How to save Xiaomi cleaning card: backup, export and recovery

Xiaomi and Roborock’s robot vacuum cleaners create detailed maps of spaces to efficiently clean, but what if the device breaks down, resets to factory settings, or you buy a new vacuum cleaner? Losing the map means that the robot will have to relearn how to plan the apartment, spend time re-scanning and possible cleaning errors. Fortunately, you can save the cleaning card in several ways, from manual export to automatic backup to the cloud.

In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of saving cards for Xiaomi Mi Robot, Roborock S7/S8, Dreame and others working through the Mi Home or Roborock App. You will learn how to export the card to a file, upload it to another vacuum cleaner, restore after resetting and even transfer settings between accounts.

Why a cleaning card can go missing and when to keep it

Many users experience sudden card loss due to:

• 🔄 Resetting vacuum cleaner settings (for example, after selling or transferring to another user).
• 📱 Reinstallation of the Mi app Home/Roborock App without prior backup.
• ☁️ Problems with cloud account (blocking, changing the region, synchronization errors).
• 🛠️ Repair or replacement of the motherboard – in this case, the device memory is reset.
• 🆕 Buying a new vacuum cleaner – transferring the card will save days on retraining.

Preserving the map is recommended in advance, without waiting for force majeure, especially critical for owners of multi-level apartments or houses with complex layouts - re-scanning can take several hours or even days. For example, Roborock S8 Pro Ultra robot spends up to 3-4 hours to create an accurate map of a 100 m2 apartment with several rooms and partitions.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Lite or other budget models without mapping support (for example, with LiDAR scanner, but without the card saving function), all of the described methods will not work.

Method 1: Backup card with Mi Home/Roborock App

The most reliable way is to automatically back up to the Xiaomi cloud, which is available in the latest versions of the Mi Home (for Xiaomi) and Roborock App (for Roborock/Dreame), but it can be disabled by default.

To enable backup:

1. Open the Mi Home or Roborock App.
2. Select your vacuum cleaner from the list of devices.
3. Go to Settings → Map → Map → Backup map (in some versions, the path may differ: Profile → Card settings).
4. Activate the Automatic Backup Switch.
5. Choose the frequency – daily or weekly (recommended daily if the card is updated frequently).

Once activated, the card will be saved to the Xiaomi cloud and linked to your account, and can be restored on any device authorized under the same login.

• 🔒 Region-based: If you change your account region (e.g. from Russia to China), backups may be lost.
• 📦 Number limit: Up to the last 3 copies are stored in the cloud.
• 🕒 Synchronization delay: Sometimes backups are created up to 24 hours late.

Connecting a vacuum cleaner to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

Updating the application to the latest version

Free space in the cloud (minimum 50 MB)

No synchronization errors in account settings-->

Method 2: Manually export the card to the file (for advanced users)

If you don’t trust the cloud or want a local copy, you can export the card to the file via an engineering menu or third-party tools, a method that is suitable for the Roborock S5/S6/S7/S8 models and some Xiaomi Mi Robot with Valetudo-based firmware.

Exports will require:

1. Connect to the vacuum cleaner via SSH (if custom firmware is installed) or use Valetudo RE.
2. Find the map file – it is usually located on the path /mnt/default/rockrobo/map/ and has the extension.pgm or.json.
3. Download the file on your PC using SCP or via the Valetudo web interface.

Example of commands for downloading a map via SSH (Linux/macOS)


scp root@[IP_ vacuum cleaner]:/mnt/default/rockrobo/map/*.pgm ~/Downloads/

The card file can be later downloaded back or used for analysis in programs like GIMP (for.pgm) or text editors (for.json), but this method requires technical skills and risks voiding the warranty if the vacuum cleaner is on official firmware.

⚠️ Warning: Manual interference with the vacuum cleaner file system can lead to loss of warranty and unstable operation of the device.If you are not sure about your actions, use cloud backup (Method 1).

Method 3: Transfer the card to another vacuum cleaner or account

If you have bought a new robot vacuum cleaner or want to transfer the card to another user, you can use the feature (share access) in the Mi Home app. This method only works for devices tied to the same region (for example, both vacuum cleaners must be in Russia or China).

Instructions for transfer:

1. Open Mi Home, select the original vacuum cleaner.
2. Go to Settings. → Public access.
3. Add an email or phone number to the second account (which has the target vacuum cleaner tied).
4. Confirm access on the second device.
5. In the second account app, select Import Card (if the feature is available).

Important limitations:

If the sharing transfer doesn’t work, try resetting the target vacuum cleaner to the factory settings and linking it to the account from which the card was exported, and then the card can be downloaded automatically from the cloud (assuming backup has been enabled).

Method 4: Recovery of the card after resetting or repair

If the vacuum cleaner has been dropped or repaired, and the card is missing, you can restore it in two ways:

1. From cloud reserve (if the function was activated in advance).
2. Through manual download (if you have a local copy of the card file).

To recover from the cloud:

1. Connect the vacuum cleaner to the same Mi Home account as before.
2. Wait for the synchronization (it can take up to 10 minutes).
3. Go to Settings → Map → Restore the map.
4. Select the last backup copy.

If the card is not automatically restored:

• 🔌 Check the vacuum cleaner's connection to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi (5GHz not supported).
• 🔄 Restart the vacuum cleaner (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Update the Mi Home app to the latest version.
• 🌐 Make sure your account region is unchanged (e.g. from Russia to China).

⚠️ Warning: If the vacuum cleaner was repaired with a replacement motherboard, its serial number may have changed, in which case the link to the old account will become impossible, and the card will have to be recreated.

Method 5: Alternative conservation methods (for power users)

If the standard methods do not work, you can try:

• 🖥️ Home Assistant with Xiaomi Miio integration: This system allows you to export cards in format JSON It requires settings on the server (for example, Raspberry Pi).
• 📊 Screenshots + manual re-creation of zones: If the map is simple, you can take screenshots in the application and manually restore cleaning areas and forbidden areas.
• 🔧 Modified firmware (e.g. Valetudo): Allows you to save maps locally and edit them via a web interface.

Example of setting up Home Assistant for exporting the card:

# Fragment of configuration.yaml


vacuum:




- platform: xiaomi_miio




host: [IP_Volet




token: [VASH TOKEN]




map_file_path: /config/vacuum_map.json

After setting up, the card will automatically be saved to the file. vacuum_map.json This method is suitable for users who already use Home Assistant to manage a smart home.

💡

If you move frequently or rent, save screenshots of a marked map (e.g., "Kitchen - intensive cleaning area") to help quickly adjust the vacuum cleaner to a new location, even if the map itself does not move.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When saving and restoring cards, users often face the following problems:

If none of these methods work, the last option is to recreate the map, to speed up the process.

• 🏠 Remove small objects from the floor that may interfere with the scans.
• 🚪 Close doors to rooms that don’t need to be scanned.
• 📏 Use Mapping Mode (if available in the model) for accelerated scanning.

💡

The most reliable way to avoid losing your card is to enable automatic cloud backup and regularly check it, and even if the vacuum cleaner breaks, the card can be restored to a new device.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions