# \[APP\]\[Pro\] VarView — show a temperature or energy reading on your Nest Hub or in your browser **URL:** \ **Category:** Apps\ **Tags:** app, homey-pro\ **Created:** [September 9, 2026, 7:11am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376 "2026-09-09T07:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 7:11am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/1 "2026-09-09T07:11:49Z")
\*\*Nederlands topic: [Nieuwe app: VarView (een temperatuur of verbruiksmeting tonen op bijv. je Nest Hub of in je web browser)](https://community.homey.app/t/nieuwe-app-varview-een-temperatuur-of-verbruiksmeting-tonen-op-bijv-je-nest-hub-of-in-je-web-browser/159202) VarView turns any device value in your home into a calm, full-screen display. Pick up to three values (a battery level, a temperature, the current power usage), give each one a label of your own, and set the background and text colour to match the room. A clock and a date can optionally be shown alongside them. A Flow can also put a message on the display for a set number of seconds, so the doorbell or a finished washing machine announces itself. The app serves the result on your own network as both a web page and an image, so you can show it on a Google Nest Hub, a Chromecast, a wall-mounted tablet or simply a browser tab. The IP port is configurable and the full address is shown in the app settings. The clock and text size can be set per screen by adding a parameter to the address (for example ?clock=18), and the display shrinks by itself when the content no longer fits. A page cast to a Nest Hub or Chromecast stays on instead of falling back to the clock after ten minutes; add ?cast=0 to keep the old behaviour. All communication stays within your own network and no account is required. About the permission: Homey asks for full API access because that is the only permission that lets an app read values from devices belonging to other apps; Homey offers no read-only variant. VarView uses it purely to read the values you selected yourself. It never switches, changes or controls anything, and it touches no device other than the ones you picked. ![normaal](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/5/d/5d69b5387b85dd2a70a7145cc2b1ac6cafce73e1.jpeg) This is how it looks in my living room, with ?clock=25&date=8 added to the address. **Version 4.0.0 is live!** What’s new: **1. Messages from a flow.** Three new flow cards: “Show a message” (with a tag from your flow in the text, 1 to 3600 seconds, three styles), “Clear the message” and the condition “A message is showing”. A message now appears on the display the moment the flow runs, instead of waiting for the next refresh. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/d/5/d541fa841cbaec480d303587df90ad01a913946f.png) This is how I’ve set it up myself, for the doorbell and the washer and dryer: ![deurbel](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/0/c/0cb885a7bd6130142106c612889eb1bb828ea152.jpeg) Attention style: for something you need to act on right now. ![wasdroger](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/0/a/0a3316b9b25a2f00283abb536d0f0692ba21d4c3.jpeg) Subtle style: for something that only needs to be mentioned. There’s a normal style as well. An attention message interrupts a normal one, which then resumes afterwards. **2. Clock and text size per screen.** You can add `?clock=`, `?date=`, `?scale=` and `?fit=` to the web page address, and the display now shrinks automatically when the content no longer fits, instead of running off the screen. This is deliberately in the address and not in the settings: one Homey can drive multiple screens, and a 7-inch Nest Hub, a wall tablet and a browser tab on a large monitor each need a different size. A central setting would force one size on all of them. The settings page now shows an example underneath the cast address with your own IP address filled in, so copy and paste is all it takes. Combine parameters with an `&`: `http://192.168.1.2:8034/page?clock=25&date=8` **3. Casting no longer stops after ten minutes.** If you’d rather keep the old behaviour, add `?cast=0` to the address. Nest Hub behaviour can differ per firmware version. If something goes wrong: add `?cast=0` and you’re back to the “normal” behaviour. > **[VarView | Homey](https://homey.app/en-gb/app/com.dklatt.varview/VarView/)** > > Shows a selected device value full-screen, ready to be cast to a Chromecast or Google Nest Hub. ![IMG_8639](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/3/e/3eb534fef5e4590e2bd854830aedc071af86785a.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dominique\_Vanhessche](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dominique_vanhessche/32/17154_2.png) [@Dominique\_Vanhessche](https://community.homey.app/u/Dominique_Vanhessche)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:54am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/2 "2026-09-09T10:54:16Z")
