How to reflash the robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi Vacuum Mop: official and alternative methods

Xiaomi Vacuum Mop robots (S5, S6, S7, and others) regularly receive firmware updates that improve navigation, add new cleaning modes, or fix bugs. However, the standard update through the Mi Home app doesn’t always work: sometimes the system hangs on the old version, and in rare cases users encounter a “brick” after a failed update. In this article, we will analyze all the ways of flashing from official to manual, and also tell you how to avoid typical errors and restore the vacuum cleaner if something goes wrong.

It's important to understand that flashing is not just an app update, there are alternative firmware (like Valetudo) that allows you to use a vacuum cleaner without Xiaomi's cloud, but requires unlocking the bootloader and technical skills. We'll look at both approaches, but we'll start with the safest one, automatic updates through Mi Home.

If your vacuum cleaner is buggy, doesn't respond to commands, or constantly resets, it could be a damaged firmware, in which case flashing is often the only solution, but before you start, make sure that the problem is not the mechanics (such as clogged brushes or a faulty battery) - this is what we'll mention in the article.

1. Flash-through preparation: what to do before the update

Before you update your firmware, follow a few mandatory steps, which will help you avoid losing communication with the vacuum cleaner or turning it into a “brick”.

First, check the current firmware version.

1. Open the Mi Home app.
2. Select your vacuum cleaner from the list of devices.
3. Go to Settings. → About the device.
4. Find the firmware version string (e.g., 3.5.9_002146).

Write this down, which will come in handy if the vacuum cleaner starts to work worse after the upgrade (in which case you can roll back).

• 🔋 The battery charge of the vacuum cleaner is greater than 50% (optimally 80-100%).
• 📶 Stable Wi-Fi connection at 2.4 GHz (vacuum cleaner does not support 5 GHz).
• 📱 The latest version of the Mi Home app (update it to the App Store or Google Play).
• 🔌 Access to the socket in case the vacuum cleaner runs out during the process.

If you plan to use alternative firmware (for example, to disable cloud binding), additionally prepare:

• 💻 PC with Windows or Linux (more drivers will be required for Macs).
• 🔌 USB-Type-C Cable (to connect vacuum cleaner to PC).
• 📂 Backup of the current firmware (it can be made via ADB).

⚠️ Warning: If your vacuum cleaner was purchased in China (the domestic version), firmware for the global version (EU/Global) may not be suitable. Check the model on the sticker under the lid - if the name has CN, use only Chinese firmware.

2. Method 1: Automatic update via Mi Home

This is the easiest and safest method, and it's suitable for 90 percent of users, and it's done over the air (OTA), without having to plug a vacuum cleaner into a computer.

Step 1. Connect the vacuum cleaner to the charging station and make sure it is charging (the indicator should burn blue or green).

Step 2. Open Mi Home, select your vacuum cleaner, and go to Settings → Firmware Update. If an update is available, you will see the Update button.

Step 3. Press Update and wait for the process to complete. The vacuum cleaner will restart several times - that's OK. Don't turn it off the power or press the buttons for 10-15 minutes.

If the update doesn’t appear, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the vacuum cleaner (hold the power button for 5 seconds).
• 📡 Reconnect it to Wi-Fi (sometimes network change helps).
• 📱 Reinstall the Mi Home app.
• 🌍 Change the region in Mi Home to China (if you have a global model, then return it).

⚠️ Warning: If the vacuum cleaner starts to behave strangely after the upgrade (e.g., doesn't see the map or constantly reboots), try resetting it to factory settings via Settings → Reset.This often resolves problems with new firmware.

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Automatic updates via Mi Home are the most reliable method, but only work for official firmware. If you need alternative versions (like Valetudo), read on.

3 Method 2: Manual firmware via ADB (for power users)

If the automatic update doesn’t work or you want to install custom firmware (like Valetudo for local management without the cloud), you’ll need an ADB connection.

Here's what you're gonna need:

• 💻 Computer with drivers installed ADB (you can download here).
• 🔌 USB-Type-C cable (preferably original)
• 📂 The firmware file is.pkg (official can be extracted from APK Mi Home, unofficial can be downloaded from forums like XDA Developers).

Instructions:

1. Turn on the developer mode on the vacuum cleaner: Hold the Home button and Power at the same time for 5 seconds until you hear the beep. Connect the vacuum cleaner to your computer via USB.

