How to save a room map in a vacuum cleaner Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Xiaomi's robot vacuum cleaners are some of the smartest home assistants, but their key feature, a stored map of the room, often becomes a headache for users. You spent hours training the vacuum cleaner, it perfectly remembered the location of the furniture and cleaning areas - and suddenly after resetting the settings or updating the firmware everything disappeared.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to save the map in Xiaomi vacuum cleaners (including the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, Dreame D9, Viomi V3 and others), and also explain how to avoid data loss. Importantly, the methods differ depending on the version of the Mi Home application and the vacuum cleaner firmware - we have taken into account all the nuances.

If your vacuum cleaner suddenly forgot the card, or you plan to sell it, you'll find a solution, and you'll learn to export the card to a file and restore it to a new device.

Why Xiaomi vacuum cleaner doesn’t save the map: 4 main reasons

Before we try to save the map, we'll figure out why it might be missing.

• 🔄 Resetting settings - even a "soft" reset via Settings → Reset in Mi Home app erases map.
• 📱 Reinstall the app – if you delete Mi Home without backing up, the card data is tied to the account, but not always synced correctly.
• 🤖 Firmware Update – Some versions of the software (for example, for Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P) reset the card when you upgrade.
• 🏠 Change of layout – if the vacuum cleaner detects new obstacles (for example, rearranged furniture), it can rebuild the map from scratch.

LiDAR scanner models (such as Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Ultra) are particularly vulnerable: they store the map in the cloud, but when synchronization fails, data is lost, while budget vacuum cleaners with a gyroscope (such as Mi Robot Vacuum 1C) do not save the map at all – they have to build it again every time they turn on.

⚠️ Note: If your vacuum cleaner does not support saving the card (check the specifications of the model), all further instructions are useless.

Method 1: Save the card through the Mi Home app (official method)

The most reliable way is to use the built-in backup feature in the Mi Home, which works for most LiDAR models, but not for all regions.

1. Open the Mi Home app and select your vacuum cleaner.
2. Go to Settings → Map → Save the card (or a backup of the card in new versions).
3. Click Save to the Cloud – the data will be linked to your Mi Account.
4. To restore: Settings → Map → Restore the map.

Important: The feature is only available if the vacuum cleaner is connected to the same Mi Account as before, and if you change owners, you will have to build the map again.

Make sure the vacuum cleaner is connected to Wi-Fi|Check out the Mi Home app version (current 6.5.4)+)|Charging the vacuum cleaner battery > 20%|The map is fully built (no grey areas)

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If there is no Save Card button, your model does not support this function, in which case manual export of the card will help (see Method 3).

Method 2: Backup through Xiaomi account (cloud)

All Xiaomi map-enabled vacuum cleaners automatically sync data to the Mi Cloud, but this process is not always obvious.

• 📲 Come on in to Mi Home. → Profile → Settings → Mi Cloud.
• 🔄 Make sure that autosynchronization is enabled.
• 📥 Check the list of devices in the cloud – your vacuum cleaner model should be displayed there marked “Map saved».

If the synchronization is not working:

1. Reconnect the vacuum cleaner to Wi-Fi.
2. Update the device firmware through Settings → Software update.
3. Restart your router – sometimes vacuum cleaners don’t have enough internet speed to upload the map to the cloud.

⚠️ Warning: Mi Cloud cloud storage has a limit - if you haven't used a vacuum cleaner for more than 6 months, the card can be deleted automatically. To avoid this, turn on the device at least once a month and update the map.

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If the vacuum cleaner is not synced to the cloud, try changing the region in Mi Home to Mainland China, either by creating a new VPN account or using third-party firmware like Valetudo (see Method 5).

Method 3: Export the card to the file (for advanced users)

If the official methods don't work, you can manually extract the card from the vacuum cleaner memory, which is suitable for LiDAR models and requires access to the device's token.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with Python 3.8 installed+.
• 📡 Vacuum Token (can be obtained through Mi Home or Miio-cli utility).
• 📂 Script for export (e.g. dustreports or valetudo-mapper).

Instructions:

1. Install miio-cli via command: npm install -g miio-cli
2. Get the device token: miio discover --handshake (if it doesn't work, use Packet Capture in Mi Home).
3. Download the map with a script: python3 dustreports.py --ip [IP_vacuumer] --token [VACH-TOKEN] --output map.png

The result is a map.png file with map visualization, which can be printed out or used for manual zoning after reset, the only way to save the map for a vacuum cleaner with unofficial firmware or after blocking the Xiaomi cloud.

Method 4: Save the card through third-party firmware (Valetudo, OpenMiHome)

If you're ready to experiment, custom firmware like Valetudo or OpenMiHome gives you complete control of the map.

• 🗺️ Export the card in.svg or.png format.
• 🔧 Edit cleaning areas manually.
• 🚫 Disable cloud sync (good for privacy).

Cons: The firmware requires unlocking the bootloader and may be insecure.

Instructions for installation of Valetudo:

1. Download the firmware from the official website.
2. Connect to the vacuum cleaner by SSH (instructions are in the documentation).
3. Download the firmware via the command: curl -L https://github.com/Hypfer/Valetudo/releases/latest/download/valetudo -o /tmp/valetudo && chmod +x /tmp/valetudo
4. Launch a web interface and export the map through Map Management.

⚠️ Warning: Inept firmware can build a vacuum cleaner. If you're not sure about your skills, it's best to use Method 1 or 3.

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Third-party firmware allows you to save the card even after resetting to factory settings, but requires technical knowledge. For most users, formal methods are sufficient (Method 1-2).

Method 5: Manual zoning as an alternative to a saved map

If none of these things work (or your vacuum cleaner doesn't support saving the map), you're left with manual zoning, which is less convenient, but better than nothing.

How to set up:

1. In Mi Home, go to the Map → Add Zone.
2. Draw room boundaries and obstacles manually (use real measurements).
3. Save the pattern as "Favorites" - so you do not have to draw again.

Tips for accuracy:

• 📏 Use Roulette to Measure Rooms.
• 🎯 Mark on the map stationary objects (batteries, cabinets).
• 🔄 Renew the zones once every 1-2 months – the vacuum cleaner can “forget” the location of the furniture.

This method won’t replace an automatic card, but it will save time to prepare for cleaning, especially for models without LiDAR (e.g. Mi Robot Vacuum 1C).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even if you save the map correctly, users are facing problems.

If the card is missing for no apparent reason, try:

1. Reboot the vacuum cleaner (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
2. Remove and re-add the device to Mi Home.
3. Contact Xiaomi Support (Please include screenshots of the error).

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If the vacuum cleaner doesn’t see the old card after the upgrade, try temporarily turning off Wi-Fi for 5 minutes, then reconnect.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions