How to completely remove the card in the robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi: all ways

Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaners are some of the most popular smart cleaning devices, but their laser sensor-based navigation system (LDS) and stored room maps sometimes require correction. For example, after moving, repairing, or building a map, users are faced with the need to remove an old card from the device’s memory. However, not everyone knows that simple erasure through the Mi Home app does not always work: the card can be restored after a reboot or remain in cache.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to remove a card, from standard methods in the official application to hidden functions of alternative firmware (like Valetudo or Dustcloud), and you’ll learn why a card can be automatically restored after removal and how to avoid it. The instructions are suitable for most models: Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, Viomi V3, Dreame D9 and others based on the Mi Home platform.

Why do I need to remove the card in a robot vacuum cleaner?

A stored map of a room is not just a convenience, it's a potential problem, and here are the main reasons users want to delete it:

🏠 Moving or changing the layout: After repairing or changing the apartment, the old map becomes useless, and the robot tries to navigate the non-existent walls.
🤖 Navigation errors: If the robot is constantly “lost,” gets stuck, or builds a route incorrectly, resetting the map can help recalibrate the sensors.
🔄 Selling or transferring the device: Before selling it is recommended to delete all personal data, including maps of premises.
📱 Application failures: sometimes the map will “hang” in Mi Home and not updated, even if the robot has removed new obstacles long ago.

It's important to understand that the card is not only stored in the Xiaomi cloud, but also in the robot's local memory, so simply deleting it through an app often fails, and a comprehensive approach is required.

📊 How often do you update the map in a robot vacuum cleaner?

Every month.

Six months

Only after the repairs.

Never updated.

Method 1: Delete the card through the Mi Home app

The most obvious method is to use the official Mi Home app, but there are some nuances: the interface may vary depending on the version of the app and the robot model.

Open Mi Home and select your robot vacuum cleaner.
Go to the Map section (usually the home icon or grid in the bottom menu).
Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Remove the card or Reset the card.
Confirm Action. Some versions of the app will require you to enter a password from your Xiaomi account.

If you do not have the option to delete the card, try an alternative path:

In the map section, tap on the map itself (not on room icons).
In the menu that appears, find the Edit → Clear button.

💡

If the card is restored after deleting, it means that the robot has saved its backup, in which case only a complete resetting of the settings will help (see Method 4).

On some models (for example, Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P) the card is divided into zones.

🗺️ Remove each area individually through the room management menu.
🔄 Reboot the robot by holding the power button for 10 seconds.

Method 2: Reset the card via voice assistant (Alice, Google Assistant)

If you have a robot vacuum cleaner integration set up with voice assistants (Alice, Google Assistant, or Siri via HomeKit), you can try removing the map with a voice command. This method doesn't work on all models, but it sometimes helps when the Mi Home app is buggy.

Examples of teams:

🎤 «Alice, drop the vacuum cleaner card" (if the device is tied to Yandex.Smart Home).
🎤 «Okay, Google, clear the Xiaomi map (requires presetting in Google Home).

Important: Voice assistants often have limited functionality compared to the original app. If the command didn't work, check:

🔌 Connecting the robot to the Internet (it should be online).
📋 Availability of rights to manage the device in the account of the assistant.

Why can voice commands not work?

Many of Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaner features are blocked at the firmware level for third-party services. Alice, for example, can enable cleaning but does not have access to map editing, a restriction due to Xiaomi’s security policy, which allows full control only through official software.

Method 3: Delete the card through alternative firmware (Valetudo, Dustcloud)

If you use custom firmware (like Valetudo or Dustcloud), the process of removing a card is different from the standard one. These firmwares give you more control over the device, but require technical skills.

Instructions for Valetudo:

Connect to the Valetudo web interface (usually at the address) http://[IP-robot-address]).
Go to the Map section (Map).
Find the Delete Map or Reset Map button.
Confirm the removal. Some versions will require the robot to be rebooted.

For Dustcloud:

1. Open the terminal (via SSH or web console).


2. execute the command:




rm /mnt/default/rockrobo/map/*




3. Reboot the robot with the command:




reboot

Make sure the robot is connected to Wi-Fi|Download a backup copy of the card (if necessary)|Know IP-device address on the local network|Have access to the web interface (login / password)

-->

Warning: Custom firmware can be warranty-free and contain risks (e.g., bricking your device) and only use them if you are confident in your actions.

Method 4: Completely resetting robot vacuum cleaner settings

If previous methods fail, a hard reset will not only remove the card, but also all settings, including the link to the Xiaomi account, which is suitable for most models:

Turn off the robot by holding the power button for 5 seconds.
Press the power and home buttons (or Spot Cleaning, depending on the model) for 10-15 seconds at the same time until you hear the beep.
Release the buttons. The robot will issue a voice message in Chinese or English (e.g., "Reset Wi-Fi").
Wait for the reboot (can take up to 2-3 minutes).

