How to connect Xiaomi Mop Essential to a smartphone: full instructions with photos and tips

Why connect Xiaomi Mop Essential to your phone?

The Xiaomi Mop Essential (also known as Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential) robot vacuum cleaner can work autonomously, but without connecting to a smartphone, you lose 80% of its functionality.

- To operate the cleaning remotely, even when you're not at home, like running a vacuum cleaner on your way home from work, so that the floors are clean by the time you come.

Set your schedule to suit your schedule: daily cleaning at 9:00 or general cleaning on Saturdays.

- Select modes of operation: only vacuum cleaner, only wet cleaning or combined mode.

Monitor the condition of accessories: the application will show when it is time to change the brush, filter or rag for floor washing.

Without a phone connection, Mop Essential will work like a simple vacuum cleaner with a button on the case – without room maps, cleaning areas and integration with other Xiaomi devices (such as smart lamps or motion sensors), and you will not be able to update the firmware, which can lead to a loss of compatibility with new versions of the Mi Home app after 2026.

This article provides a step-by-step photo guide, typical connection errors and ways to solve them, and if you already have experience with Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners, vote in the survey:

What do you need to connect?

Before you start pairing, check for everything you need. Here's the full checklist:

Installed Mi Home app (version 6.5.0 or later)

Charger and cable for Mop Essential (included)

Smartphone on Android 6.0+ or iOS 12.0+

Stable Wi-Fi connection (2.4 GHz)

Xiaomi account (can be created during installation)

Charged robot vacuum cleaner (at least 20% of battery)

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Pay special attention to the frequency of Wi-Fi. Xiaomi Mop Essential works only with networks 2.4 If your router is broadcasting two networks (for example, MyWiFi_2G and MyWiFi_5G), You can connect to the first one:

• 📱 On Android: Go to Settings → Wi-Fi, click on your network – there will be a frequency.
• 🍎 On iPhone: Go to Settings → Wi-Fi, click on the i icon next to the network. If the "router" line says 802.11n or 802.11b/g, it 2.4 GHz.

If you only have a 5GHz network, you'll have to temporarily change your router settings.

⚠️ Note: If the router has changed its settings, check if it is connected to a 5GHz network. You may have to manually select the 2.4GHz network on each gadget.

Step-by-step instructions for connecting

Now, to the process itself, follow the instructions in strict order, and skipping the steps can lead to pairing errors.

Step 1: Installation of the Mi Home app

Download the official Mi Home app (or Xiaomi Home for new devices) from the store:

• 🤖 Google Play for Android
• 🍏 App Store for iOS

After installation:

1. Open the app and select the region of Russia (or your country).
2. Sign in through your Xiaomi, Google or Apple account ID. If you do not have an account, register (Sign Up button).
3. Click Add the device (+) in the upper right corner.

Step 2: Activate the coupling mode on the vacuum cleaner

To make Mop Essential visible to your phone, you need to switch it to Connection mode:

1. Make sure the vacuum cleaner is off (press and hold the power button for 3 seconds).
2. Press the power and home buttons (with the image of the house) simultaneously for 5 seconds until you hear a voice message in Chinese:" (which means "Ready to pair").
3. The indicator on the vacuum cleaner should start flashing orange (if blue flashes - activation mode is not turned on, repeat step 2).

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If the vacuum cleaner does not respond to buttons, connect it to charging for 10 minutes - sometimes a discharged battery blocks the transition to pairing mode.

Step 3: Find and add a device to Mi Home

Return to the Mi Home app:

1. In the list of categories, select Vacuum Cleaners.
2. Find the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential model (if you don’t have one, select Another device and type the name manually).
3. Bring the phone to the vacuum cleaner at a distance of no more than 1 meter - this will speed up the search.
4. Wait for the app to find the device (it can take up to 30 seconds).

If the vacuum cleaner is not:

• 🔄 Reboot the Mi Home app.
• 📶 Make sure your phone is connected to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.
• 🔋 Check the vacuum cleaner charge (must be at least 20%).

Step 4: Connect to Wi-Fi

After successful detection:

1. The app will prompt you to connect to the vacuum cleaner's temporary network (the name will be XVAC-xxx type).
2. Return to Mi Home and select your 2.4GHz home Wi-Fi network from the list.
3. Enter the Wi-Fi password (if the password is long, copy it in advance to the clipboard).
4. Wait for the connection to be completed (the vacuum cleaner will emit an audible signal and blink blue).

⚠️ Note: If at this stage there is an error "I failed to connect", try to disable VPN on your phone or temporarily disable the firewall in the router settings. Some providers (for example, Rostelecom) block IoT devices by default.

