How to put voiceover on the vacuum cleaner Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaners have long since ceased to be just cleaning devices, becoming full-fledged assistants with voice interaction. Voice over not only makes use more convenient (you will always hear the cleaning status or error), but also adds “life” to the technique. However, not all models support Russian-language voice packets “out of the box”, and in some cases, alerts are disabled by default.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can install voiceovers on Xiaomi, Dreame and Viomi vacuum cleaners, from official methods through the Mi Home app to alternative solutions for older models, how to turn on standard voice prompts, download additional language packs, or even change your voice to custom. And if something goes wrong, there’s a section at the end of the article that addresses typical problems.

Which Xiaomi models support voiceover?

Not all Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners can talk, and the voice alert function varies by model, firmware version, and region of sale.

• 🔹 Default Support: New models (Xiaomi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, DreameBot) D10 Plus, Viomi V3) have built-in voice packets in several languages, including Russian.
• 🔹 Requires manual installation: old devices (Mi Robot Vacuum) 1S, Dreame D9) Support voice acting only after firmware updates or through third-party protocols.
• 🔹 Budget models (Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential) and devices for the Chinese market (without global firmware) may not have this feature at all.

To check your model’s compatibility, open the Mi Home app, go to the vacuum cleaner settings, and find the Voice Alerts or Sound Packs section. If it’s not there, you’ll have to use workarounds (discussed below).

Official method: installation through Mi Home

The easiest method is to use the Mi Home app (or DreameHome/Viomi for the respective brands) and the instructions are suitable for most modern models with global firmware.

1. 📱 Open the Mi Home app and connect to the vacuum cleaner.
2. 🔧 Go to the Device Settings → Voice Alerts (or Sound Settings).
3. 🌐 Choose the voice language. For Russian, look for Russian (Russian) or RU.
4. 🔄 Click Download and wait until the download is complete (may take up to 5 minutes).
5. 🔊 Test the voiceover button Replay an example.

Important: If there is no Russian language on the list, then your model does not officially support it, in which case try alternative methods or update the firmware (more on this below).

Update firmware to support voiceover

If your vacuum cleaner doesn't see voice packets, the problem could be with outdated firmware. Xiaomi regularly adds support for new languages in updates, but not all devices get them automatically.

To update the firmware:

1. 📲 At Mi Home, go to Settings → About the device → Firmware update.
2. 🔍 Click Check Updates. If a new version is available, download it.
3. ⚠️ Do not interrupt the process: the update can take up to 20 minutes.

Once updated, check the voice notification section again. If the Russian language is still not available, try changing the region of the device in the app settings (for example, Russia or Europe).

Alternative methods: custom voices and third-party firmware

If the official methods don't work, you can take drastic measures, which are suitable for advanced users and require unlocking the vacuum cleaner's communication protocol.

Options:

• 🎤 Replacement of voice packet: Unofficial voiceovers, including user recordings, can be downloaded via Valetudo (alternative firmware) or DustBuilder.
• 🔧 Firmware modification: For Rockrobo-based models (such as Mi Robot Vacuum 1), there are patches that add support for new languages.
• 📡 Using external speakers: Some enthusiasts connect a Bluetooth speaker to a vacuum cleaner via a Raspberry Pi and voice commands through it.

Warning: Unofficial firmware can take away your warranty and cause your device to malfunction. Use it at your own risk.

Solving voice problems

If voice alerts don’t work after installation, check the following points:

⚠️ Warning: If the vacuum cleaner only emits standard sound signals (squeaks) but does not pronounce phrases, most likely, the language pack is not loaded.

• 🔊 No sound at all: check the volume in the device settings (Second or Volume section).
• 🗣️ Voice in an incomprehensible language: reset the language settings in the application and choose Russian again.
• 🔄 Alerts interrupted: Update vacuum cleaner firmware and Mi Home app to latest version.
• 📵 Vacuum does not respond to commands: reconnect the device to Wi-Fi and sync data in Mi Home.

If the problem persists, try resetting to factory settings:

1. 🔧 At Mi Home, go to Settings → Additionally. → Resetting settings.
2. 🔄 Confirm the action and wait for the vacuum cleaner to restart.
3. 📱 Reconnect the device to the application and configure the voiceover again.

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If after reset, the voiceover disappeared, but in the settings it appears as installed, try to turn off and turn on the option Voice Alerts again - sometimes this works.

How to turn off or change voiceover?

If you don’t like standard voice alerts (for example, too loud or annoying), they can be adjusted or removed.

Ways:

• 🔇 Turn off completely: in Mi Home go to Settings → Voice alerts → Turn it off.
• 🎚️ Turn down the volume: in the same section, find the volume slider (not available on all models).
• 🔄 Change the language: If the Russian voice is not satisfied, choose another language (for example, English or Chinese).
• 🎤 Replace with custom voice: this will require an alternative firmware.

On some models (DreameBot D10 Plus) you can configure individual alerts for different events (cleaning start, low charge, error).

Frequently asked questions

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Before any firmware manipulations or settings, back up the vacuum cleaner configuration in Mi Home (Cloud Storage section).