a great solution, yes it's annoying. However we should try to push for a better naming tools in HA over reverting this PR. I understand this isn't ideal, however the naming convention isn't new in HA and we now have 'breadcrumbs's everywhere. I'm fairly sure we can get options to account for these names inside or outside the breadcrumbs.

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So, I understand you're frustrated, but we shouldn't be getting emotional and we should be striving for better tools in all of HA, not just esphome.

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I've already pinged @marble lion on this, and that's typically how you (and I) should approach things like this in the future. She is the community manager after all.

hidden heart
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I must say I understand the frustration I had the same when Tasmota did it, had go and rename few hundreds of entities, Today I just got a reminder of an entity I forgot to rename when I tried to control it from Google Home and it didn't work (Google didn't reconize what I said because the entity name become "Gates Parking gate" instead of "Parking Gate")
I still 100% believe this was not thought deeply by HA core team when it was decided to force naming entities like this.
For people who use centralized installations (same device with multiple outputs control different areas) it is not nice.
Luckily I only have 7 ESPHome devices so not much to rename (but still stange that a device is named "Office AC Office AC" is what was intended)
I don't accpet the claim that this is to align everything, but I understand this train has already gone. I do hope it will still be considered to at least allow the user to select if he want to prefix device name to entities as the whole idea that made me select HA in the first place (and work on improving it) was it flexibility.

elfin bane
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My Code:

substitutions:
  name: Bedroom

esphome:
  name: curtains-bedroom

...

number:
  - platform: template
    name: $name Curtains
    update_interval: never

Entity went from: number.bedroom_curtains to number.curtains_bedroom_bedroom_curtains

tame stirrup
elfin bane
tame stirrup
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Yes it was...

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When you delete the device, you delete the device from the registry and all associated entities and thier config entries

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the config entry holds the previous entity_id

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you deleted that

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so when it gets recreated, it's recreated using defaults

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This is normal behavior. Try it with any non-esphome device. Change the entity_id for an entity on the device, then delete the device, and add the device back. The entity_id you set will be wiped

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i.e. normal behavior

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Can we please move on from this? The system here has been in place for years. Just not in esphome. It's tried and true, there is almost a 0% chance there is a bug in this part of the system.

elfin bane
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Fair enough. I wasn't expecting that to happen. I also have to work out how to name components in the future AND rename & re-config everything existing.

tame stirrup
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it's really not hard, in your situation, name the device bedroom curtains name the entity position

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you will get number.bedroom_curtains_position

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(if it's a number entity)

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and it will follow the paradigm HA uses and you wont need $name aliases in your esphome config

elfin bane
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Yeah, I get that... Also "position" that's the name I was looking for - I was wondering how to name it. Thnx

tame stirrup
# 
esphome:
  name: Bedroom Curtain

...

number:
  - platform: template
    name: Position
    update_interval: never
elfin bane
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Trouble is... now I have to re-write all my yamls and edit a bunch of scripts and automations. BIG job!!

  • At least I'll be compliant and "future proof" going forward.

Not sure how I'm going to address 5 years of video tutorial content though, let alone editing all the GitHub code shares. LOL

tame stirrup
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I'm not sure why you have to do that

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just don't delete your existing devices...

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the entity_id will remain

elfin bane
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No, my OCD won't allow them to remain. 😄 Plus If I get a YouTube comment/question I'll need to have them correct.

modern nest
# tame stirrup just don't delete your existing devices...

Wait, it changes the entity id too now? This is getting worse and worse. Just by chance I happened to update half a dozen ESP8266 boards to ESP32 before the release of 2025.5. Delete device, flash new board, add device. Everything works no messing about changing anything other than the board type. Now this process would be a major PITA if I have to change every entity id.

tame stirrup
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This is nothing new

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Try it with your shelly devices

modern nest
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It is not "nothing new" if it is adding the device name to the entity id.

tame stirrup
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every UI integration does this

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find me one that doesn't

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ESPHome was the last

modern nest
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And there was a reason for that. It is a DIY device with fine grained control over everyhting. That has been taken away.

tame stirrup
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it has not, there's a PR going through to get better control over the diy devices

modern nest
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Good.

tame stirrup
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I said this almost 2 weeks ago

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but you've been to busy being mad

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I don't know what else I can say man

modern nest
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Until recently I was under the impression this was only about names. Not entity ids.

tame stirrup
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The system has been in place for literal years

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you've ran into this system before

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so I don't undrestand why it's even a thing

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Like the writing has been on the wall for a long ass time

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So long that I've been pre-accounting for it for multiple years in ESPHome