It is a wonderful APP … thank you very much for that. ---
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Petitt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/stephen_petitt/32/121620_2.png) [@Stephen\_Petitt](https://community.homey.app/u/Stephen_Petitt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/3 "2026-09-10T02:57:42Z")
Dennis How does it handle the display being changed by the Hub, for example if I ask it to play music or a radio station? Thanks Stephen ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 5:15am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/4 "2026-09-10T05:15:48Z")
Hi Stephen, short answer: VarView doesn’t survive it, and that’s a Cast platform limitation rather than something the app can work around. A Cast device runs only one receiver app at a time. VarView is shown by casting a web page, so when you ask the Hub to play music or a radio station, that media app takes over and the VarView session ends. When playback stops the Hub returns to its own clock or photo screen. Cast has no way to resume the previous app. It works the other way round too. If you cast the VarView URL while the radio is playing, the radio stops. Same mechanism. So if you want the display and the audio at the same time, the only real answer is to send the audio to a different speaker and leave the Hub on the display. To get VarView back automatically after listening, you can build a flow with the Google Chromecast app: - WHEN Chromecast stopped playing - AND (after a delay of 60 seconds) Chromecast is not playing - THEN Cast a website, with your VarView URL The delay keeps it from jumping in between two tracks. One caveat I’d rather state up front: music you start by voice on a Nest Hub doesn’t always register in Homey as a Chromecast playing state, so the trigger may not fire for everyone. I would avoid a fallback flow on a timer for the same reason. If the check for “is not playing” misses voice playback, it will cut your radio off mid song. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Bubiai\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@Bubiai\_2](https://community.homey.app/u/Bubiai_2)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 6:08am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/5 "2026-09-10T06:08:40Z")
Is it possible to dynamically pass device values into the “Show a message” flow card? For example, can I use a tag to show the boiler temperature in one flow, and the floor temperature in another? ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 6:44am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/6 "2026-09-10T06:44:31Z")
**Yes, that works.** The message field of the _Show a message_ card is a normal text argument, so you can drop tags into it just like anywhere else in Homey. Type your own text around the tag and Homey fills in the value when the flow runs. So you can have: - Flow A → Show a message: `Boiler: [temperature] °C` - Flow B → Show a message: `Floor: [temperature] °C` Same card, different tag in each flow — that’s exactly how it’s meant to be used. ---
**Author:** ![Bubiai\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@Bubiai\_2](https://community.homey.app/u/Bubiai_2)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 7:06am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/7 "2026-09-10T07:06:54Z")
I was distracted ![Screenshot_20260910_100244_Chrome](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/3/1/3182539f0291d207c1ca13ab9cb7fbfbc8bcd33f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Bubiai\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@Bubiai\_2](https://community.homey.app/u/Bubiai_2)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/8 "2026-09-14T18:58:02Z")
I am writing to provide some feedback. I have tested it, and it works perfectly. **As a request** , the date language for “Maandag?!” should be in English at least, or ideally, selectable. 🙂 For this project, it would be a great addition to have a selected sound play when a message is sent. A second page with toggles for the project settings would work perfectly. 🙂 ![20260914_220120(1)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/1/4/14919d50c5648b7c1a1f1022b5b1b8cc1d771149.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/9 "2026-09-15T13:43:51Z")
