What to do if your robot vacuum keeps losing connection: 6 tips to fix it

What to do if your robot vacuum keeps losing connection: 6 tips to fix it How Tos (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Alistair Charlton published Expert tips from an experienced robovac-wrangler A repeated loss of connection must rank among the most annoying faults of any smart home device - and this is especially true with robotic vacuum cleaners. Without a connection to the internet, your smartphone or their base station, even the best robot vacuums will have trouble working. They'll either fail to follow your pre-set cleaning schedule, ignore commands from your phone, or even go on strike while out on a cleaning mission. Thankfully, if your robovac keeps losing connection there are a few simple ways to get it working again. Since there are so many models from a wide range of manufacturers, I can't provide specific instructions for every robot. But most work in a broadly similar way, so this article should provide all the connectivity help you're looking for. #1. Check the basics Before we dig too deeply into settings menus and learn all about the differences between two types of Wi-Fi frequency, let's cover the basics. It sounds obvious, but have you checked that the robot's charging dock is plugged in and has power? You should also check any notifications or status lights on the dock and robot itself. Are they red, indicating an issue, or are they the usual color (often green or white)? My Eufy X10 uses a red light to indicate all manner of issues, from connectivity to a full bin or a leaky water supply. Next, is your phone on the same Wi-Fi network as the robot? Have you recently changed your Wi-Fi network settings, bought a new router or installed networking equipment like a Wi-Fi extender or mesh network? All of these could be the cause of your robot's connectivity issues. #2. Reboot and reset Wi-Fi Robotic vacuums usually have a physical way of performing a quick reboot or, if required, a more thorough reset. There's often a way to quickly reset the robot's Wi-Fi connection too - this is typically done by pressing and holding two of the buttons on the robot itself for a few seconds. These are usually the two most prominent buttons on the top of the robot (or indeed, the only two), and they're often labeled something like Home, Start, Pause or Wi-Fi. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. For several models from Eufy and Dreame, it's the Spot Clean and Recharge buttons that you'll need to press and hold. For Roborock models it's the Self-Clean and Charge Mode buttons, while Roombas reset their Wi-Fi with a press of the Home, Spot and Clean buttons together. Hold the relevant buttons until you hear a beep or a voice prompt that tells you the Wi-Fi connection has been reset. Next, open the smartphone app and follow the prompts to reconnect the...

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