After discharge:

🔄 Robot to create new map from scratch on next launch.
📱 You will need to re-link it to your Mi Home account.
⚠️ All saved areas of cleaning, schedules and power settings will be reset.

💡

Hard reset is the only way to guarantee that a card is deleted if it is stuck in the robot’s memory and is recovered after standard deletion.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Lite) may not reset the buttons, which requires the battery to be turned off for 10 minutes (disassemble the case and disconnect the battery).

Xiaomi's robot vacuum cleaners have a hidden engineering menu that allows you to manage low-level settings. Accessing it requires knowledge of special commands and can be dangerous to the device. Use this method only if others have not helped.

Instructions for Rockrobo-based models (e.g. Mi Robot Vacuum 1S):

Connect to the robot via SSH (root access required).
Run the command to view the current maps: ls /mnt/default/rockrobo/map/
Delete the card files by command: rm -rf /mnt/default/rockrobo/map/*
Reboot the robot: reboot

For models with firmware Mi Home (without root):

📱 Use the Mi Home Modded app (unofficial version with advanced features).
🔧 Enable the developer mode in the robot settings (tap 5 times by the software version number in Settings) → About the device).
🗑️ In the Engineering Menu, find the Clear Map Data option.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect commands in the engineering menu can cause the robot to fail, such as deleting system files in the computer. /mnt/default/ If you're not sure, you can call the service center.

Table: Comparison of methods of deleting the card

Method	Difficulty	Efficiency	Loss of data	Suitable for models
Remove via Mi Home	⭐ (simple)	⚠️ Medium (may recover)	Only a map.	All models.
Voice assistant	⭐⭐ (requires adjustment)	❌ Low (not always working)	Only a map.	Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, Viomi V3
Alternative Firmware (Valetudo)	⭐⭐⭐ (technical)	✅ Tall.	Only the map (unless you reset the settings)	Models with support for custom software
Hard reset (buttons)	⭐⭐ (risk-taking)	✅✅ Guaranteed	All settings and binding to the account	All models.
Engineering Menu (SSH)	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (skilled)	✅✅✅ Maximum	Risk of system damage	Models with Rockrobo or root access

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When deleting a card, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

🔄 The card is recovered after being deleted, meaning that the robot has backed it up in the cloud or local memory, the solution being hard reset (Method 4) or deletion via Valetudo (Method 3).
🚫 The Delete Card button is inactive: check your internet connection and update the Mi Home app. Sometimes it helps to re-attach the robot to your account.
📱 The app gives an error “Can not delete the card”: restart the robot (hold the power button for 10 seconds) and try again.
🔌 Robot does not respond to commands after reset: it may have lost the Wi-Fi settings (Xiaomi_Vacuum_XXXX) and reset the network.

If none of these methods worked, the problem could be the damaged firmware.

Check the version of the software in Settings → About the device.
Update the firmware through Mi Home (Section Update).
If the update is not available, contact the Xiaomi service center.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Can you remove a map for just one room without washing everything?

Yes, you can remove individual zones in the Mi Home app. To do this, open the Map section. Slip to the desired room and select Delete or Edit → Clean. But if the robot has combined the rooms into one zone, you have to erase the entire map.

After removing the map, the robot became less orientable. What do we do?

It's normal: the robot needs time to recalibrate the sensors: 🏠 Run the cleaning in full mode (not on schedule) so that the robot builds a new map. 📏 Make sure there is enough light in the room (laser sensor) LDS It doesn't work well in the dark). 🔄 Reboot the robot after the first cleaning.

How to save the card before deleting?

The official Mi Home app does not have a map export function: 📸 Take screenshots of the map manually (for reference). 💾 Use alternative firmware (for example, Valetudo allows you to download a card file in.svg format). In the future, Xiaomi may add cloud card backup, but at the moment this feature is not available.

Will the robot work without a map?

Yeah, but less efficient. Without a map, the robot uses it: 🤖 Random algorithm (chaotic motion, as in cheap models). 📡 Collision sensors to get around obstacles, but it won't remember layout, cleaning areas, and optimal routes.

Can I remove the card from my phone if the robot is not connected to Wi-Fi?

No, you need to delete the card through Mi Home: 📶 Active connection of the robot to the Internet. 📱 Authorize your Xiaomi account on your phone. If Wi-Fi is not available, use hard reset (Method 4) or connect the robot to the access point from your phone.