How to add voiceover to the vacuum cleaner Xiaomi: 4 working ways

Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaners are no longer just cleaning devices — they’re full-fledged assistants in a smart home. But even the most advanced models like the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro or the DreameBot Z10 Pro lack one important element by default: voice tracking. Without voice voiceover, it’s hard to know if the cleaning is complete, if the robot is stuck or if the consumables need to be replaced. Fortunately, you can add a voice to the Xiaomi vacuum cleaner yourself — and you don’t always need deep technical knowledge.

In this article, we'll look at 4 proven ways to voice a robot vacuum cleaner, from simple settings in the Mi Home to custom firmware installation, which models support voice packets officially, how to write your own phrases and what to do if the vacuum cleaner is silent after the update, and also compare methods for complexity and functionality so that you can choose the best option for your tasks.

⚠️ Not all Xiaomi models support voiceover.If your vacuum cleaner is released before 2019 (e.g. Mi Robot Vacuum) 1S), It's probably only available in informal ways. Check compatibility in the table below before you start.

Also note that changing firmware or system files may result in a loss of warranty. If the vacuum cleaner is still warranty, give preference to official methods (sections 1 and 2).

Official voiceover via Mi Home (for supported models)

The safest and easiest way is to use built-in voice packs in the Mi Home app, a method that works for most modern Xiaomi, Dreame and Viomi vacuum cleaners released after 2020, with the main benefit of not having to hack or stitch anything – just a few clicks in the mobile app.

To activate voiceover:

1. Open Mi Home and select your vacuum cleaner.
2. Go to Settings → Voice prompts (or Settings → Additional → Voice for some models).
3. Enable the option of voice notifications.
4. Select the language and voice package (options are available in Russian, English, Chinese, etc.).
5. Save the settings and restart the vacuum cleaner.

✅ Pros of the method:

• 🔹 Does not require technical skills
• 🔹 Keeps the guarantee.
• 🔹 Updates are supported through Mi Home

❌ Cons:

• 🔸 Limited set of phrases (standard notices about the beginning / end of cleaning, errors)
• 🔸 There is no way to add your own voiceovers.
• 🔸 In some models, the voice only works in Chinese.

2. Download voice packets from the community (without firmware)

If you don't like the built-in voices in Mi Home, you can install custom packages from enthusiasts, which does not require changing the firmware, but involves manual downloading of files through special utilities, suitable for models with voice support, but with a limited selection of languages (for example, Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P or Dreame D9).

The installation will require:

• 📱 Smartphone with Mi Home and developer rights (how to turn on - see. FAQ)
• 💻 Computer with Mi Home Hacker or Valetudo (for downloading files)
• 🎤 Voice package in format.mp3.wav (can be downloaded from the forums) 4PDA or XDA-Developers)

Step-by-step:

1. Download the archive with a voice package (for example, Russian voice for Xiaomi).
2. Connect the vacuum cleaner to Mi Home Hacker via token (how to get a token – see FAQ).
3. In the program go to the File Manager section → /miio/voice.
4. Upload files from the archive to the folder (replace existing ones).
5. Reboot the vacuum cleaner through Settings → Reboot in Mi Home.

⚠️ Warning: Some voice packets may contain incorrect commands that will cause the vacuum cleaner to pronounce phrases at inappropriate times (e.g., "start cleaning" if you make an error.

💡 Tip: If the voice becomes too quiet after installation, open the files in the audio editor (for example, Audacity) and increase the volume by 20-30%. MP3, 44.1 kHz, 64 kbps are the optimal parameters for vacuum cleaners Xiaomi.

3. Firmware alternative software (Valetudo, OpenMiHome)

For vacuum cleaners without official voiceover support (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1 or Viomi V2), the only way to add voice is to install custom firmware.

• Valetudo is an open firmware with voice notifications and integration with Home Assistant.
• OpenMiHome is a modified version of Mi Home with advanced settings.

