Installing voice on the robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi Roborock S5: a complete guide with files and settings

Xiaomi Roborock S5 has become a hit with smart home appliances, but the standard voice assistant in Chinese or English is not popular. Want your assistant to speak Russian with a pleasant tone or even voice action in the voice of your favorite character? It is possible - and does not require a soldering iron or deep knowledge of programming.

In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions for changing your voice to Roborock S5, including file preparation, firmware through Mi Home and solving typical bugs. We tested the method on firmware from 2023-2026, so all the steps are relevant for modern versions of the software. And if you are afraid of breaking something, don’t worry: the process is reversible, and the original voice can always be returned.

Before you start, make sure your vacuum cleaner is connected to a stable 2.4Hz Wi-Fi network (5Hz not supported!) and is charged at least 20%. You will also need a smartphone with the Mi Home app installed (version at least 6.5.400). If you have a Roborock S5 Max or another model, the instruction may not work: these devices use a different sound file architecture.

1.What voices can be installed on the Roborock S5?

Xiaomi doesn’t officially provide voice change tools, but enthusiasts have created a few workable solutions.

• 🗣️ Russian-language packages: female and male voices with neutral intonation (most popular among CIS users).
• 🎭 Character voices: voice acting from Alice (Yandex), Mario, Terminator and others require manual file assembly.
• 🎤 Voice: You can write your own phrases (you need a microphone and audio processing software).
• 🔄 Modified original voices: for example, Chinese voice with Russian subtitles or accelerated/decelerated speech.

Important: Not all voices support all commands, for example, some packets may only play basic phrases like "Cleaning Started" or "Charging Completed" but remain silent when errors or battery power is low.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party voice packets may contain hidden commands or ads. Only download files from trusted sources, such as the 4pda.ru forum or the official GitHub repository of the Roborock-Vacuum-Hacks project.

Preparation: What will be required for installation

Before changing your voice, prepare everything you need:

• 📱 Smartphone with Mi Home (tied to the same account as the vacuum cleaner).
• 💻 Computer with Python 3.8+ (for file decompression) or archiver 7-Zip.
• 🔌 USB-Type-C cable (to connect the vacuum cleaner to a PC if manual firmware is required).
• 📁 Voice packet in.pkg or.zip format (download here).

Check out the firmware version of your Roborock S5:

1. Open Mi Home → Select the vacuum cleaner → Settings (⚙️).
2. Scroll down to the "Firmware Version" item.
3. If the version is older than 3.5.8_004000, upgrade the vacuum cleaner to the latest version through the app.

⚠️ Warning: On the firmware below 3.3.9_003000, the Mi Home voice change method may not work, in which case manual stitching through ADB (instruction in 5) is required.

Download the voice pack for Roborock S5|Check the firmware version in Mi Home|Connect the vacuum cleaner to Wi-Fi 2.4 Hz|Charge the vacuum cleaner at least 20%|Install Python 3.8+ (if you need a manual method)-->

Method 1: Install voice via Mi Home (for firmware 3.5.8+)

This is the simplest method, which does not require a vacuum cleaner to be connected to a computer, and it is suitable for most users.

Step 1. Download the voice packet in.pkg format. For example:

• Russian Female Voice (v2.1)
• Alice's Voice (unofficial port)

Step 2. Open Mi Home and do the following:

1. Go to the vacuum cleaner settings (⚙️ → General settings → Voice prompts).
2. Select "Download voice packet".
3. Specify the path to the downloaded.pkg file.
4. Confirm the installation and wait for the vacuum cleaner to restart (~2 minutes).

If the voice has not changed since the reboot:

1. Check that the.pkg file is not corrupted (try to download again).
2. Make sure that the settings include "Voice prompts".
3. Reboot the vacuum cleaner manually: press the Home button for 10 seconds.

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If the voice sounds intermittent or jammed after installation, try turning off the “Energy Saving” option in Mi Home – this eliminates playback problems on weak speakers.

Method 2: Manual replacement of voice files (for power users)

If the first method didn't work, or if you need a custom voice (like your own recorded voice), you'll have to manually replace the files in the firmware, which requires you to connect a vacuum cleaner to your computer.

Step 1. Connect the vacuum cleaner to the PC:

1. Turn off the vacuum cleaner (press the power button for 5 seconds).
2. Connect it to your computer via USB-Type-C.
3. Press the Home button and press the power button without letting it go. Hold both buttons for 10 seconds until the blue light (firmware mode) lights up.

Step 2. Install the drivers:

• Download drivers for Qualcomm 9008 (need to recognize the vacuum cleaner as COM-port).
• Install them and check in Device Manager that the Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 device has appeared.

Step 3. Unpack the firmware:

1. Download the original firmware for Roborock S5.
2. Use the unpack_roborock.py utility (from the Roborock-Vacuum-Hacks repository) to extract files: python unpack_roborock.py firmware.bin
3. Replace files in /sound/ with yours (.wav format, 16kHz bitrate, mono).

Step 4: Sweat the modified firmware:

• Use the QFil utility (from Qualcomm Flash Image Loader) to fill in the modified image.
• Select the prog_emmc_firehose_8953.mbn file as Programmer and specify the path to the modified firmware.
• Press Download and wait until it is completed (don’t turn off the vacuum cleaner!).

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect firmware can result in a loss of warranty or complete inoperability of the vacuum cleaner. If you are not sure about your actions, contact a specialist or use the first method.

5. Where to download high-quality voice packs for Roborock S5

Not all voices on the Internet work correctly, and we tested several sources that we've verified.

When choosing a voice, pay attention to:

• 📌 Bitrate and format: files must be in.wav (16 kHz, mono) or the vacuum cleaner won't play them.
• 📌 Packet size: no more than 5MB (otherwise there will be no memory in the system).
• 📌 Firmware compatibility: Some voices only work on specific versions of the software.

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The most consistent results come from voice packets from the 4PDA community, which have been tested on hundreds of devices and are updated regularly.

6. Frequent errors and their solution

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🔊 Voice unchanged after installation: Check that Mi Home has Voice Hints on. Reset the vacuum cleaner: press Home + Power for 10 seconds. Remove the voice packet and install it again.
• 🔇 Voice interrupted or distorted: Make sure the files in WAV 16 kHz are mono. Turn off the Power Saving option in Mi Home. Check if the vacuum cleaner speaker is damaged (try playing the standard voice).
• ⚠️ Incompatible Package Error: Download the package for your firmware version (see table in Section 5). If the firmware is too new, wait for the developers to update the voice pack.

If the vacuum cleaner after changing the voice began to reboot voluntarily or does not respond to commands, reset the settings:

1. Press the Home + Spot Cleaning button for 15 seconds.
2. Connect to the vacuum cleaner again via Mi Home.
3. Install the original voice pack (you can download it here).

7 How to Reclaim the Original Voice

If the custom voice experiment failed or you just want to bring back the standard sounds, do the following:

Method 1. Through Mi Home:

1. Open Mi Home → vacuum cleaner settings → voice prompts.
2. Select "Restore Standard Voice".
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

Method 2: Manual reset (if the first method did not work):

1. Download the original voice pack.
2. Install it via Mi Home (similar to Section 3).
3. If the vacuum cleaner does not respond, perform a full reset (see Section 6).

⚠️ Warning: Once you reset the settings, the vacuum cleaner will unplug the Mi Home account, and you'll have to reconnect it, just like you did after you bought it.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions