Frequently asked questions
Does my robot vacuum work with Google Home?
iRobot Roomba, Roborock, and Ecovacs Deebot models all offer Google Home integration via their respective companion apps. After linking the vacuum's app account to Google Home, you can use voice commands to start, stop, and dock the vacuum, and it appears as a device in the Google Home dashboard. Room-specific cleaning commands require the vacuum to support multi-room mapping, which is a model-specific feature.
Can I control my robot vacuum without the manufacturer's app?
For most vacuums, the manufacturer's app is required for initial setup, map creation, and schedule configuration. After setup, some models can be controlled via Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit without opening the native app. Roborock and some Dreame vacuums have local API access that home automation enthusiasts use with Home Assistant for completely cloud-free control, but this requires technical setup.
Why won't my robot vacuum connect to my Wi-Fi network?
Nearly all robot vacuums only support 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi — 5 GHz networks appear in the setup app but the vacuum cannot connect to them. If your router broadcasts a combined 2.4/5 GHz SSID, the vacuum may try to connect to the 5 GHz band. The fix: split your router into separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz SSIDs and connect the vacuum to the 2.4 GHz network. Also ensure your router's security mode is WPA2 (not WPA3-only, which some older vacuum firmware doesn't support).
Does Apple HomeKit support robot vacuums?
HomeKit's vacuum support is limited. As of 2024, Roborock supports HomeKit via its HomeKit integration for basic start/stop/return-to-dock commands on select S-series and Q-series models. iRobot dropped HomeKit support in 2023. Ecovacs does not support HomeKit natively — only Google Home and Alexa. For broader smart home integration across all platforms, Matter support for robot vacuums is expected in future Matter standard revisions.