# ESPHome 2026.1.0: Automatic WiFi roaming and ESP-IDF by default

DevFeed: [ESPHome 2026.1.0: Automatic WiFi roaming and ESP-IDF by default](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/esphome-2026-1-0-automatic-wifi-roaming-and-esp-idf-by-default-16705.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://esphome.io/blog/2026/01/21/esphome-2026-1/>)

Author: Jesse Hills

Published: 2026-01-21T00:00:00Z

Content type: release

Language: en

Sources: [ESPHome - Smart Home Made Simple - Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/esphome-smart-home-made-simple-blog.md>)

Topics: [esphome](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/esphome.md>), [ESP-IDF](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/esp-idf.md>), [ESP32](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/esp32.md>), [Encryption](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/encryption.md>)

Tags: [encryption](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/encryption.md>), [esp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/esp.md>), [esp-idf](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/esp-idf.md>), [esp32](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/esp32.md>), [esphome](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/esphome.md>), [optimization](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/optimization.md>), [ota](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ota.md>), [performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/performance.md>), [releases](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/releases.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>), [sha256](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sha256.md>), [wifi](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/wifi.md>)

## AI overview

ESPHome 2026.1.0 adds automatic WiFi roaming, makes ESP-IDF the default framework for supported ESP32 targets, requires API encryption and SHA256 authentication for OTA updates, and introduces performance, platform, hardware, and parsing improvements.

## Source excerpt

ESPHome 2026.1.0 adds automatic WiFi roaming, makes ESP-IDF the default on ESP32, requires API encryption and SHA256 OTA, and lands broad performance work.