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and I'm not being facetious here

modern nest
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Yeah and for literal years ESPHome did not work this way meaning there are literal hundreds of thousands of devices that this will affect and no depreciation or communication of any kind was given that this change was going to happen.

tame stirrup
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there's nothing being deprecated

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it's the default name

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default

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it's a system, it changed behavior

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yes, something could have been said, but again, spilled milk

modern nest
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Oh FFS. If you are changing how ESPHome generates entity ids and names you have to warn people. Next time I replace a device my automations will stop working because the entity ids change. How id that not a breaking change?

tame stirrup
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No one aside from the 10 of you cared about the default generated names

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literally 10. There isn't a huge uproar over this

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no one's machines are breaking, the names changed. And if you didn't use aliases (esphome side) up the ass just regular device names, nothing changed

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I understand you're upset, but getting all pissed off and chastising me about it when I'm just explaining it doesn't do anyone good

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And at this point, my amount of fucks to give is so low because of all the bullshit people have been claiming

hidden heart
# tame stirrup No one aside from the 10 of you cared about the default generated names

I understand you are upset, but I disagree with you, this made a lot of noise in the past with multiple integrations, on local forums I am active or managing this was one of the most hated things people mentioned about Home Assistant and being one of the contributors made me feel very uncomfortable about it.
Even now I see every issue about it dismissed with "This is how it should be", instead of trying to understand why what doesn't work for it for some people.
ESPHome is not the last, Shelly which is a big integration is still not complying to it and we are trying to find a way now to comply but not breaking things for people. I can also understand why it is more annoying for people who use ESPHome because they base their installation so that the source of truth is the device it self.
My installation is based mostly on Tasmota and Shelly, when Tasmota did it, I rolled back Home Assistant and keep it not updated for few month, to understand what it means for me, my prod is running on beta and sometimes even on dev so being behind few month was because the work to fix it was too much.
I currently have 110 switches, they used to be all based on names from the devices, in the past I could remove a device (or even completely remove the integration) and re-add it without anything breaks (besides history which I don't care about too much).
Now once every few month I have to rename a device because something happen, I need to rename it again, If I change wiring I need to remember to go back to HA and fix it, which was not needed in the past.
Having 2 central switch installations with multiple devices that control different devices this is an ugly solution and I understand why people act like this because I feel the same.

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Here is an example from Shelly (which is not adjusted to comply with this yet):

image.png
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It would be very ugly if this would have the device name prefixed because the outputs have nothing in common

tame stirrup
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Ok, then don’t keep coming to me about it

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I had 0 say in the system, I’m just accounting for it in my own system

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I also just happen to understand why it’s done. I have ideas on what should be done but it needs an arch discussion. Otherwise it’s just complaints to a person who can’t do anything

hidden heart
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I am active on Home Assistant from 2018, I can say that 90% of the time feedback from the community was highly appreciated and accepted most of the time, don't get it wrong, I don't think anyone should talk not nice or blame people that try to help, I just think something was missed here, as Home Assistant is not trying to be Google or Apple, but something gives the user more control and flexibility which was kinda missed here with trying to make it organized but actually did the opposite.

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@tame stirrup I understand it is not related to you, sadly I was on a time I was less active when it was agreed on and was not active in this arch discussion, just saying I understand why people are upset about it

tame stirrup
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Yes and I understand too, but I continue to get daily pings about this all because I tried to help people get past it with various work arounds

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And I’m fed up

hidden heart
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On my day job, I believe in trying to do the correct thing even if it means I have to take back something we worked on for month when I feel it is wrong

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Here specifically I think it is still possible to give something which will make everyone happy (such as letting users decide what they prefer with a setting) but the first step is to understand why it is needed, which is why I don't like when it is dismissed with saying that most users/integrations don't care about this change. The fact that this is discussed for over two years means it does make people unhappy.

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On my way to sleep, @tame stirrup I am aware of your great work and don't think you should be fed up, most people only want the best for Home Assistant and it is very lovely to see how this project has grown and how much people like you care about it. Thanks!

modern nest
tame stirrup
modern nest
tame stirrup
# modern nest <https://community.home-assistant.io/t/outdoor-lux-sensor/421926>

