Follow-up: how I mount and power my wall-mounted HomeKit iPad dashboard
A week ago I shared my spare-iPad HomeKit dashboard, and one of the biggest questions was how the iPad is mounted and powered.
This video shows my actual setup—a 86 × 86 mm in-wall charging panel dedicated for this scenario, a magnetic 3D-printed mount, pogo pins, and a thin USB-C cable inside the case. All of these are bought as a product, the most DIY part is installing it.
The charger is exposed to HomeKit, so I use a Shortcut automation to start charging around 20% and stop around 80%.
Important caveat: I planned my setup during renovation, and the panel connects to wiring inside the wall. This isn’t a universal DIY recommendation—mains wiring should follow local electrical codes and be handled by a qualified electrician.
Non-destructive retrofit versions also exist for already-finished homes, but I couldn’t find that variation on Amazon. You may have better luck on marketplaces such as Alibaba using search terms like “iPad wall mount charger” or “86 mm iPad wall mount charger.”
One thing I don't like about this setup: it uses up my usb-c port. When I connects it to my mac for development I had to remove the case completely. it also blocks the stock charging pins so that's not an option.
I also included a quick Hearth 1.2 preview near the end: Fahrenheit support, German localization, and iPhone support. Photo-album and sensor-data screensavers, alongside individual device control and camera are planned, but they won’t be part of 1.2.
I’m the developer of Hearth. Would a region-agnostic guide to wall mounting, power, and battery management be useful? I’d also love to see how others have mounted their HomeKit dashboards.