Modern smart home devices from Xiaomi are famous for their functionality and affordable price, but when buying through international platforms such as AliExpress, users often face an unpleasant surprise.
This is the Chinese version of the robot vacuum cleaner, which by default offers an interface exclusively in Chinese, making initial setup and daily use almost impossible for the European user.
Fortunately, engineers have provided the ability to switch, and changing the language in the Mi Home app is a regular procedure that does not require flashing the device or complex manipulations with the command line.
Why the Right Regional Reference Is Important
The first and most critical step before trying to change language settings is choosing the right server in the Mi Home app, because Xiaomi’s ecosystem is divided into regional clusters, and devices released for the domestic market of China are registered by default on servers in Beijing or Shanghai.
If you try to change your device settings while in the European region of the application, the system may simply not see the necessary language file packages or refuse to apply the changes due to security policies.
To successfully change the language, you need to temporarily switch the region in the application to China, perform the necessary actions, and then, if desired, return the settings back.
- 🌏 Open the Mi Home app and go to profile.
- 📍 Click on Settings and select Region.
- 🇨🇳 In the list of countries, find and select China (China).
- 🔄 Wait for the interface to reboot and re-enter the account.
⚠️ Attention: After changing the region, your list of devices may temporarily empty. This is normal - just add a vacuum cleaner again or wait for sync if it was previously associated with this account.
It is important to understand that some models of robot vacuum cleaners have a rigid reference to the region of release, and changing the region in the application is the only way to access the full functionality of the control.
📊 Where did you buy your Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner?
Official store in Russia
AliExpress (China)
Local electronics store
B/U hand-off
Other
Preparation for changing the interface language
Before you start directly changing the settings, make sure that your mobile device and the robot vacuum cleaner itself are in stable condition.The Internet connection plays a key role, as language packs are often loaded dynamically from the manufacturer's servers.
It’s also worth checking out the Mi Home app version in your smartphone’s app store, and older versions may not have up-to-date translations or may have bugs in the device settings menu.
It is recommended to make sure that the robot vacuum cleaner itself is charged at least 20%, although the process of changing the language is not energy intensive, a sudden shutdown can lead to an error in synchronization of settings.
- 📱 Update the Mi Home app to the latest version.
- 🔋 Check the battery level of the robot.
- 📶 Become insane with the stability of Wi-Fi network (preferably 2.4 GHz).
If you’re using Android, it’s also worth checking the Mi Home app’s permissions to access geolocation, as this is required to work with a smart home.
Step-by-step: changing the language in Mi Home
Once you switched the region to China and made sure that the robot vacuum cleaner is displayed in the list of devices, you can go to the main control menu.
In the upper right corner of the screen, you'll see a three-dot icon or a gear, which is the input to the advanced settings of a particular device, and that's where you hide the settings that are not available in the general menu.
In the list that opens, look for a item that may visually differ depending on the firmware version, but it is usually indicated by characters corresponding to the word "Settings" or "General".
Path to menu: Home → Device → (three dots) → Settings (cog icon) → Language (Voice/Language)
Inside the settings menu, find the section that handles voice or interface language, and in the Chinese version, it can be called (voice settings) or have a similar designation.
Click on this and you will see a list of available languages. Choose English or Russian if your model supports firmware-level Russification.
- 🎛️ Go to the device settings (three points).
- 🔊 Find the voice settings section (usually the second or third item).
- 🗣️ Select the desired language from the drop-down list.
- 💾 Press the confirmation button (often the red or blue button at the bottom).
⚠️ Note: Not all models support Russian voice support. For some devices, only English or Chinese is available, even if the application interface is entirely in Russian.
After selecting the language, the robot vacuum cleaner can emit an audible signal or pronounce a confirmation phrase, which indicates the successful application of the settings.
What if the language is not on the list?
If the list of available languages is missing Russian or English, this means that this particular modification of the robot vacuum cleaner has a stripped down firmware. In this case, you can try installing a third-party application, for example, Valetudo (flashing requires), or accepting Chinese voice support, controlling the device through the Russified Mi Home interface.> Comparison of firmware versions and support for languages Not all Xiaomi vacuum cleaners are the same, and language support depends directly on the model and year of release. Understanding the differences between versions will help avoid disappointments when buying. Global Version usually have Russian support from multiple languages (CN) Model of the device Support RU Language Method Note Xiaomi Vacuum Mop 2 Fully via Mi Home Required China Roborock Region S7 Full Automatically Depends on the region of the Xiaomi Vacuum account 1S Partial via Mi Home Only basic Viomi commands V2 Pro is not available only Unavailable CN/EN As you can see from the table, even within a single brand, support may differ. Older models, such as (first generation), may not have the technical ability to download new language packs. Owners of Viomi series devices should be especially careful, as the Viomi ecosystem sometimes requires a separate Viomi Home application for full functionality, where the language change happens differently. Even following the instructions, users may encounter situations where the language is not changed or the changes are not saved. This is most often due to app data caching or connection instability. If the robot continues to speak Chinese after choosing a language, try completely uninstalling the Mi Home app and installing it again, remembering to choose China region when you first start. Sometimes it helps to reset the Wi-Fi module on the device itself, which requires you to simultaneously press the on and back button (or spot cleaning button) during the course of the reset. 5-7 seconds before the characteristic beep. 🔄 Switch the region in the app to and from there. 🗑️ Clear the app cache in the settings Android/iOS. 📡 Reconnect the robot to a Wi-Fi network, and it's worth checking if it's running on the phone. VPN-A service that can block the connection to Xiaomi update servers in your current location. ⚠️ Note: When you reset the Wi-Fi module, the robot will lose your network settings and you will have to re-enter the router password in the application. In rare cases, the problem lies in the version of the Mi Home application itself. APK-Files, language change functionality may not work properly. 💡If standard methods do not help, try connecting your phone to an access point with the IP-address of another country (for example, through VPN If you're in Europe, being in China in an app can sometimes be a trick on the verification server. Alternative management methods If you can't change the language, or the device model is too old, there are workarounds to integrate the robot into the smart home. One of the most popular solutions is the use of the Home Assistant platform. This open-source system allows you to manage Xiaomi devices regardless of the manufacturer’s regional restrictions, providing flexible localization settings. Another option is the use of voice assistants such as Yandex.Alice or Google Assistant, which can take over the voice control function by broadcasting commands in a language you understand. For advanced users, custom firmware such as Valetudo is available, which completely replaces cloud management with local, removing dependence on Xiaomi servers and giving full control of the interface language. However, installing third-party software can lead to a loss of warranty and requires certain technical skills. If there are no Russian audio paths in the firmware, you can't add them software, you can only Russify the application interface. Will the language reset when you update the firmware? Usually the language settings are saved after the update. However, if the update changes the region of the device or is major (change the version of the software), the settings can go back to the factory one, and the procedure will have to be repeated. Does the change of language affect the warranty? Changing the language through the regular menu of the Mi Home application is a standard function and does not affect warranty obligations. The guarantee can only be lost when using third-party firmware or physical intervention. Why does the robot speak Chinese, although the interface is accompanied by the various applications with Russian? The application can be in any language supported by the server, while the voice depends on the internal memory of the robot and the language selected in its settings.