You'll need to wait for the other PR and you'd change your config to

esphome:
  name: Lux Sensor
  platform: ESP32
  board: mhetesp32minikit
  sub_devices:
    - id: outside_light
      name: Outside Light

wifi:
  ssid: 'WAPLO'  # CHANGE THIS SECTION TO SUIT YOUR NETWORK
  password: !secret wifi_pwd
  manual_ip:
    static_ip: 10.1.1.76
    gateway: 10.1.1.1
    subnet: 255.255.255.0

api:
  # password: !secret api_password ## No longer recommended if using encryption. ##
  encryption:
    key: !secret api_encryption_key

logger:

ota:
  password: !secret esp_pwd

binary_sensor:
  - platform: status
    name: "Status"

i2c:
  sda: 21
  scl: 22
  scan: False

sensor:
  - platform: wifi_signal
    name: "Level WiFi Signal"
    device_id: outside_light
    id: os_ll
    update_interval: 15s
    filters:
      - sliding_window_moving_average:
          window_size: 15
          send_every: 15
          send_first_at: 1

  - platform: bh1750
    name: "Level"
    device_id: outside_light
    address: 0x23
    update_interval: 1s
    filters:
      - sliding_window_moving_average:
          window_size: 10
          send_every: 10
          send_first_at: 1
      - or:
          - throttle: 60s
          - delta: 5

switch:
  - platform: restart
    name: "Restart"
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and your names and entity_id's won't change when you delete/readd device

elfin bane
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So it took me 3 days but, now all my devices have "proper" names. Entities conformed to [device_name] + name: xxx and all my Automations and Scripts edited.

  • Bonus: Node-Red noticed the entity_id changes and alerted me to each one - Easy edit there.
covert lodge
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I haven't used the esphome "friendy name" because it messed up the entity_id badly. For example:

  name: "test-device"
  friendly_name: "Konyha"
sensors:
  name: "Teljesítmény"```
  
In this case the entity_id will be: "sensor.test_device_teljes_tm_ny" (instead of "sensor.konyha_teljesitmeny").
But, without "friendly_name" the entity_id will be good: "sensor.konyha_teljesitmeny". 
  
  
Now even without "friendly_name" such ugly entity_ids are created and these have to be copied into automations and scripts:
  • platform: template
    id: sensor_halozat_betaplalas_nem_osszevont_ertek
    name: ${device_name} HÁLÓZAT - betĂĄplĂĄlĂĄs nem összevont Ă©rtĂ©k```

Entity_id will be: "sensor.growatt_inverter_growatt_inverter_h_l_zat_bet_pl_l_s_nem_sszevont_rt_k"

covert lodge
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Would it be possible to modify the esphome integration to replace non-English characters with their corresponding unaccented counterparts, as before 2025.05?

covert lodge
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@tame stirrup Would it be possible to modify the esphome integration to replace non-English characters with their corresponding unaccented counterparts, as before 2025.05?

tame stirrup
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friendly names are assumed untranslated

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I suggest making a feature request to handle translations or change your device name to konyha and removing friendly_name

covert lodge
tame stirrup
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Then you have until you get a review, like all other PRs

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It looks like that PR was closed without a review? You have to keep PRs alive, it takes some time before reviews come through.

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Meaning, don't let the PR go stale when stale bot marks it stale

covert lodge
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Since it worked fine without friendly_name, I used it without it, but now as of 2025.05 this gate is also closed. What's left? Do I have to rename all entity_ids in Home Assistant by changing the underscores back to the original characters? Could someone make a patch for this that doesn't take months?

tame stirrup
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No, all fixes go through the normal review process

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I recommend using ascii characters for your names inside your esphome configurations instead of the unicode variations

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Also when you do that, remove ${device_name} because it's done by default. 2 birds 1 stone.

covert lodge
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Yes, I thought about that too, but in this case I have to modify the "friendly name" of the entity one by one in Home Assistant.

tame stirrup
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why

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everything you've mentioned here only happens when the device is first registered with HA. Existing devices will not alter the entity_id.

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so if you plan for the names & entity_ids from your esphome device knowing the outcome, you shouldn't have to rename anything in HA.

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because your example above already had the device name in the entity name. So nothing there is changing

covert lodge
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But if I create a new sensor in a device or add a new device and specify it like this: "name: HALOZAT - betaplalas nem osszevont ertek", then the entity_id will be correct (the device name will also be included at the beginning), but in Home Assistant I have to rewrite the friendly name to this: "HÁLÓZAT - betĂĄplĂĄlĂĄs nem összevont Ă©rtĂ©k".

tame stirrup
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If you want it translated, yes

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the translation functionality you're asking for doesn't exist, and you'll have to deal with that some how. Either renaming or waiting for a PR that addresses it.

covert lodge
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I understand, it's just a pain that before 2025.05 this worked perfectly fine, and now it requires extra work to manage.