Owners of Xiaomi smart appliances often face the need to fine-tune the device after the first run. A room map is the foundation on which all the logic of your robot vacuum cleaner is built. If it is not compiled correctly, the gadget can confuse rooms, ignore areas or misidentify the location of the base. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to manually edit the map to achieve perfect navigation.
Modern models such as Roborock S5 Max, Xiaomi Vacuum Mop 2 Pro or Dreame L10s, technology LDS-But even advanced algorithms sometimes fail to connect the hallway to the living room or not to notice the partitions, and the ability to intervene and fix the virtual map gives the user complete control over the cleaning. You can deny access to certain areas, create invisible barriers, and even save multiple floors for multi-level apartments.
The editing process is done exclusively through the Mi Home or Xiaomi Home mobile app, where all the necessary tools are concentrated. You don't need third-party programs or complex code manipulations. You just need to have a stable connection to the Wi-Fi network and access to the account to which the device is attached. Let's look at a step-by-step algorithm that will help you get the digital space in order.
Basic setting and first scan
Before you start manual editing, you need to create a primary map. The first scan is a critical step, which depends on 90% of the success of further operation. Make sure that the room is light enough, and all the doors to the rooms that need to be accounted for are open. The robot must move freely throughout the area so that the laser rangefinder can read the contours of walls and furniture without distortion.
Run a full cleaning through the Mi Home app and wait for it to be completed or forced to stop after all the rooms. Don't interrupt the process ahead of time, otherwise the construction algorithm may not have time to close the contours of the rooms. Once completed, the robot will automatically return to the base, and the application will show a notification of the readiness of the map. If the device is stuck or lost, the map should be removed and start the scan again, after cleaning the floor of unnecessary items.
⚠️ Note: If you were carrying a robot on your hands during the first scan, the map may be distorted.
Once you've successfully created the map, the system will suggest you save it. You accept this action to activate the saved map mode. You now have a base to work with: rename rooms, divide them or merge them. Without saving the map, all zone and tab settings will be reset after each cleaning, making the use of smart features meaningless.
☑️ Preparation for scanning
Map management interface in the application
To enter edit mode, open the Mi Home app, select your vacuum cleaner, and go to the main control screen. The top right corner usually has a three-point icon or a map icon. When you click on it, you'll be taken to the map settings menu. This is where all the tools for working with the spatial model of your home are located. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version and the robot model, but the logic remains the same.
In the management menu, you'll find options for renaming rooms, splitting or merging zones, and setting up virtual walls. It's important to understand that any changes are instant, but they often require confirmation. If you make a mistake, don't panic: most actions can be canceled until the final save. The system also allows you to create multiple maps, which is true for multi-storey homes or cottages where furniture arrangement is different.
You should pay special attention to the orientation of the map. By default, the north on the map may not coincide with the real north, which sometimes causes confusion when setting up zones. You can rotate the map 90, 180 or 270 degrees to match the plan of the apartment in your mind. This is purely visual setting, but it makes it much easier to navigate the interface when creating no-go zones.
Room Editing: Separation and Unification
Often, automatic room recognition doesn't work perfectly. For example, the kitchen can be combined with the living room, or the corridor divided into two parts. To correct the situation, use the room separation tool. Select the appropriate option in the editing menu and draw the incision line across the smartphone screen. The line should pass through the doorway or the bottleneck that separates the functional areas.
The reverse operation, which is to combine rooms, is necessary when a robot mistakenly divides a large space, such as a studio or a long corridor, into several isolated areas. Choose a tool for combining (often looks like an eraser or a fusion icon) and paint over the partition area that you want to remove. After that, the system will recalculate the area and combine the zones into one logical unit, which will allow you to set cleaning modes for the entire space at once, rather than for each piece separately.
⚠️ Note: When dividing rooms, make sure that the cut line does not cross furniture or obstacles. Make a virtual cut only over the free floor space for the algorithms to work correctly.
When you change the geometry of the rooms, remember to give them clear names. Rename "Room 1" to "Bedroom" and "Room 2" to "Kitchen." Not only is it user-friendly, but it's also necessary for voice assistants like Alice or Google Assistant to work properly, so you can say, "Get the kitchen clean," and the robot will know what zone it's talking about, even if it was artificially created by you.