CMD

Terminal

adb devices

If the vacuum cleaner is determined (the serial number will appear), you can continue.

adb push firmware.pkg /tmp/

adb shell miio update /tmp/firmware.pkg

Wait until the finish (the vacuum cleaner will restart).

If something goes wrong, you might get an error like update failed: -1.

• Check that the firmware file is not corrupted (compare it with the original MD5-hash).
• Try another one. USB-cable (some cables are only for charging purposes).
• Make sure there is enough space on the vacuum cleaner (sometimes cleaning the cache through adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* helps).

Battery charge tested (minimum 50%) |

ADB drivers installed on PC|

The correct firmware file (.pkg) | is downloaded

Vacuum in Developer Mode |

Backup of the current firmware created-->

4 Method 3: Firmware via SD- card (for models with support)

Some Xiaomi Vacuum Mop models (such as the S7) support microSD card upgrades, which is handy if there is no stable Wi-Fi or ADB is not working.

Step 1: Prepare a microSD card (up to 32 GB formatted in FAT32).

2 step: Download the official firmware for your model (the file should be called, for example, mi_vacuum_s7_3.5.9_002146.pkg).

Step 3. Place the file in the root of the SD- card (not in the folder!).Put the card in the vacuum cleaner (the slot is usually under the lid next to the battery).

Step 4: Hold the Power button for 10 seconds until the orange light goes on. Release the button and the update starts.

It takes 5-10 minutes, and when it's done, the vacuum cleaner will sound and reboot, and if the light flashes red, it's an error.

• Make sure the firmware file is not damaged.
• Format the SD- card again.
• Try another card (some models don't work with SDHC).

5. Alternative firmware: Valetudo and others

If you want to disable cloud-based binding to Xiaomi or get advanced features (like zoning without the internet), you can install Valetudo, an open firmware with local management, but this process is more complicated and requires:

• 🔓 Unlock the bootloader (some models do not allow this without a soldering iron).
• 💻 Skills of working with ADB and SSH.
• 🛠️ Willingness to lose warranty.

The advantages of Valetudo:

• ✅ Uninterneted (all data is stored locally).
• ✅ There is no binding to a Xiaomi account.
• ✅ Support for custom scripts (e.g., integration with Home Assistant).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Complex installation (contacts must be soldered on some models).
• ❌ No official support (risk of error is higher)
• ❌ There may be problems with OTA- updates.

Instructions for installing Valetudo can be found on the official website. for Xiaomi Vacuum Mop S5/S6 you will need:

1. Connect to the vacuum cleaner by SSH (logins / passwords depend on the model).
2. Download Valetudo image via SCP.
3. Edit the configuration files.
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: On Xiaomi Vacuum Mop 2 Lite models and some versions of S7, the bootloader is locked hardware. They will require rationing of the resistor on the board to be installed, which is a risky operation that is best entrusted to specialists.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even when you follow the instructions, you can get errors, and here are the most common ways to correct them:

If the vacuum cleaner after a failed firmware does not turn on, try:

1. Hold the power button for 20 seconds (sometimes this resets the emergency mode).
2. Connect it to charging for 1 hour - it is possible that the battery is discharged.
3. Repeat the firmware via the ADB or SD- card.

If nothing works, go to the service center, and in some cases, you need to flash through JTAG (specialty equipment), which you can't do at home.

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Before you run the firmware, take a picture of the sticker with the serial number and model of the vacuum cleaner (under the lid), which will help you find the right version of the firmware if something goes wrong.

7. How to roll back on a previous firmware version

If after the update the vacuum cleaner began to work worse (for example, worse builds a map or discharges quickly), you can try to roll back to the old version.

Step 1. Find an archive with previous firmware (e.g., 4PDA or XDA forums) and make sure the version is suitable for your model.

Step 2. Sweat it through the ADB or SD- card (the instructions are the same as for the update).

Step 3. After the rollback, reset your settings via Mi Home (this will clear the cache and avoid conflicts).

Important: Xiaomi sometimes blocks rollbacks to older versions (especially if they contain vulnerabilities), in which case you will get an error downgrade not allowed.

• Find modified firmware without this check (risky).
• Ask Xiaomi to provide an older version (unlikely, but sometimes helps).

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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If you are not sure about your skills, you should wait for automatic updates via Mi Home. Manual firmware is justified only in case of critical errors or for installing alternative software.