How to divide rooms in the robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi: setting up the map

Today’s Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners are equipped with laser rangefinders and sophisticated navigation algorithms that allow them to build an accurate map of your home. However, it often happens that the device perceives the apartment as a single space, ignoring real architectural features such as doorways or corridors. This can lead to inefficient cleaning when the gadget tries to avoid non-existent obstacles or, conversely, gets stuck where the passage is free.

The Split feature in the Mi Home or Xiaomi Home app solves this problem by allowing the user to manually edit the map. Zoning is necessary not only for visual convenience, but also to perform complex cleaning scenarios, such as selective cleaning of specific rooms or installing different suction power for different areas.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the process of creating and editing a map, consider the nuances of working with virtual walls and answer frequent questions that arise from owners of smart equipment. Proper configuration of your robot’s navigation system will significantly improve its efficiency and prolong the battery life.

Preparation of a robot vacuum cleaner for map construction

Before you start manually separating rooms, you need to provide the perfect conditions for the initial scan. The robot must drive through the entire available area to form a basic map of the room. Make sure all the doors to the room are open, and there are no scattered wires, socks or other small objects on the floor that can confuse the laser rangefinder (LDS) or lower sensors.

Run the device through the app and wait for the complete cleaning or mapping cycle to be completed. If the robot interrupts or the map is distorted, it is better to reset it and start again. To do this, select the Save Maps option in the map settings and delete the current version. Xiaomi Vacuum must work one full cycle without interruptions to charge for proper geometry construction.

It's also important to check the firmware updates of the vacuum cleaner and the application. Developers are constantly improving the algorithms for building maps, and in older versions of the software, the separation function may not work correctly or not. Go to the device profile and check for updates.

Set up the Mi Home app and region

One of the most common reasons for the lack of room sharing is the wrong choice of region in the Mi Home app. The servers that store the maps are located in different countries, and the interface functionality may differ. If you have a Chinese version of the robot, and the application chooses a region “Russia” or “Europe”, some map editing functions may not be available.

To get full access to all tools, it is recommended to install the China region. This will not affect the interface language (it will remain Russian or English), but will unlock the full functionality for the Xiaomi Smart Home ecosystem devices. Remember that when you change the region, old devices may disappear from the list, and they will have to be re-associated.

Also make sure you have the latest version of the app installed. Map editing features are often added in new releases. The interface may look different depending on your smartphone's operating system (iOS or Android), but the logic of the work remains similar.

The process of dividing rooms (Split) Step-by-step

Once the map is built, we move to the most important step, which is to divide the single space into separate rooms. Open the map in the app and find the edit button (usually a pencil icon or the inscription "Edit" in the top corner).

You're going to be asked to draw a line where the divider is supposed to go, which could be a corridor, a doorway, or an imaginary boundary between the living room and the kitchen, draw a line confidently, connecting walls or borders of the map, and the virtual wall has to cross the entire width of the passage, otherwise the robot will think the rooms are connected.

After you draw the line, the system will suggest you to confirm the action, and the robot will count the zones, and you will see the numbered areas on the map, and you can rename them by naming them "Kitchen," "Bedroom," etc., which is useful when you set up voice control through smart speakers.

Use of virtual walls and forbidden areas

Beyond physically separating rooms, it's critical to be able to adjust No-Go Zones, areas where a robot is strictly forbidden to enter, and unlike real partitions, virtual walls are invisible to collision sensors but strictly enforced by the navigation algorithm.

There are two main types of restrictions: no-go zones (squares or rectangles) and virtual walls (lines), which are ideal for insulating places where there are bowls of water for animals, long-pile carpets (if the robot does not have the function of lifting the brush), or fragile objects on the floor.

• 🚫 No-go zone: Robot completely ignores this square, not even entering it on the edge.
• 🧱 Virtual Wall: A line that a device cannot cross, effectively separating space without a physical barrier.
• 🧹 Carpet Zone: A special mode in which the robot either circles the carpet or, if there is a water module, does not include wet cleaning in this area.

Using these tools allows you to adapt the behavior of Xiaomi Robot Vacuum to the layout of your apartment, making cleaning safe for things and pets.

Comparison of models and support of functions

Not all Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners support map-building and map-editing. Budget models with chaotic navigation or a gyroscope often lack a laser rangefinder (LDS) and therefore cannot create stored maps, in which case room separation is not possible.

Below is a table that helps determine the capabilities of popular series:

Note that even within a single line, features may differ. Lite or Essential models often have reduced functionality compared to the basic versions. Always check the specification of a particular device before buying if zoning is a priority for you.

For models without a laser rangefinder, the only way to limit the zone is to use physical magnetic tapes (if supported) or to install physical barriers.

Solution: The map is reset or not edited

Users often experience a situation where after each cleaning, the map disappears or is reset, which occurs if the robot cannot find its base, or if it was manually moved to another place during operation, the algorithm is lost and begins to build the map again, considering the previous one to be irrelevant.

⚠️ Warning: Never lift or carry a robot while working unless it's stuck. This disorients the gyroscope and knocks the map binding. If you need to move the device, put it on base first or turn it off.

Another reason is that there is insufficient light or no contrasting objects for additional sensors (in models without LDS). Make sure the room has furniture or objects that help the robot navigate. In a completely empty room with white walls, navigation may not work properly.

If the map is saved but the "Separate" tool is inactive (gray), check if the cleaning process is currently underway. Editing is available only in standby mode. Also try clearing the app's cache in your smartphone settings.

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Tip: If the robot loses the map, don't rush to reset. Try sending it to the base manually, and then start the "Pinpoint Cleanup" mode in the center of the room so that it recalibrates and updates its position.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)

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The high-quality separation of rooms and the setting of virtual walls turn the robot vacuum cleaner from a chaotic rolling toy into an accurate cleaning tool, saving your time and battery resources.