What will be required:

• 🔧 Screwdriver for vacuum cleaner disassembly
• 💻 Computer with Python 3.8+ and a utility mirobo-cli
• 📀 MicroSD card (up to 32 GB, formatted in the form of a microSD card) FAT32)
• 🔌 Cable USB-TTL (console-wire)

Instructions for installation of Valetudo:

1. Disassemble the vacuum cleaner and connect to the motherboard via USB-TTL (pins: GND, TX, RX, 3.3V).
2. Download Valetudo firmware from GitHub and unpack it on SD-map.
3. Put the card in the vacuum cleaner and give power. Wait for the flashing indicator (the signal to start the firmware).
4. Connect to the vacuum cleaner SSH (Login: root, password: empty) and execute the command: cd /mnt/data &&./install_valetudo.sh
5. After the reboot, open the Valetudo web interface at the address http://[IP_vacuum cleaner] and set up voice notifications in the Settings section → Voice Packs.

⚠️ Note: Valetudo firmware disables cloud synchronization with Mi Home. Once installed, the vacuum cleaner can only be controlled via a local network. If you want to integrate with Mi Home, use OpenMiHome (the instructions are similar, but with cloud access).

4. Record your own voice (for advanced users)

If you don't like ready-made voice packs, you can write your own phrases and upload them to the vacuum cleaner. This method requires audio editor skills and knowledge of the structure of the firmware files. Suitable for all models, but especially relevant for the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Lite or DreameBot L10 Pro, where standard voices sound unnatural.

How to record and set your voice:

1. Create a list of phrases that the vacuum cleaner should say (examples: “I start cleaning”, “Battery charge is low”, “Clean the brushes”).
2. Write down each phrase in the audio editor (Audacity, Adobe Audition) with parameters: 🎙 Format: MP3 or WAV 🎛 Bitrate: 64–128 kbps 🔊 Frequency: 44.1 kHz 🕒 Duration: no more than 3-5 seconds

Xiaomi

start_cleaning.mp3

low_battery.mp3

Mi Home Hacker

Valetudo

💡 Helpful advice: To make your voice sound natural, use text-to-speech (TTS) Services like Balabolka or Google TTS. Choose the voice ru-RU-Irina (for Russian) or en-US-Jenny (for English) – these are best suited for short notifications.

If you're recording your voice yourself, make sure that the files are free of background noises (breathing, clicking) and the vacuum cleaner plays audio through a small speaker, and any interference will be heard particularly clearly.

5. Problem Solving: Why doesn't the vacuum cleaner talk?

If after all the manipulations the vacuum cleaner remains "mutless", check the following points:

Frequent causes and ways of correction:

• 🔇 Settings Disabled: Go to Mi Home → Settings → Voice prompts and make sure the slider is activated.
• 🔊 Too quiet speaker: Xiaomi vacuum cleaners often have a weak built-in speaker.Try to turn up the volume of files in the audio editor (see section 4).
• 📁 Incorrect File Names: Voice files should be named strictly from the template (e.g, error_1.mp3 faulty №1). Check the documentation for your model.
• 🔄 Resetting: If after updating Mi Home voice is missing, perform vacuum cleaner reset to factory settings (Settings) → Reset).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum) E10) Voice notifications are turned off when you connect to Home Assistant, due to a conflict between cloud and local commands. To return voiceover, disable integration with Home Assistant or use Valetudo.

💡

If the vacuum cleaner makes strange sounds (squeaking, crackling) instead of speech, most likely the files are recorded in the wrong format. Convert them to MP3, 44.1 kHz, mono using FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i input.wav -acodec libmp3lame -ar 44100 -ac 1 -b:a 64k output.mp3

6. Alternative methods: smart speakers and IFTTT

If firmware or file downloads seem too complicated, you can go the other way around by connecting a vacuum cleaner to a smart speaker (Xiaomi Smart Speaker, Google Home, Alice) and setting up voice notifications through it, a method that doesn't require firmware intervention, but depends on the stability of the Internet connection.

How to set up notifications via IFTTT:

✅ Pros of the method:

• 🔹 No need to change the firmware
• 🔹 Flexible notification settings (you can add information about cleaning times, errors, etc.)
• 🔹 It works even on older models of vacuum cleaners.

❌ Cons:

• 🔸 Depends on the Internet (when the communication breaks, notifications will not come)
• 🔸 Delay between event and notification (up to 1-2 minutes)
• 🔸 Need a smart speaker or smartphone with Google Assistant/Alice.

💡

Using smart speakers is the only way to add voiceover for vacuum cleaners without a speaker (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1).

FAQ: Frequent questions about voiceover vacuum cleaners Xiaomi