edwardtfn/NSPanel-Easy v2026.11.4

v2026.11.4 - feat: Add OTA encryption option

on GitHub

OTA encryption

ESPHome 2026.9.0 added encrypted OTA updates, using the same key as the API encryption. Unlike the OTA password, which only checks who sends the update, the encryption also protects the firmware image in transit, which includes your Wi-Fi password and API key. Since then, ESPHome shows the warning 'ota' password wastes significant flash and RAM when compiling panels with API encryption.

This release adds the ota_encryption substitution to enable it, and the api_encryption_key substitution to set the API encryption key:

substitutions:
  api_encryption_key: !secret api_encryption_key
  ota_encryption: true

• Nothing changes unless you opt in. With the default ota_encryption: false, your panel keeps using ota_password exactly as before, on every supported ESPHome version.
• One-step migration from an OTA password (ESPHome 2026.10.0 or newer): set ota_encryption: true and keep your current ota_password for one install. The password is used only to send that update, and is not built into the new firmware. Set ota_password back to blank afterwards.
• New installations are now guided to use the API encryption and ota_encryption: true from the first flash.
• Configurations following the previous manual guide (password: !remove and encryption:) keep working.
• Configurations that set the API encryption key directly in an api: block keep working.

Once a panel requires the encryption, it refuses OTA updates without the API encryption key. Keep your key safe: if it is lost, the panel can only be recovered with a serial flash.

See OTA encryption for the migration steps for each case.

Related to #592 and #595

What's Changed

Other Changes

• feat: Add OTA encryption option by @panel-easy-assistant[bot] in #594
• feat: Add OTA encryption option by @edwardtfn in #634

Full Changelog: v2026.11.3...v2026.11.4