How to make a robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi “talking”: from firmware to voice assistants

Xiaomi vacuum cleaners have long since ceased to be just smart mops — they have become full-fledged home assistants. But what if your Mi Robot Vacuum could not only silently clean, but also comment on their actions, warn about problems or even jokingly communicate with you? In this article, we will examine all the ways to make a vacuum cleaner truly “talking” — from the standard functions of voice assistants to custom firmware with voiceover in Russian.

It’s important to understand that the capabilities depend on the model. For example, Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro supports integration with Alice and Google Assistant out of the box, and older versions (like Mi Robot Vacuum 1S) will require manual firmware. We’ll look at both options, from official solutions to hacks for advanced users, and we’ll also explain how to avoid the typical mistakes that cause the vacuum cleaner to hang in upgrade mode or lose communication with Xiaomi servers.

Which Xiaomi models of vacuum cleaners support voice control?

Not all Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners can talk, but functionality depends on the processor, firmware version and cloud support, and here are the key models that can be made talkative:

• 🔹 Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro/Ultra — Supports Alice, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts without any improvements.
• 🔹 Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P10 — Works with Mi Home and Home Assistant, but requires manual voice-over adjustment.
• 🔹 Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop E10/E12 — limited support for voice commands, but can be improved through Valetudo.
• 🔹 Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1S/2S — outdated models, but they can be stitched with custom firmware for voiceover (risk of loss of warranty!).

If your model is not on the list, check it out on the Mi Home website under Smart Home. Models with MT7688 or later processor usually support voice functions. For a precise identification of the model, look at the sticker on the bottom of the vacuum cleaner - there is an article (for example, STYJ02YM for Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro).

Method 1: Voice Assistants (Alice, Google Assistant, Siri)

The easiest way to get a vacuum cleaner to talk is to connect it to one of the voice assistants, which doesn't give it full voice acting, but it allows you to control the voice cleaning and get status notifications, for example, Alice can say, "The vacuum cleaner has finished cleaning the kitchen" or "The battery is discharged to 20%."

To set up:

1. Install the Mi Home app and add a vacuum cleaner to your Xiaomi account.
2. In the vacuum cleaner settings, activate the voice control option (Smart Home → Devices → [Your vacuum cleaner] → Settings).
3. Connect Mi Home to Alice or Google Assistant: 🎤 For Alice: Say “Plug Mi Home” or do it manually in the Yandex app. 🎤 For Google Assistant: Select Home Devices in the Assistant Settings → Add → Mi Home.

"Alice, start cleaning the living room."


"OK, Google, put the vacuum cleaner back on base."

Limitation: The assistants will not make the vacuum cleaner voice their actions in real time, they will only confirm the execution of the command or report an error (for example, "Vacciner stuck").

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If the vacuum cleaner doesn’t respond to voice commands, check if it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi as your smartphone. Some models (such as the Mi Robot Vacuum 1S) don’t work with 5 GHz networks — only with 2.4 GHz.

Method 2: Valetudo firmware for voice acting

If you want full voiceovers (e.g., Start cleaning, Battery discharged, Mud Discovered), you’ll need to install an alternative Valetudo firmware, which is open source software that replaces Xiaomi’s standard cloud and adds advanced features including Text-to-Speech (TTS).

⚠️ Note: Valetudo firmware is warranty-free and can lead to loss of features if you do something wrong.We recommend testing first on an outdated model (for example, Mi Robot Vacuum 1).

Installation instructions:

Download the firmware from [official website](https://valetudo.cloud)

Connect the vacuum cleaner to the PC via USB (OTG cable is needed)

Install drivers for the MT7688 chip (if Windows does not recognize the device)

Make a backup of the original firmware (dumpimage team)

Disconnect the vacuum cleaner from Mi Home (to avoid conflicts)

