Modern robot vacuum cleaners from Xiaomi and their sub-brands such as Roborock or Dreame have a complex navigation system based on building detailed maps of the room. Owners often face situations when the device begins to get confused in space, build wrong routes or simply “forget” the layout after rearranging the furniture, and it is at such moments that it becomes necessary to perform a complete reset of accumulated mapping data.
The procedure to clear memory from old cards is a standard maintenance operation that helps calibrate sensors and returns the gadget to the ability to navigate in space with high accuracy. Incorrect navigation often leads to the robot skipping entire rooms or, conversely, endlessly circling around one object, which significantly reduces the efficiency of cleaning.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at the algorithm for removing a card through the Mi Home mobile app and look at the physical methods of resetting if the software interface is not available. You will learn how to avoid common errors and what to do if the device refuses to build a new circuit after cleaning.
When you need to delete the saved card
The main reason for the forced removal of the map is a change in the geometry of the room. If you start reshuffling, buy new furniture or, conversely, remove bulky objects, the old navigation pattern becomes irrelevant. The robot, trying to match the current situation with outdated data in memory, can lose its location, which in the technical documentation is called loss of localization.
Another common problem is software malfunctions in the work of lidar or optical sensors, in which case the smartphone screen can display artifacts, “double walls” or gaps in the map that are physically absent in your apartment, reset allows you to clear the cache of errors and force the system to re-scan the space from scratch.
- 🏠 You have changed the furniture or changed the layout of the room.
- 🤖 The robot began to move chaotically and constantly crashed into obstacles.
- 📉 Cleaning speed has dropped due to constant attempts to reorient.
- 💾 The app displays “broken” zones or incorrect virtual walls.
It is worth noting that regular map updates are not always required. If your Xiaomi Vacuum is stable and does not change routes for no reason, it is better not to touch the stored data. Excessive resets can lead to unnecessary wear of the laser module, albeit minimal.
⚠️ Note: Before deleting the card, make sure that the application does not have important virtual restrictions, such as no-go zones or rooms that you plan to recreate manually.
Preparing a robot vacuum cleaner for data reset
Before you start deleting navigation data, you need to ensure stable conditions for the device to operate. The first step is to check the battery level. The process of rebuilding the map is energy-intensive, since the laser rangefinder (Lidar) and the processor operate in maximum load mode continuously.
It is also critical to prepare the room itself, remove wires, socks, toys and other small objects that may become entangled in brushes or be mistaken by sensors for stationary obstacles, and the cleanliness of the floor directly affects the quality of the scan and the speed of completion of the procedure.
☑️ Preparation for card reset
Remember to clean the external sensors, especially the lower and lateral sensors, and the lidar tower module itself. The dust on the sensors can distort the data, and the robot will build the wrong map again immediately after reset. Use dry soft fabric to wipe.
Make sure the dock is in its usual place and there is nothing stopping the robot from leaving and returning freely, and if the base is moved during the map construction, it will result in a desynchronization of the coordinates.
Delete the card through the Mi Home app
The easiest and safest way to remove a card is to use the official management interface in your smartphone. To do this, open the Mi Home app and go to your device's page. The interface may vary slightly depending on the regional version of the firmware, but the logic remains the same.
Click on three dots in the top right corner of the screen to enter the settings menu. Find the section related to map management or cleaning history. In some versions of the software, this item is called "Maps management" or "Maps and cleaning."
💡
If you use the Chinese version of a robot with a server in China, the interface may be entirely in Chinese, so look for characters that stand for "Map" (usually a house or grid pictogram).
In the map management menu, you'll see a list of saved floors or the last active map. Select the desired schema and press the delete button (often indicated by the cart) The system will request confirmation of action, as this process is irreversible without a backup.
- 📱 Open the Mi Home app and select your vacuum cleaner.
- ⚙️ Go to settings via the menu in the upper right corner.
- 🗺️ Find the item "Map Management).
- 🗑️ Click on the basket icon or the “Delete card” button».
Once confirmed, the map will disappear from the device's memory, and the robot will go into a waiting mode for a new calibration. On the smartphone screen, in real time, you will see how a new grid of coordinates is formed.
Alternative methods of resetting navigation
In some cases, software resets through an application may not work because of synchronization errors or a communication module freeze, and then you have to resort to more radical but effective methods, one of which is to completely reset the device to factory settings.
To do this, you need to simultaneously press two buttons on the robot body (usually the Home and Turn on/Off buttons) and hold them for 5-10 seconds. The device will emit an audible signal and report a reset of Wi-Fi settings with a voice. This action also often clears temporary map files.
Another method is to physically interfere with the scanning process, where some users practice the "forced forgetting" method, where they cover the lidar sensor with a hand or a dense cloth immediately after switching on, preventing the robot from counting the environment, and turn it off, which, when turned on again, the system may consider the lack of data as an error and suggest a reset.
| Resetting method | Efficiency | Risk of losing settings | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through the Mi Home app | Tall. | No (map only) | Low. |
| Resetting Wi-Fi (buttons) | Medium | Yes (network needs to be set up) | Low. |
| Complete_factory_reset | Maximum | Yeah (all settings) | Medium |
| Firmware update | Tall. | No. | Low. |
Using third-party apps like Home Assistant or HomeKit also allows you to manage maps, but requires a complex integration setup beforehand. For most users, the standard Mi Home functionality is quite enough.
The process of constructing a new map of the premises
Once the old data is successfully deleted, the robot automatically goes into exploration mode, and it slowly moves around the room, making circular motions and scanning the space with a laser, at which point it's crucial not to interfere with its work.
The initial mapping process can take 15 to 40 minutes depending on the space and the complexity of the layout. The SLAM algorithm (simultaneous localization and mapping) takes time to accurately calculate the coordinates and anchor to the base station.
What to do if the robot is stuck during construction?
During this process, try not to walk on the trajectory of the device, do not open or close the doors, if they should be accounted for in the map. Any sudden changes in the situation can lead to a malfunction in the calculations.
Once the first pass is complete, the robot will likely return to base, and the app will suggest saving the map you received, be sure to agree and rename the map (for example, "First Floor" or "Apartment") so that in the future you can create multiple profiles for different floors.
Common mistakes and ways to solve them
Even if all instructions are followed, there can be problems. Often users complain that the robot builds the map anew each time it cleans, without saving the previous one, which may indicate a malfunction in the battery or power supply, which causes the device to fail to store data in non-volatile memory before turning it off.
Another common mistake is mirroring the map or shifting the rooms, which happens if the base station is slightly sideways during the mapping process, in which case the map should be removed and the procedure repeated, making sure that the base is firmly against the wall.
- 🔋 Robot does not save the map: check the contacts of charging terminals on the base and vacuum cleaner.
- 📡 Wi-Fi problems: Make sure the router is giving out a signal at 2.4GHz.
- 🧹 Sensor pollution: wipe the bumper and collision sensor.
- 💡 Too bright sun: direct beams can blind optical sensors, try closing the curtains.
If the robot stubbornly refuses to build a map after several attempts, the lidar module itself may have been damaged. Check if the turret is rotating at the top at launch. If it is standing still or is making a strange crack, hardware repairs are required.
⚠️ Warning: Don't try to disassemble the lidar module yourself unless you have experience with small electronics, and there are optical components inside that are easily damaged by static electricity.