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How to connect a Roomba to Wi-Fi

Alvina Wang/BestReviews

Everything you need to know about connecting a Roomba to Wi-Fi

Roombas are handy tools for many households, especially when used with a smart device. Many Roomba robot vacuumsiRobot HOME appAlexa

BestReviews uses testing, experts and extensive research to help you make informed purchasing decisions and get the most out of the products we recommend. In this guide we’ll tell you all about downloading the iRobot HOME app and connecting Roomba to Wi-Fi.

In this video, we’ll take a look at how to reset a Roomba. These robotic vacuums by iRobot are known for their convenience, but when something goes wrong, you’ll need to understand factory resets.

Step 1: Download the iRobot HOME app

To connect your Roomba

To use the app, you need to set up an account and enter contact information. If you don’t wish to do so, you can use your Roomba’s essential functions without Wi-Fi.

Step 2: Select your Roomba

Next, add your Roomba. On the HOME app, choose the

If you choose Select Product, you’ll first be asked if it’s a robot vacuum, a robot mop or a vacuum/mop combo. Choose Vacuum Robot, and pick your Roomba’s product series (s series,i series

Step 3: Choose your Wi-Fi network

The app now guides you step-by-step, beginning with advice on where to locate your home dock

It then asks you to choose a Wi-Fi network. The app defaults to the Wi-Fi network currently used by your smartphone. To select a different network, you’ll have to switch to it from your phone’s settings. Most Roombas work with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks instead of 5 GHz networks.

The app next asks for your Wi-Fi password. Enter it in the space provided.

Step 4: Activate your Roomba

Now it’s time to activate your Roomba. Press and hold the “Spot” (crosshairs icon) and “Home” (house icon) buttons on your Roomba for one to two seconds. They’re right next to the large “Clean” button. This puts your Roomba into connection mode. Your Roomba emits a chime and flashes its indicator ring or a Wi-Fi symbol.

On the app, check the box that says “I Pressed the Buttons.” The app now attempts to connect with your Roomba and add it to your Wi-Fi network. This process should take less than 20 seconds.

If the app has trouble, it tries again. After the second attempt, it asks you to manually select a special Wi-Fi network generated by your Roomba to finish the process.

If you have a Roomba j7, j7+

Step 5: Name your Roomba

Last step: give your Roomba a name. A unique and easy-to-say name helps you control your Roomba with your voice if you link it to Alexa or Google Home. If you have more than one Roomba in your home, give each one a unique name to tell them apart and control them individually.

The HOME app advises you to avoid using numbers in your Roomba’s name for the best results when using voice control.

What to do if your Roomba isn’t connecting to your home's Wi-Fi

If you run into trouble connecting your Roomba to Wi-Fi, or if you notice your Roomba failing to respond, try these steps.

Check your Wi-Fi network

First, make sure your Wi-Fi is working and that your Roomba is on the correct network.

On your computer or other device, check if you’re able to visit websites or stream video. If you can’t, you might have a network problem.

Check your router or modem. Are their lights blinking unusually or dark? You might need to turn them off and back on by pressing their on-off switches or unplugging them from power.

If that doesn’t work, contact your Internet service provider.

Does your Roomba have power?

If your Roomba’s battery has run low

A Roomba takes about one and a half to two hours to charge from empty

Reconnect with the iRobot HOME app

If everything else is working except your Roomba’s Wi-Fi, check the iRobot HOME app.

Go to Product Settings and choose Reconnect or Change Wi-Fi. The app guides you again through the process of connecting your Roomba to your Wi-Fi network, or to a new Wi-Fi network if you desire. Make sure you have your Wi-Fi password handy.

If all else fails, reboot or restore

You can reboot your Roomba

You can also reboot your Roomba by holding down the big “Clean” button for 10 to 20 seconds.

Restoring your Roomba is a little more drastic. It returns your Roomba to its factory state, removing it from your iRobot account and erasing its history and other data.

To restore your Roomba using the iRobot HOME app, go to Product Settings > About [your Roomba’s name] > Remove Device from Account. If you have a mapping-capable

Enjoy the benefits

Not every Roomba can connect to Wi-Fi, and you don’t need Wi-Fi to use the basic cleaning features of your Roomba

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Jmar Gambol

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