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1. Download Valetudo firmware for your model from the official website.For Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1S fit valetudo-roborock-vacuum-v1_1.7.2.
2. Connect the vacuum cleaner to your computer via USB-OTG (the connector is hidden under the lid, next to the Reset button).
3. Launch the terminal and execute the firmware command: python3 -m esptool --port /dev/ttyUSB0 write_flash 0x0 valetudo-roborock-vacuum-v1_1.7.2.bin (Replace. /dev/ttyUSB0 to your port if you are using Windows.)
4. Once the firmware is in place, the vacuum cleaner will create its own Valetudo-XXX Wi-Fi network, connect to it and open the browser address http://192.168.4.1.
5. In the Valetudo web interface, go to Settings → TTS and tune the voiceover: 🗣️ Select a language (Russian or English). 🔊 Specify the voice engine (eSpeak or Google) TTS). 📝 Add custom phrases (e.g., “Cleaning is complete, you can walk around!»).

Now the vacuum cleaner will be the voice of all the actions, for example, when you start cleaning, it will say, "I'm starting the cleaning in Turbo mode. Expected time is 45 minutes." And if it gets stuck, it will say, "Obstacle detected. Needs help."

Method 3: Integration with Home Assistant for Advanced Voiceover

If you use the Home Assistant smart home system, you can configure the dynamic voiceover of the vacuum cleaner through Media Player and TTS-This will allow you to not only voice standard actions, but also create custom notifications:

• 🔊 «A vacuum cleaner found severe contamination in the kitchen.»
• 🔊 «Battery's down to 15 percent, back to base.»
• 🔊 «Cleaning complete. 25 grams of dust removed today.»

To set up:

1. Add a vacuum cleaner to Home Assistant via Xiaomi Miio integration (the device token will be required).
2. Install the Google Text-to-Speech or Yandex TTS component in the Home Assistant settings.
3. Create automation (automation → new automation) with the trigger The vacuum cleaner state has changed and the action Replay TTS.

Example of code for configuration.yaml:

tts:


- platform: google_translate




service_name: google_say




language: 'ru-RU'





automation:




- alias: "Vaciculate completed cleaning"




trigger:




platform: state




entity_id: vacuum.xiaomi_vacuum




to: "docked"




action:




service: tts.google_say




data:




entity_id: media_player.living_room_speaker




Message: "Cleaning is complete! Vacuum is back at base."

The main advantage of this is flexibility. You can voice any event, even those that are not supported by standard firmware. For example, if a vacuum cleaner is stuck in one place three times in a row, Home Assistant can say, "Warning! The robot can't overcome the obstacle in the hallway. Check the cleaning area."

Method 4: Castomic sound packages (for models without TTS)

If your model does not support Text-to-Speech (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1), you can replace standard sounds with custom voice notifications.

1. Download audio files in.wav format (for example, recorded by your voice or generated in Balabolka).
2. Connect to the vacuum cleaner via SSH (if Valetudo firmware is installed) or via ADB (for some models).
3. Replace files in the folder /usr/share/sounds/ The names of the originals (for example, the names of the originals) start_cleaning.wav).

List of standard sounds that can be replaced:

⚠️ Note: Not all models allow you to replace sounds without firmware. on Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 2S and the newer file system is protected, and access will require root or custom firmware.

Typical problems and their solutions

When setting up voice control, errors often occur, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🚫 Vacuum doesn't respond to voice commands: Check if it's connected to the same Wi-Fi as your smartphone. Update your vacuum cleaner firmware and Mi Home app. Reconnect your Xiaomi account in your voice assistant settings.
• 🚫 After Valetudo firmware, the vacuum cleaner does not turn on: Try resetting with the Reset button (hold 10 seconds). 4PDA).
• 🚫 Voice notifications interrupted or distorted: Check internet speed — TTS It requires a stable connection. If you use Google, TTS, Make sure that the Home Assistant is correct. language_code (ru-RU).

If the problem is not solved, check the error logs:

• For Valetudo: Open up http://[IP_vacuumer]/logs.
• For Home Assistant: Check Developer Tools → Logs.

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Before you manipulate your firmware, back up the original version! This will save the device if something goes wrong. For backup, use flashrom -r backup.bin (for SPI-enabled chips).

FAQ: Frequent questions about voice control of Xiaomi vacuum cleaner