How to Create a Fun Notification Automation with Random Messages in Home Assistant

If you want your smart home notifications to feel a little more personal and fun, adding random messages to your automations is a great trick! Instead of always sending the same dry alert, you can mix it up with humor, emojis, or seasonal flair.

In this blog post, we’ll walk through how to set up a Home Assistant automation that notifies you when your washing machine or dryer is finished — and does so with a randomly chosen message each time.

Why Use Random Messages?

Sending the exact same notification every time can quickly become easy to ignore. Adding some variety not only makes your smart home feel more alive but can actually help keep you engaged so you don’t miss important updates (like wet clothes sitting too long in the washer!).

How It Works

We use Home Assistant’s variables in the automation to define a list of possible messages. Each time the automation runs, it picks a random entry from that list using the random Jinja filter.

This method works for any automation that sends a notification, whether it’s about laundry, the dishwasher, the mail arriving, or even when the robot vacuum finishes its job.

Step 1: Create the Automation

Here is an example automation for when the washing machine finishes:

alias: Washing Machine Finished Notification
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.washing_machine_running
    from: 'on'
    to: 'off'
action:
  - variables:
      messages:
        - "🎉 The washing machine is done! Your laundry awaits you 😄"
        - "🧺 Clothes are calling: 'Let us out!' Washer finished!"
        - "🚀 Laundry done! Time for mission: empty the drum."
        - "💃 The washing machine has stopped — the dance floor of wet clothes awaits!"
  - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
    data:
      message: "{{ messages | random }}"
      title: "Washing Machine Done"
      data:
        push:
          sound: default
mode: single

Step 2: Adjust for the Dryer

You can easily make another automation for the dryer by changing the sensor and adding new messages:

alias: Dryer Finished Notification
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.dryer_running
    from: 'on'
    to: 'off'
action:
  - variables:
      messages:
        - "🔥 The dryer is done! Your clothes are warm and cozy 🥘"
        - "🎈 Drying complete! Clothes want to join the fresh air (or the closet)."
        - "🌪️ Dryer done! Time to shine as laundry master."
        - "☀️ Clothes are dry as the desert — come rescue them!"
  - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
    data:
      message: "{{ messages | random }}"
      title: "Dryer Done"
      data:
        push:
          sound: default
mode: single

Step 3: Update Entity and Notify Service

Remember to:

• Replace binary_sensor.washing_machine_running and binary_sensor.dryer_running with the correct entity IDs from your Home Assistant setup.
• Replace notify.mobile_app_your_phone with the actual notify service for your device (you can find this under Developer Tools > Services).

Final Tips

• Get creative! You can add seasonal jokes, family in-jokes, or rotate messages depending on the time of day.
• Use other triggers. This approach works anywhere you want dynamic notifications, like when someone rings the doorbell or a window is left open.
• Test often. Use the “Run actions” button in the automation editor to make sure everything works as expected.

With just a little bit of YAML and creativity, you can turn boring alerts into something that makes you smile — and keeps your smart home feeling a bit more human.

Happy automating!