**VarView 4.1.0 is available for testing** @Bubiai_2 — thanks again for the feedback, it went straight into this release. All three of your points are addressed, two of them in the app and one on the roadmap. Test version: [VarView | Homey](https://homey.app/a/com.dklatt.varview/test/) **The date language.** You were right, that was a bug rather than a missing feature: the display page was hard-coded to Dutch. It now follows the language of your Homey. On top of that you can set it per screen by adding `?lang=` to the address, for example: `http://192.168.1.20:8034/page?lang=en` That way one Homey can feed an English screen in the kitchen and a Dutch one in the office. Weekday and month names work for any language code (`?lang=de`, `?lang=fr`, `en-GB` and so on) because the formatting is done by the device you cast to. The handful of texts that VarView shows itself exist in Dutch and English only, so for other languages those fall back to English while the date is in the language you asked for. **The sound.** There is a new Flow card, **Play a sound** , with five sounds (chime, ping, doorbell, alert, error) and three volume levels. Put it next to _Show a message_ for a doorbell, or use it on its own as a signal. I made it a separate card on purpose instead of adding an option to _Show a message_: adding an argument to an existing card can leave Flows that people have already built without a value for it, and I did not want to break anyone’s Flows. The side benefit is that you can now play a sound without putting anything on the screen. Two per-screen options come with it: `?sound=0` keeps a screen silent, and `?volume=40` caps how loud it may get there. So the card decides how urgent the alert is and the screen decides how loud it may be in that room — the same Flow can be loud in the living room and quiet in the bedroom. The system volume of the Nest Hub is not touched. ---
**Author:** ![Bubiai\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@Bubiai\_2](https://community.homey.app/u/Bubiai_2)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/10 "2026-09-15T17:45:28Z")
![20260915_204018](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/9/1/9131bf2625308a13df0a97950943cc0021dfe0d4.jpeg) I think it would be more convenient without this option?! (Do I really have to confirm every time Chromecast disconnects?!) ---
**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/11 "2026-09-16T15:38:24Z")
Why does it need full control over my Homey? Can you control devices on the casted screen? ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/12 "2026-09-16T19:29:33Z")
Fair question. Homey has exactly one permission that lets an app read values from devices belonging to other apps, and that is the API permission. There is no read-only variant, so the store shows it as full access even for an app that only reads. Athom’s own documentation says apps requesting it are reviewed more strictly and rejected if they don’t genuinely need it: [Permissions | Homey Apps SDK](https://apps.developer.homey.app/the-basics/app/permissions) What VarView does with it: it reads the values you selected yourself in the app settings, and nothing else. It never writes, switches or changes a device, a flow or a setting, and it doesn’t touch anything you haven’t picked. There is no account, no cloud connection and no data leaving your network. The only way to avoid the permission entirely would be to stop reading devices and have you push every value into the app with a Flow card instead. That trades a permission for a lot of setup work, so I haven’t gone that way. On your second question: no, and that’s deliberate. The casted page is display only. Values, clock, date and Flow messages, no buttons. The little web server that serves the page has no login, because a Nest Hub can’t provide one, and a page anyone in the room can touch should never be able to switch anything in your house. ---
**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/13 "2026-09-16T22:26:40Z")
Thanks for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 4:46am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/14 "2026-09-17T04:46:51Z")
@Bubiai_2: I’m trying to find a solution. Once I’ve got a better version, I’ll put the app into testing. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/15 "2026-09-17T19:51:01Z")
**VarView 4.2.0 is now live in the App Store.** The big one for anyone not using Dutch: the display now follows the language of your Homey, and you can set it per screen by adding ?lang=en to the address (or any other two-letter code). Under the hood it also fixes a few things: the app no longer fails to start when its port is already in use, the display page no longer lets other websites read your values, and the app package is a lot smaller. The “Play a sound” card that was in the test version is not part of this release. It works in a browser, but on a Nest Hub the audio clock never starts: a cast page can never receive the click that Chrome requires before it allows sound. Thanks to everyone who tested and reported back. