Owners of Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Mop robot vacuum cleaners often face the monotony of standard voice notifications. What if you make the device produce unusual reactions, such as swearing with mats or saying pre-recorded phrases? This is possible thanks to custom firmware through the PC. However, the process requires care: one wrong action can turn a vacuum cleaner into a “brick”.
This article provides a step-by-step firmware guide that looks at everything from unlocking the bootloader to installing modified software. We’ll look at the formal and informal methods, risks, and ways to get it back if the result doesn’t work. Importantly, the procedure is suitable for the STYJ02YM (Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P), STYTJ01ZHM (Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2) and its counterparts. Other versions may require different files.
Preparation for firmware: what will be needed
Before you start, make sure you have everything you need, and without proper preparation, the chance of damaging the firmware increases dramatically.
- 🖥️ Computer on Windows 10/11 (MacOS and Linux do not support official Xiaomi utilities).
- 🔌 USB-Type-C cable (original or high-quality – cheap can interrupt the connection).
- 📁 Firmware with voice packets (download only from trusted sources, for example, 4PDA).
- 🔧 MiFlash Drivers and MiHome Utility to Unlock.
- 🔋 Charge at least 50% – interruption due to battery discharge leads to a breech.
Pay special attention to the firmware version. You can find it in the Mi Home app: go to Devices → Vacuum cleaner settings → About the device, if the version is newer. 3.5.9_0042, You may need to roll back to an older one before the modification.
Unlocking the bootloader: step zero
Without bootloader unlocking, custom firmware cannot be installed. Xiaomi blocks this feature by default, but it can be activated through the official tool.
- Download the Mi Unlock Tool and install it.
- Sign in to your Mi Account (it must be tied to the vacuum cleaner in Mi Home).
- Connect the vacuum cleaner to your PC in Fastboot mode (press the Reset button for 10 seconds when you connect the cable).
- Run the Mi Unlock Tool and follow the instructions, which will take up to 72 hours (Xiaomi imposes a temporary lock).
Once unlocked, the vacuum cleaner will be reset to the factory settings, and all stored room maps and settings will be deleted.
Is the Mi Account tied to the vacuum cleaner?|Is there a backup of cleaning cards?|MiFlash drivers installed?|Battery charge above 50%?-->
Selection of firmware: official vs custom
There are two ways to do this: modify the standard firmware or install a custom firmware (like Valetudo), the first is simpler but limited in functionality, and the second allows you to access advanced settings, including replacing voice packets.
| Type of firmware | Pluses | Cons | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official (modified) | Preserves the guarantee*, stable operation | Limited Customization Opportunities | ⭐⭐ |
| Castomium (Valetudo) | Full control, voice replacement, cloud shutdown | Risk of a breeze, loss of warranty | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Hybrid (Patched FW) | Voice Packages + Stability | Requires manual patching | ⭐⭐⭐ |
* The warranty is only maintained if no root is used and no system files are changed. Replacing voice packets via /mnt/default/prop/tts is not generally considered a violation.
⚠️ Note: Firmware from sites like xiaomiflashtool.com often contains malicious code. Check files via VirusTotal before installing.
Firmware process through MiFlash
To install the modified firmware, we use the official MiFlash utility. It is important to follow the instructions without deviation.
- Download and unpack the firmware into a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\Xiaomi\Vacuum_FW).
- Run MiFlash.exe on behalf of the administrator.
- Connect the vacuum cleaner in Fastboot mode (Reset + USB button).
- In the utility, click Select and specify the path to the folder with the firmware.
- Select Clean All mode and click Flash.
It takes 5-10 minutes. When the vacuum cleaner is finished, it will restart. If the red light is on, there's an error. Try repeating the procedure or returning the stock firmware.
What if MiFlash can’t see the device?
Replacement of voice packets: how to add "scolding"
To replace standard voice notifications with custom (including mats), you need to edit files in /mnt/default/prop/tts.
- Connect the vacuum cleaner to your PC via ADB (enable debugging in Mi Home: Settings → Additional → Developer Mode).
- Download the archive with voice files (.wav, 16 kHz, mono) and examples can be found on GitHub (search for xiaomi vacuum tts).
- Replace the files in /mnt/default/prop/tts via command: adb push local_path/voice_file.wav /mnt/default/prop/tts/
- Reboot the vacuum cleaner with the adb reboot command.
To check, play the test notification via Mi Home (e.g., “Start cleaning”). If your voice hasn’t changed, check the file permissions (chmod 755).
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To return standard voices, download the original TTS files from Xiaomi’s official server (see the vacuum cleaner model) and repeat the replacement procedure.
Possible errors and their solutions
Even with the correct following of the instructions, problems can arise, and here are the most common ways to eliminate them:
- 🔴 Mistake. 0x80070002 MiFlash is the wrong way to get firmware or corrupted files.
- 🟡 The vacuum cleaner doesn't turn on after you've run the firmware -- try to pinch the Reset for 30 seconds to reset. If it doesn't work, run the stock version.
- 🔵 ADB Does not see the device – check if debugging mode is enabled and if Android drivers are installed ADB Interface.
- ⚪ Voice interrupted or distorted – files TTS should be in format WAV PCM 16bit 16kHz. Reconvert them through Online-Convert.
⚠️ Note: If after firmware vacuum cleaner emits a squeak of high tone and does not respond to the buttons - this is a sign of damage to the modem partition. EDL-Mode (requires an authorized Xiaomi account).
Back to factory firmware
If the experiment fails or the vacuum cleaner becomes unstable, return the original firmware.
- Download the stock firmware for your model from the official website.
- Unpack the archive and delete the file flash_all_except_storage.bat (need a full reset).
- Sweat through MiFlash in Clean All mode.
After rollback, tie the vacuum cleaner back to Mi Home and set it up from scratch. The room maps and cleaning schedules won't save.
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Always keep a backup of the original firmware (flash_all.bat) It's going to save time if you need to roll back.