How to turn off the robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi Roborock: the complete guide

Xiaomi Roborock’s robot vacuum cleaners have become an integral part of smart homes, but even such advanced devices sometimes require a forced shutdown. Users face the need to turn off the robot vacuum cleaner for various reasons, from a basic reboot to preparation for long-term storage or fixing software failures. However, not everyone knows that simply pressing the power button is not always equivalent to completely shutting down – it can lead to battery drain or even damage to the system.

In this article, we will discuss all the official and hidden ways of shutting down for models Roborock S7/S7 Pro/S7 MaxV, S8/S8 Pro Ultra, Q7 Max/Q7 Max+, G10/G10S and others. You will learn how to properly terminate the device without risk to electronics, what distinguishes “sleep mode” from a complete shutdown, and what to do if the robot does not respond to commands.

Why you can’t just press the power button

Many users mistakenly believe that a brief click on the physical Power button completely turns off the robot vacuum cleaner, in fact, 90% of the time it puts the device into low power mode (the analogue of “sleep” in smartphones), in which:

• 🔋 The battery continues to run out (up to) 5-7% monthly)
• 📡 Wi-Fi module remains active for remote awakening
• 🤖 Self-learning algorithms keep data on recent cleanups
• ⚡ The capacitors in the power supply circuit remain charged

This “semi-switched” mode is useful for daily use, but harmful if you plan to not use the robot for longer than a week. For example, when stored in sleep mode, the lithium-ion battery Roborock loses up to 30% of capacity in 6 months due to parasitic currents.

Once a week | Only before a long trip |Never, always in sleep |Only when a failure-->

Official ways to turn off Roborock

Xiaomi has developed several ways to disable the robot vacuum cleaner depending on the model and the situation, and let's take a look at them in order, from the simplest to the most advanced methods.

1. Power button (for all models)

The most obvious, but often misused, way to do this is:

1. Find the Power button on the top panel (usually marked with an icon) ⏻).
2. Press it for 5-7 seconds until the sound of the sound (the S8 Pro Ultra models have a double squeak).
3. The indicators should go out and the fan should stop.

⚠️ Attention: On Roborock models S5/S6 short press (less than) 3 - Sets the device to sleep, not turns it off. - To completely shut down, hold the button until the second signal.

2. via Mi Home/Roborock app

If the robot is connected to Wi-Fi, you can turn it off remotely:

1. Open the Mi Home or Roborock app.
2. Select your device on the main page.
3. Slap the icon. ⚙️ ("Settings") → Turn it off.
4. Confirm the action (some firmware requires input) PIN-code).

This method works even if the robot is on the charging base, but once turned off through the application, the physical button may not work for 10-15 minutes, which is normal, since the system completes the background processes.

Make sure the robot doesn’t clean up.|Check the level of charge (minimum 20%)|Turn off the cleaning schedule|Close all doors (for models with LiDAR)-->

3. Automatic shutdown at low charge

All Roborock models are equipped with battery protection against full battery discharge, and if the charge level drops below 5%, the device:

• 🛑 Stop cleaning and return to base (if possible).
• ⚡ Disables all modules except the main controller.
• 🔌 30 seconds after the stop completely shuts down.

This mechanism prevents deep discharge, but it is not recommended to bring the robot to this state - frequent discharges to 0% reduce the battery life by 20-30%.

Hidden off methods (for power users)

In some situations, standard methods don't work, such as when the firmware freezes or if the robot doesn't respond to buttons, in which case access to a service menu or a hardware reset will help.

1. Offline via service menu (for models with display)

The Roborock S7 MaxV, S8 Pro Ultra, G10S models have a hidden engineering menu where you can forcibly terminate the system:

1. Hold the Spot Cleaning + Home buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.
2. After the double beep, release the buttons and the ENG MODE menu will appear on the display.
3. Buttons. +/- Select Power Off (usually 5th on the list).
4. Confirm the choice with a long press of Home.

⚠️ Note: Do not change other options in the engineering menu without knowing their purpose. For example, Factory Reset in this menu resets all sensor calibrations, which will require reconfiguring LiDAR.

Hardware reset (for all models)

If the robot is completely silent and doesn't respond to anything, it's left with hardware resetting through service contacts, and this method works even if the firmware is damaged.

1. Turn the robot over and remove the bottom cover (a screwdriver will be required).
2. Find RST contacts on the motherboard (usually signed or marked with a red circle).
3. Shortly close them with a metal object (such as tweezers).
4. Connect the charger - the robot must emit an audible signal.

After a hardware reset, all settings are reset to factory settings, including room maps and schedules, a method that should only be used as a last resort, as it is equivalent to completely zeroing the device.

Frequent errors when turning off Roborock

The wrong actions when you turn off a robot vacuum cleaner can lead to serious problems, from losing maps of the room to damaging the battery.

• 🔌 Pulling the charging cord during the update → "smearing of the smear (requires re-flashing through the UART).
• 🛑 Shutting down during LiDAR calibration → navigation failure (the robot will be beating against the walls).
• ⚡ Storage in discharged condition → Battery degradation (loss of up to 50% capacity in 3 months).
• 🔧 Resetting settings without backup → Loss of all stored maps and cleaning areas.

It is particularly dangerous to interrupt the firmware update process. For example, in Roborock S7 models, when an update is interrupted via Wi-Fi, the download controller blocks the main firmware, and the robot stops turning on even after connecting to charging, in which cases it requires flashing through the service cable (we will discuss this in a separate article).

💡

Before any shutdown, check the status of the robot in the app. 🔄 (renewal ⚙️ (Calibration, wait until the process is completed.

Preparing Roborock for Long Term Storage

If you plan to not use a robot vacuum cleaner for more than a month (for example, going on vacation), it is not enough to simply turn it off in the standard way.

1. Charge the battery to 50-60% (optimum level for long-term storage).
2. Turn off the robot with a long hold of the Power button (not through the app!).
3. Remove the dust container and wash it (the debris may become moldy).
4. Keep the robot in a dry place at a temperature of 10-25 ° C (avoid cold and heat).
5. Every 3 months, turn on the robot for 10 minutes to discharge / charge the capacitors.

⚠️ Attention: Do not store the robot on the basis of charging! Constant connection to the network reduces battery life due to microcharging. Also avoid storage in places with high humidity (for example, the bathroom) - this can lead to corrosion of contacts.

💡

The optimal charge level for lithium-ion batteries is 40-60%, full charge (100%) or discharge (0%) accelerates degradation by 30-40% in 6 months.

What to do if Roborock doesn’t turn off

If the robot vacuum cleaner does not respond to buttons and commands from the application, the cause may be:

• 🔄 Firmware freeze (often after updating).
• 🔋 Battery malfunction (blown or short circuit).
• 💧 Moisture on the board (if the robot removed wet surfaces).
• ⚡ Damage to the supply chain (after falling or impacting).

Here is an algorithm for diagnosing and solving the problem:

1. Try hardware reset (closing RST contacts on the board).
2. If it does not help, remove the battery for 1 minute, then connect the charger.
3. Check the charging indicators: 🔴 Red flashing - battery error. 🟢 Green constant - normal charging. 🟡 Yellow flashing - control board error.

check the collision sensor

For Roborock S8 Pro Ultra models with automatic floor washing, an additional reason may be a lock due to lack of water in the tank, in which case the E12 error will appear on the display, and the robot will not turn off until the problem is fixed.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off Roborock