Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaners are some of the most popular smart cleaning devices, but sometimes users face a problem: the device speaks or displays information in an unfamiliar language. This can happen after buying from overseas sites, resetting settings or updating firmware. Depending on the model (Mi Robot Vacuum, Dreame, Viomi) and the software version, the process of changing the language is different — somewhere it is done through an application, and somewhere you need manual adjustment.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change the language on Xiaomi vacuum cleaners, including models with and without a screen, and also consider the typical mistakes that prevent the process from successfully completing. If your vacuum cleaner “speaks” in Chinese, Spanish or another language, do not rush to bring it to the service: in 90% of cases, the problem can be solved independently in 5-10 minutes.
Why does Xiaomi’s vacuum cleaner speak a different language?
There are several reasons why the robot vacuum cleaner has started using the wrong language, most often it is related to:
- 🌍 If the device was bought on AliExpress, Gearbest or other foreign sites, it could be customized for the market in China, Europe or the United States.
- 🔄 After the vacuum cleaner is reset to the default language (usually Chinese or English).
- 📱 Newer versions of software sometimes reset language settings, especially if the update came from servers in another region.
- 🤖 If Mi Home or Dreamehome has the wrong region, the vacuum cleaner can pick up the wrong language.
In most cases, the problem can be solved software, but some older models (for example, Mi Robot Vacuum 1) require manual adjustment through buttons on the case.
Method 1: Change language with Mi Home / Dreamehome
The simplest and most versatile method is to change the language through an official app, which works for most modern models (Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, Dreame D10 Plus, Viomi V3, etc.), but requires that the vacuum cleaner be connected to Wi-Fi and tied to an account.
Step-by-step:
- Open the Mi Home app (or Dreamehome for Dreame devices).
- Select your vacuum cleaner from the list of devices.
- Go to Settings → General Settings → Language (or Settings → General → Language in English).
- In the list of available languages, select the desired one (for example, Russian or English).
- Confirm the change and wait for the vacuum cleaner to restart (usually 10–30 seconds).
If there is no Russian in the list, try:
- 🔍 Change the region in the Mi Home profile to “Russia” or “China” (in some firmwares, Russian appears only when choosing a Chinese region).
- 📲 Update the application to the latest version – older versions may not support new languages.
- 🔄 Reconnect the vacuum cleaner to the application (remove and add again).
Make sure the vacuum cleaner is connected to Wi-Fi|
Update the Mi Home/Dreamehome app to the latest version |
Check your account region (should match the language you want) |
Charge the vacuum cleaner by at least 20% (to avoid failures)
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Important: Some models (e.g. Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P) block language change through the app if the vacuum cleaner is linked to an account in China, in which case you will need to create a new account in Russia or Europe and re-connect the device.
Method 2: Manually changing the language through buttons on the body
If the vacuum cleaner is not connected to Wi-Fi or the model does not support changing the language through the application (for example, Mi Robot Vacuum 1 or Viomi V2), you can try changing the language manually.
Instructions for models with a screen (Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2, Dreame D10, etc.):
- Turn on the vacuum cleaner with a long press on the power button.
- Press and hold the Home (or Spot Cleaning) button for 5-7 seconds until the settings menu appears.
- With the ← and → buttons (or touch arrows on the screen), find the Language item or the globe icon.
- Select the desired language and confirm the choice with the OK or Start button.
- Wait for the vacuum cleaner to reboot.
Instructions for models without a screen (Mi Robot Vacuum 1, Viomi V2):
- Turn on the vacuum cleaner.
- Press and hold the Spot Cleaning and Home buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds until the beep sounds.
- Release the buttons and the vacuum cleaner will pronounce the current language (e.g., “Chinese” or “English”).
- Press the Spot Cleaning button to switch languages until you hear the one you want.
- Confirm the choice with a long press on Home.
What to do if the buttons do not respond?
⚠️ Note: On some models (Viomi) V3) After manual language change, you can reset your Wi-Fi binding, and you have to reconnect the vacuum cleaner to the network through the app.
Method 3: Resetting settings to factory
If none of the previous methods worked, the last measure is a complete reset, which will return the vacuum cleaner to the "out of the box" state, including the default language (usually English or Chinese), and after the reset, you can reconfigure the device and select the desired language.
How to reset:
- Turn on the vacuum cleaner.
- Press and hold the power and home button at the same time for 10-15 seconds until a long signal sounds or the indicator blinks.
- Release the buttons - the vacuum cleaner will reset (this will take 1-2 minutes).
- After the reboot, connect the vacuum cleaner to the Mi Home app again and select the language when you first set up.
| Model vacuum cleaner | Reset combination | Language default |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Robot Vacuum 1 | Food + Home (10 sec) | Chinese |
| Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro | Power + Spot Cleaning (15 seconds) | English |
| Dreame D9 | Food + Cleaning by zone (12 seconds) | Chinese/English |
| Viomi V3 | Power + Power Increase (8 seconds) | Chinese |
⚠️ Warning: Resetting removes all stored room maps, cleaning schedules and customizations. If the vacuum cleaner is tied to your Mi Home account, you'll have to add it back to the app.
💡
Before resetting, take a picture of the current vacuum cleaner settings in the application (scheduling, cleaning areas, suction power) that will help you quickly restore them after reconnecting.
Method 4: Update firmware to add a new language
If your vacuum cleaner model doesn’t have the right language (like Russian) but it’s supported by other regional versions, you can try upgrading to a language-enhanced version that’s suitable for advanced users, as it requires informal firmware.
How to update firmware:
- Find out the current firmware version of your vacuum cleaner (usually displayed in Settings → About the device in the application).
- Find the firmware on forums (e.g. 4PDA or Xiaomi Community) with the right language for your model. Pay attention to the region (e.g. CN – China, EU – Europe, RU – Russia).
- Download the firmware file (usually with the.pkg or.bin extension).
- Follow the firmware instructions (most models require a PC connection via USB-OTG or a special application like MiHome Hack).
⚠️ Warning: Unofficial firmware may contain errors or deprive you of warranty:
- 🔋 Make sure the vacuum cleaner is 100-charged%.
- 📡 Backup your current firmware (if possible).
- 🛠️ Be prepared for the fact that after the firmware may require resetting settings.
💡
Updating your firmware is an extreme method if other methods don’t work. The risk of a vacuum cleaner getting “bricked” when you do something wrong is ~5%, so only use proven firmware with feedback from other users.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When changing language on Xiaomi vacuum cleaners, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:
- 🚫 Language does not change through the app → Check the Mi Home account region (should match the language you want) or update the app.
- 🔊 Vacuum cleaner makes a mistake in Chinese voice → This means that the language you choose is not supported by your current firmware.
- 📶 After changing the language, Wi-Fi disappeared → This is normal for some models. Connect the vacuum cleaner to the network again through the app.
- ⚙️ Buttons do not respond to pressing → Maybe the vacuum cleaner is dead or the buttons are dirty.
- 🔄 After the reset, the language became Chinese again. → That means the default firmware is Chinese. Try flashing the European version of the software.
If none of the methods worked, check:
- 📋 Model compatibility – some older vacuum cleaners (Mi Robot Vacuum 1) do not support Russian.
- 🔧 Hardware malfunctions – if the vacuum cleaner does not respond to buttons and does not connect to the application, it may be a problem in the control board.