Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about the default Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine in Home Assistant. Currently, it uses Google Translate, which is an external service. While it works, it doesn’t quite align with Home Assistant’s focus on local control and privacy.
I stumbled upon a great alternative called PicoTTS. It’s open-source, runs locally, and doesn’t require an internet connection. Plus, it supports multiple languages like English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. This makes it a fantastic choice for users who value privacy and want everything to work seamlessly offline.
I’ve been using PicoTTS myself, and it’s been a game-changer. No more relying on external services, and it’s super lightweight and reliable. The best part is that it’s already included in the Home Assistant Docker images, so there’s no need for extra installations.
Here’s a quick example of how to set it up in your configuration:
yaml
Example configuration
tts:
- platform: picotts
language: ‘en-GB’
If you’re looking to enhance your setup with better privacy and performance, I highly recommend giving PicoTTS a try. It’s a small change that makes a big difference! 
What are your thoughts on switching to a local TTS engine? I’d love to hear your experiences or any other suggestions you might have for improving Home Assistant’s features.