Xiaomi's smart devices have long since ceased to be a simple toy for geeks and have become an integral part of the lives of many families. However, owners often face a situation where only one smartphone can operate a robot vacuum cleaner. This creates inconveniences, especially if both spouses or several family members manage the house. The logical question arises: how to make sure that all households can start cleaning or monitor the status of the device from a personal gadget?
The solution lies not in physical soldering or complex firmware manipulation, but in the proper configuration of the software. The Mijia ecosystem has several sharing scenarios, but they require certain safety rules and sequences of actions. Errors at the initial stage can lead to the device having to reconnect.
In this article, we will explore all available synchronization methods, from classic family access to voice assistants, how to avoid account conflicts and why regional server settings sometimes play a crucial role in the success of the operation.
Preparation of equipment and software
Before you start setting up sync between two smartphones, you need to make sure the basic readiness of the infrastructure.Outdated versions of applications or unstable Wi-Fi router can reduce all efforts to zero. The first step should always be to check the relevance of the software on both devices that you plan to use for management.
It's important to understand that the "main" phone is the one that originally resets and binds the vacuum cleaner, and that account will have full administrative rights, and that the second device will be a client with limited but sufficient rights for household use, and make sure that both smartphones have the same versions of the smart home management app.
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Before you start setting up, upgrade the Mi Home app to the latest version in Google Play or App Store, as older versions may not support newer family access protocols.
Also worth paying attention to the frequency of the Wi-Fi network. Most models of robotic assistants, including the popular Xiaomi Vacuum Mop, work exclusively in the 2.4 GHz band. If your router broadcasts a 5 GHz network with the same name as 2.4 GHz, there may be errors when connecting. It is recommended to temporarily split the networks or force the smartphone to switch to 2.4 GHz at the time of setting up.
- 📱 Install the Mi Home or Xiaomi Home app on both smartphones.
- 🔋 Charge the robot vacuum cleaner to at least 20% before the procedure begins.
- 📶 Make sure both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (preferably 2.4GHz).
- 🆔 Register Mi accounts on both devices (they may be different).
Family Access Methods: Mi Home
The most civilized and correct way to divide control is to use Home Sharing, which allows you to transfer access rights from your main account to additional ones without transferring your Wi-Fi password or resetting your device, which in the app interface looks like creating a virtual family space.
The process starts with the main device, and the owner has to open the app, go to the profile, and find the control point of the house, and this is where the structure is created, and then the other users will connect to it, and once the "home" is created, the system will invite participants through a unique code or a unique code. QR-code.
☑️ Set up family access
When the second user accepts the invitation, the app will have a new home with devices, but here lies the important caveat: not all functions may be available by default, sometimes you need to manually allow remote control for family members in the settings of each device, without which the second phone will see the status, but will not be able to start the engine.
⚠️ Note: When you delete your main account from the Family or change your Mi Account password, all connected devices on the second phone may temporarily lose communication and require re-authorization.
Use of a shared Mi Account
There is an alternative, simpler, but less secure method, which is to use the same username and password on both devices, an approach often chosen by users who don't want to understand the Sharing rights settings in their sleep, and you just type the same data into the Xiaomi Home app on the second phone.
The main advantage of this method is that it completely synchronizes the history of cleaning, maps and schedules in real time, and if you change the schedule on one phone, it will instantly update on another, but this approach has a serious drawback: session conflict. In some versions of the application, when you log in from a new device, the session on the old one can be forced to end.
Risks of a shared account
Also, notifications of completion of cleaning or errors will arrive on both phones at the same time, which can be annoying. If one user decides to rename rooms or rebuild a map, the changes will affect everyone. For couples where personal digital is important, this method may not be entirely convenient.
Setup via Xiaomi Home (Global)
For users of global versions of devices and applications, the interface may differ from Chinese counterparts. In the Xiaomi Home (Global version), the process of adding devices to a second phone often requires explicit confirmation via Bluetooth, which is done to improve security and prevent unauthorized access by neighbors.
When you try to add a device to a second phone by selecting the "Device Search" option, the system may suggest scanning. QR-code or enter the code displayed on the main phone screen. In some cases, you need to physically press the combination of buttons on the vacuum cleaner itself (usually by simultaneously clamping the on and home button) to go into pairing mode.
| Action. | Main telephone | Second phone. | Robot vacuum cleaner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connection mode | Gives access | Accepts access | Standby mode |
| Internet | Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz | Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Included | Included (required) | Included |
| Geolocation | Permitted. | Permitted (required) | Not required |
Importantly, in the global version of the application, access rights can be more flexible: the administrator can assign the second user the role of "Guest" or "Family member", limiting the possibility of changing the schedule, but leaving the right to start cleaning. → Public access.
Voice control as an alternative
If the purpose of adding a second phone was to allow another family member to start cleaning with voice, then attaching to the app can be redundant.Integration with voice assistants solves this problem elegantly. Xiaomi vacuum cleaner is great friends with Alice (through the Mi Home skill), Google Assistant and Yandex Station.
To implement this scenario, you need to link your Mi Home account to your voice assistant account, and then any family member whose voice is trained in a smart speaker or whose Google/Yandex account is added to Home can give the command "Alice, turn on the vacuum cleaner," in which case a second phone is not needed at all for control, it is enough to have a smart speaker at home.
This method is particularly useful for children or the elderly who have difficulty understanding the application interface, but it requires a stable Internet connection and the appropriate hardware in the form of a smart speaker, local commands without the Internet, unfortunately, are not supported by most models.
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Voice control via a smart speaker is the fastest way to start cleaning for all family members without having to set up apps on their phones.
Solving typical synchronization problems
Despite the fact that the processes are fine, users often find that the second phone sees the device, but it is displayed as "Offline" or "Unavailable." Most often the problem lies in the regional server settings. If the main account is registered in the "Russia" region, and the second phone automatically selected "Europe" or "China", the devices will not be visible.
You can check and change the region in the application profile settings. You need to click on the username and select the appropriate country. After changing the region, the application will restart and the list of devices will be updated. It is also worth checking the geolocation access rights: in Android 12 and above, for Bluetooth scanning (which is used to detect devices), access to the location must be allowed at all times.
Sometimes it helps to completely reset the network settings of the vacuum cleaner, to do this, you need to pinch two buttons at the same time (usually this is the on button and the return button to the base) for 5-7 seconds until the device reports the Wi-Fi reset, then you need to add it again to the network, but already taking into account all the nuances of access.
⚠️ Note: When you reset Wi-Fi, the map and schedule settings stored in the cloud are usually saved, but local router settings may require you to re-enter your password.