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 10:24am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/16 "2026-09-26T10:24:19Z")
**VarView 4.4.0: your camera image behind your temperature on the Nest Hub** The next version is available. New: a **background image** behind your values (App settings → Background image). - **Camera snapshot** from Homey, refreshed every few seconds - **Your own photo** , scaled down automatically - **Image URL** , e.g. an IP camera snapshot URL (Digest and Basic login; the password stays on your Homey) - **Adjustable opacity and brightness** , so your values stay readable **Doorbell idea** 🔔 Flow: _doorbell rings_ → **Refresh the background image** + **Show a message** “Someone is at the door”. **Day/night** 🌙 Flow: _sunset_ → **Set the background image brightness** to 25 %, _sunrise_ → back to 100 %. **Different settings per screen?** Add options to the end of the display address (you’ll find it in the app settings under “Cast address”). Start with '?' and put '&' between options: ‘[http://192.168.1.2:8034/page?bgopacity=30&bgblur=6](http://192.168.1.2:8034/page?bgopacity=30&bgblur=6)’ - 'bgopacity=30': image at 30 % opacity (0–100) - 'bgbrightness=40': darker image (0–100) - 'bgblur=6': soft blur, calmer behind a big clock (0–30) - 'bg=0': no background image on this screen This way the bedroom Nest Hub can show a dimmed image while the living room shows the full picture, all from one Homey. > **[VarView | Homey](https://homey.app/en-us/app/com.dklatt.varview/VarView/)** > > Shows a selected device value full-screen, ready to be cast to a Chromecast or Google Nest Hub. ![IMG_8638](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/7/2/72d7f980444146e31d7a68c171e8c05cf372a6da.jpeg) ![IMG_8639](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/3/e/3eb534fef5e4590e2bd854830aedc071af86785a.jpeg) ![IMG_8635](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/b/3/b39ecdad1241c915ebe8da9c131d057bf4be6de4.jpeg) ![IMG_8636](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/0/7/07924ec3e5dc468632dbfba8edc99c2c55277258.jpeg) ![IMG_8637](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/6/6/66211679ba77dd2fa2eaa52c53316139682d6e4c.jpeg) **Photos of your setup are very welcome!** ---
**Author:** ![J273](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/j273/32/131778_2.png) [@J273](https://community.homey.app/u/J273)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 11:31am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/17 "2026-09-26T11:31:24Z")
Looks good im a bit confused how you set the app up. Do I need to add my chromecast as a varview device or do I cast through the chromecast app? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Klatt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dennis_klatt/32/35258_2.png) [@Dennis\_Klatt](https://community.homey.app/u/Dennis_Klatt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 11:41am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/18 "2026-09-26T11:41:31Z")
Good question! You don’t add anything as a VarView device. VarView runs a small web page on your Homey, and you use Athom’s Chromecast app to show that page on your screen. Setup in four steps: 1. Open the VarView app settings in Homey and pick the values you want to show (for example a temperature or power reading). 2. Install Athom’s Chromecast app and add your Chromecast or Nest Hub as a device there. 3. Create a flow with the Chromecast card “Cast a website” and use this URL: http://:8034/page You can find your Homey’s IP address in your router’s device list. 4. Run the flow and the page appears on your screen. It updates by itself. Tip: open the same URL in a browser on your phone or PC first. If you see your values there, the casting part will work too. Options like clock size or language can be added to the URL per screen, for example /page?clock=25&lang=en. The app description lists them all. ---
**Author:** ![Bubiai\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@Bubiai\_2](https://community.homey.app/u/Bubiai_2)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 7:43am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/19 "2026-09-27T07:43:57Z")
How do you make a GIF animate? ---
**Author:** ![Mattias\_Sjoberg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/mattias_sjoberg/32/120715_2.png) [@Mattias\_Sjoberg](https://community.homey.app/u/Mattias_Sjoberg)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376/20 "2026-10-19T13:31:56Z")
Really nice app in all its simplicity. Finally I can use my Nest for something 🙂 if I could wish for more it would be to change what values are displayed through a flow instead (so that you can display different things based on time of day or other criteria)…and or to have an option of 4 values in a grid layout. Thanks for making this app! [Next page](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-varview-show-a-temperature-or-energy-reading-on-your-nest-hub-or-in-your-browser/159376.md?page=2)