Repeated connection loss has to be one of the most annoying problems with any smart home device, especially robot vacuum cleaners.
Without an Internet connection, your smartphone or its base station, even best robot vacuum cleaners there will be problems with work. They will either not follow a pre-set cleaning schedule, ignore commands from your phone, or even go on strike during cleaning.
No. 1. Check the Basics
Before we dive into the settings menu and learn all about the differences between the two types of Wi-Fi frequencies, let's cover the basics.
This sounds obvious, but have you checked that the robot charging dock is connected and has power? You should also check any notifications or status indicators on the docking station and the robot itself. Are they red, indicating a problem, or a regular color (often green or white)? My Yufi X10 uses a red light to indicate all sorts of problems, from connectivity to a full tank or water leak.
Next, is your phone on the same Wi-Fi network as the robot? Have you recently changed your Wi-Fi network settings, bought a new router, or installed networking equipment such as a Wi-Fi extender or mesh network? All of these could be causing connectivity issues with your robot.
No. 2. Reboot and reset Wi-Fi.
Robot vacuum cleaners usually have a physical way to quickly reboot or, if necessary, do a more thorough reset. There is often also a way to quickly reset the robot's Wi-Fi connection – usually this is done by pressing and holding two buttons on the robot itself for a few seconds. These are usually the two most prominent buttons on the top of the robot (or even the only two), and are often referred to as something like Home, Start, Pause, or Wi-Fi.
On some Eufy and Dreame models, you will need to press and hold the Spot Clean and Recharge buttons. For Roborock models, these are the Self-Cleaning and Charge Mode buttons, and the Roombas resets Wi-Fi settings by pressing the Home, Spot, and Clean buttons at the same time.
Hold down the corresponding buttons until you hear a beep or voice prompt indicating that the Wi-Fi connection has been reset. Then open your smartphone app and follow the instructions to reconnect your robot to your Wi-Fi network. Don't worry about losing any data, as once you reconnect, the robot name, settings, and cleanup card should reappear as before.
Other robots, like my Eufy X10, have a button with a hole under the top cover. Lift the cover, then use a suitable tool to press and hold the button for a few seconds. This should result in a reboot without the robot losing any data.
No. 3. Make sure your software is up to date
App developers like to release software updates frequently, so it's worth making sure your software is fully up to date. Go to your phone's app store, run any updates, then go to the robovac native app and check for new firmware updates there.
Firmware updates tend to happen less frequently, but often take longer than a quick app update. Naturally, if you have connection problems, updating the robot's firmware (or even checking for available updates) may not be possible. First try restarting your computer and/or resetting your Wi-Fi, then if that works you can check that the app and firmware are up to date.
Force closing and reopening the app, as well as rebooting your phone and uninstalling and reinstalling the app may also help. Essentially, you want to give the robot every opportunity to make a new connection without going the nuclear factory reset route unless absolutely necessary.
No. 4. Move the dock to a new location
A stable connection depends on a clear communication line between the Wi-Fi router and the robot vacuum cleaner's charging station. If the connection is unstable, try moving the docking station so it receives a stronger, more stable wireless signal.
Also beware of large metal objects or appliances such as a refrigerator, boiler, washing machine or dishwasher, as they may interfere with your Wi-Fi connection. If you have a large home, try initially setting up (or resetting) the robot by placing it on the same floor as the router.
If this is inconvenient, try increasing your Wi-Fi coverage using mesh network or signal booster.
No. 5. Check what Wi-Fi band you are using
Most robot vacuum cleaners only connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. If your router only operates on 5 GHz, the robot vacuum cleaner simply won't work.
Ideally, you should configure your router to operate on a dual-band Wi-Fi network, with devices connecting to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency depending on their compatibility. If you're having trouble connecting, try turning off the 5GHz band, at least temporarily, and see if that solves the problem. If the robot is now connecting, then try creating two separate networks with different names indicating their operating frequency, and connecting the vacuum cleaner to the one that operates at 2.4 GHz.
No. 6. Perform a factory reset
If all else fails, your last option before calling for help is a factory reset. This will delete your card and cleaning schedule and return the robot to new condition. After resetting, you'll have to set up the robot again, add it to your Wi-Fi network, create a new map of your home, and change settings.
This process varies slightly depending on the brand. On some models, you can perform a factory reset by holding the Start and Home buttons for up to 15 seconds until you hear a beep or voice confirmation. Oddly enough, sometimes this is the same action as resetting Wi-Fi, but a factory reset requires you to hold down the buttons longer.
Ecovacs Deebot owners can perform a factory reset by opening the lid of their robot, finding the hole button (which is sometimes located under a rubber flap) and pressing it for five seconds. On Roborock models, press and hold the Home button, then simultaneously use the tool to press the pinhole reset button.
Many Roombas can be reset to factory settings via an app. But if connection issues prevent you from using this approach, press and hold the Home button for five seconds, after which you'll be prompted to do it again to perform a factory reset. For iRobot's Roomba J Series, press the Home, Spot Clean, and Clean buttons for seven seconds, then press the Clean button twice to confirm.
I can't list all the reset procedures here. So if you decide that a fresh reset is the only option left, look for the instructions that came with your robot vacuum, or go to the manufacturer's website and look for directions on exactly which button combination to use. Alternatively, if the problem occurs intermittently and you are able to connect through the app, go to the settings menu and remove the robot from your system. This usually acts as a factory reset and the robot is now ready to be added again.
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