Step 5: Set up the device in the application

After connecting to Wi-Fi:

1. Assign a name to the vacuum cleaner (such as Kitchen Vacuum or Mop Essential Bedroom).
2. Select a room (you can create a new one or add to an existing one, for example, the Living Room).
3. Press Ready – the vacuum cleaner will perform a test cleaning (about 1 minute).

Now the device will appear on the Mi Home home screen. Click on it to open the control panel with options:

• 🏠 Map of the room (will appear after the first cleaning).
• ⏱️ Schedule (setting up automatic cleaning).
• ⚙️ Modes (quiet cleaning, intense, wet).
• 🔔 Notifications (notifications of completion of cleaning or errors).

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The first cleaning should take place in the "Standard" mode without a wet cloth - so the vacuum cleaner will quickly map the room and remember obstacles.

Typical errors and their solutions

Even with the correct following of the instructions, problems can arise, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to correct them:

If none of the methods helped, try to dump the vacuum cleaner to the factory settings:

1. Turn off the vacuum cleaner.
2. Press the Power and Spot Cleaning buttons for 10 seconds until you hear the beep.
3. After resetting, repeat the connection process from scratch.

Set up notifications and schedules

After a successful connection, it is recommended to set up notifications and schedules to automate cleaning as much as possible.

How do you turn on notifications?

Notifications will help you track the status of cleaning and respond to problems in time (for example, if the vacuum cleaner is stuck).

1. Open the vacuum cleaner card in Mi Home.
2. Go to Settings (⚙️) → Notifications.
3. Turn on the options: 📌 Cleaning complete. ⚠️ Cleaning error 🔋 Low battery charge

Save.

If notifications do not arrive:

• 📵 Check if they are not in the settings. Android/iOS Mi Home app.
• 🔔 Make sure that push notifications are enabled in the application itself (Profile) → Settings → Notifications).

How do you set up a schedule?

Automatic cleaning on schedule will save you from having to run the vacuum cleaner manually.

1. In the card of the device, click Schedule.
2. Click Add (Add).
3. Choose the days of the week (for example, Pn, Sr, Pt).
4. Specify the time (it is recommended when you are not at home so that the vacuum cleaner does not interfere).
5. Select cleaning mode: 🌬️ Quiet (for daily cleaning) 🌀 Balanced (optimum) option) 💨 Intensive (for general cleaning)

Wet cleaning

Save the schedule.

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If you want the vacuum cleaner to only be cleaned when you are not at home, integrate it with Google Assistant or Alice from Yandex. → Voice Assistant and select the right service.

Update firmware and additional functions

Regular firmware updates improve the vacuum cleaner by adding new cleaning modes, correcting navigation errors and increasing compatibility with the app.

1. Make sure the vacuum cleaner is connected to the charger and the battery level is at least 50%.
2. Open the device card in Mi Home.
3. Go to Settings (⚙️) → Update of the PO.
4. If a new version is available, click Update.
5. Don't interrupt the process! It'll take 5-10 minutes to update.

Check the new features after the update, for example, the latest firmware versions for Mop Essential have:

• 🗺️ Cleaning areas: You can highlight areas on the map that need to be cleaned more often (for example, near the front door).
• 🚫 No-go zones: vacuum cleaner will bypass the specified areas (useful for carpets or children's toys).
• 🔄 Automatic refueling: if the charge during cleaning falls below 20%, the vacuum cleaner will return to base, charge and continue to work.

⚠️ Warning: If the vacuum cleaner starts to behave strangely after the upgrade (for example, does not return to base or does not clean the floors), reset (press the Power for 10 seconds) and adjust it again.

Integration with other Xiaomi devices

Xiaomi Mop Essential can be linked to other Xiaomi ecosystem gadgets for full automation, such as:

• 💡 Smart lamps: The vacuum cleaner will turn on the light in the room when it starts cleaning and turn off after finishing.
• 🚪 Motion sensors: if there is no one in the room, the vacuum cleaner will automatically start cleaning.
• 🔌 Smart sockets: you can program the vacuum cleaner to turn on at the same time as the air humidifier starts.

To set up automation:

1. Open Mi Home and go to Automation.
2. Click Add and select If... (If).
3. Specify the condition (for example, the motion sensor does not record activity).
4. Select the action: Start cleaning for Mop Essential.
5. Save the script.

Example of a useful scenario:

"Schedule cleaning when no one is home."

Condition: Time = 12:00 And the motion sensor in the living room. = Inactive.

Action: Start cleaning in "Balanced" mode" + Turn on the robot vacuum cleaner in the kitchen.

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To work automation, all devices must be connected to one Xiaomi account and be on the same Wi-Fi network.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi Mop Essential