Can Xiaomi vacuum cleaner be taught to swear through the iPhone?

Why the vacuum cleaner doesn’t want to swear (and what to do about it)

Have you ever dreamed of your Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner giving something more emotional than a boring “Charge is complete”? Like a strong word after a table leg? Technically, it’s possible — but not as easy as it sounds. In this article, we’ll look at all the working (and not so) ways to change the voice responses of a vacuum cleaner through an iPhone, assess the risks and explain why the manufacturer does not approve of it.

We warn you right away: Xiaomi doesn’t have any official tools to customize voice packets, and all of the methods described below are undocumented features or third-party solutions, which means you’re taking your own risks, from losing warranty to completely bricking your device, but if you’re willing to experiment, read on.

The problem is that Xiaomi vacuum cleaners (including the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, Viomi V3 and Dreame Bot Z10 Pro) use proprietary voice packets sewn into firmware, which can’t be changed out of the box — you either need to sew the device or use workarounds, and the iPhone becomes both a tool and a limitation: Apple doesn’t allow you to interact with hardware as freely as Android.

Method 1: Replace voice packet via Mi Home (limited)

The safest, but also the most boring, method is to change the language of voice cues to another language that you can find, and that won't give you a mat, but at least it will make the vacuum cleaner speak differently.

1. Open the Mi Home app on your iPhone.
2. Select your vacuum cleaner from the list of devices.
3. Go to Settings → Voice prompts.
4. In the Language section, select any available one (e.g. English, Spanish or Chinese).

Unfortunately, the official app doesn't have custom voice packs, but some users find a workaround through regional firmware, like putting a vacuum cleaner region in China, and some models have additional voice options (including more emotional cues), but the mat isn't there either.

⚠️ Note: Changing the region of the device in the Mi Home may result in the loss of functionality of some features (for example, integration with Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant.

If you want Russian-language swearing, it's not going to work. We're going to go to more radical methods.

Method 2: Firmware custom voice package (for advanced)

This is the most difficult, but also the most flexible, option, and the idea is to replace the standard audio files in the vacuum cleaner's firmware with your own.

• 🖥️ Windows or macOS computer (on iPhone this is impossible to do).
• 🔌 USB-Type-C Cable (to connect vacuum cleaner to PC).
• 🛠️ Mi Home Hack or Valetudo (alternative firmware).
• 🎤 A set of sound files in.wav format (you can write your own or download ready-made ones).

The process looks like this:

1. Unlock the vacuum cleaner for firmware (you need a token that can be obtained through Mi Home or special services like Xiaomi Cloud Tokens Extractor).
2. Connect the vacuum cleaner to your PC and install Valetudo (instructions are on the official website).
3. In Valetudo’s web interface, search for the Sound Management section and upload your audio files.
4. Assign files to specific events (e.g. collision.wav for collisions).

The main disadvantage of the method is that after updating the firmware through Mi Home, all changes will reset. In addition, Valetudo does not support all models of Xiaomi vacuum cleaners (the full compatibility list is here).

Method 3: Using third-party applications (hearing deception)

If the firmware seems too complicated, you can do a trick: put a sound over the vacuum cleaner's voice using an iPhone, and you can do it with apps like Voice Changer or Audio Mixer.

1. Record the voice of the vacuum cleaner (for example, when it says “cleaning has begun”).
2. In an audio editing app (such as GarageBand), overlay a hard track on the record.
3. Save the file and play it manually when the vacuum cleaner "speaks."

The downsides are obvious: it's not automated, and you'll have to run a phone every time, but there's no risk to the vacuum cleaner!

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If you want the audio to play automatically, set up Automation in the Shortcuts app on your iPhone, for example, you can run an audio file when you connect to the vacuum cleaner's Wi-Fi network.

Method 4: Voice assistant as a mediator (for lazy people)

Another workaround is to use Siri or Alice from Yandex as a translator.

1. Customize the voices of assistants to bogus responses (for example, through skills in Alice).
2. Connect the vacuum cleaner with the assistant through Mi Home and Yandex.Smart Home.
3. Program the assistant’s reactions to vacuum events (for example, if the vacuum cleaner makes a mistake, he will say “Well, this freak is stuck again!”).

An example of setting up for Alice:

The "vacuum cleaner" skill.


events:




- if "the vacuum cleaner collided" → say "Damn, that wall again!"




- if "the vacuum cleaner is charged" → say "Finally, I'm tired!"

This will not replace the vacuum cleaner’s voice, but will create the illusion of a “scrupulous robot,” and the main thing is to remember that all these phrases will be heard by the whole family (including children and neighbors).

Risks and Consequences: What Could Go Wrong

Before you rush to re-examine the vacuum cleaner, assess the possible problems:

The most dangerous scenario is that the vacuum cleaner becomes a brick after a failed firmware, in which case it can only be restored through a service center (and it will cost more than buying a new one).

⚠️ Note: If you live in an apartment with thin walls, keep in mind that dirty replicas of a vacuum cleaner can cause conflicts with neighbors. In some regions of Russia, for obscene language in public places (and the staircase belongs to them), a fine of up to 2.5 thousand rubles is provided.

Alternatives: how to diversify communication with a vacuum cleaner without a mat

If the goal is simply to make interaction with the vacuum cleaner more fun, there are safer ways to do this:

• 🎭 Change your voice to female/male/childish in the Mi Home settings.
• 🎵 Add a music alert for the start/end of cleaning (some models have this feature).
• 🤖 Set up joke notifications in the Telegram bot (for example, through the IFTTT).
• 🎮 Use voice commands to control the vacuum cleaner (e.g., “Hey Siri, start cleaning the kitchen»).

For example, in the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, you can turn on the Child Voice mode, which sounds much nicer than a standard robotic voice, and if you connect the vacuum cleaner to the Google Assistant, you can set up answers like “Cleaning has begun, captain!” instead of a boring “OK.”

FAQ: Frequent questions about "scolding" vacuum cleaners

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Any changes to the firmware of the Xiaomi vacuum cleaner deprive you of warranty. If the device fails, the service center will refuse repairs, citing “interference with the software.”