Modern robot vacuum cleaners from Xiaomi and sub-brands like Roborock or Viomi have become an integral part of the smart home, but their functionality is sometimes limited by the language barrier. Many users face a situation when the device begins to communicate in Chinese or English after purchase, which creates discomfort, especially if there are children or elderly people in the house who are afraid of incomprehensible sounds.
Fortunately, the software architecture of these devices allows for flexible management of audio, and voice tuning is not just a change in tone, but a complete replacement of the language pack, which requires certain actions on the part of the owner. In most cases, standard settings in the application do not offer a simple switch, hiding this feature in deeper layers of the menu or requiring the use of third-party utilities.
In this article, we will look at all the current ways to get your janitor to speak the right language. We will look at official methods through the Mi Home app, hidden engineering menus and alternative firmware for advanced users. It is critical to determine the exact model of your device before starting any action, since the methods for the V1, S5 and S6 models can be radically different.
Determination of device model and compatibility
The first step before any software manipulation is to accurately identify your gadget.The Xiaomi ecosystem is huge, and there are dozens of robot vacuum cleaner modifications under the brand, each with a unique firmware structure. Trying to apply instructions from one model to another can result in a software failure or complete device failure.
Find a sticker on the bottom of the robot body. You're interested in the Model field, which shows a code like roborock.vacuum.s5 or mirobot.vacuum.v1. This ID will determine the language change methods available to you. Some global versions already have Russian built-in, while the Chinese versions require voice-over flashing.
Note the software version. Older models, such as (first generation), often have limited memory and (do not support) loading heavy language packs through the standard interface, and in such cases, special tools are required on a PC or smartphone with root rights.
⚠️ Note: Incorrectly identifying the model when you are firmware a voice packet can lead to a "brickle" device. Make sure that the downloaded file matches the exact model code specified on the label.
There are several major families of devices that require different approaches, and here is a table that will help you navigate the compatibility of voice-change methods.
| Device family | Examples of models | Language change method | Risk of failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | mirobot.vacuum.v1 | Specialty Utilities (PC) | High-pitched |
| Series S (Roborock) | roborock.vacuum.s5, s6 | Mi Home app/Scripts | Medium. |
| Mijia 1C Series | dreame.vacuum.mcc10 | Just global firmware. | Low. |
| Viomi (with screen) | viomi.vacuum.v7 | Settings in the appendix | Low. |
Once you've figured out the model, you can move on to the method, and for most users, the software method is the best way to do it through a mobile app, but in some cases, you'll have to resort to more complex manipulations.
Language Change through the Mi Home app
The safest and recommended way is to use the official Mi Home app (or Xiaomi Home), but here is a caveat: the region of the account directly affects the available language packages. If your account is registered in the Russia region, the robot should receive Russian commands by default, but this does not always work automatically.
To start, make sure the app is updated to the latest version. Go to the device-specific settings by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner of the vacuum cleaner card. Find Voice Settings or Voice Package. If there's a selection of languages, just select the one you want and click Download.
In some cases, especially for the Roborock S5 Max models and later, the language changes automatically when you change the server region in the settings of the application itself. Go to Profile → Settings → Region and select the country corresponding to the desired language. After rebooting the application, the robot can request an update to the voice packet.
☑️ Checking before changing language
If there is no voice change option on the menu, it means that the current firmware version does not support multilingualism out of the box for your region, and in such a situation, standard methods are powerless, and you have to turn to alternative solutions.
Use of third-party utilities and scripts
When the official methods don't work, enthusiastic tools come to the rescue, and one of the most popular solutions is to use the VacuumZ utility or similar scripts for Android, which allow you to inject language packets directly into the robot's file system.
The process is usually this: you connect to the robot's Wi-Fi network, run the utility on your smartphone, and select the language you want from the list of available languages. The program sends a command to download audio files from the developer's server. It's important to understand that root rights on the phone itself are not necessary, but you need access to the device's local network.
There is also a method of using ADB (Android Debug Bridge, if you have the technical ability to connect the vacuum cleaner to your computer, although for most models it requires disassembly and connection UART-So we're not recommending consoles to the general public, and the simplest way is to use cloud tokens.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party utilities requires obtaining a device token.Never give your token and access keys to third parties or unverified services.
To get a token, traffic sniffering method or special plugins for Home Assistant are often used. Once you get the token, you can use the command line to send a request to change the language.
miio-vacuum -t TOKEN -d IP_ADDRESS set_language ruThis command sends a direct request to the device to change the language packet to Russian. set_language Not all models are supported, so you should check the documentation for a particular version of firmware before entering.
Installation of alternative firmware (Valetudo)
For owners of first-generation devices and some S-series models that have been left without manufacturer support, there is the Valetudo project. This is an open firmware that completely replaces Xiaomi's cloud functionality, allowing you to control the robot locally through the browser.
Valetudo’s main advantage is its complete independence from Xiaomi’s servers and the ability to install any voice packets, including custom packets recorded by your voice. The installation process is complex and requires Linux or command line skills.
First, you need to access the robot's file system via telnet or ssh. Different models have different exploits (for example, through a vulnerability in the miIO protocol). Once you gain access, you download the Valetudo installer, which re-marks the memory partitions and installs the new OS.