Hey Roomba fans…if it’s been a while since you communed with your robot, you may like to know iRobot has made some improvements to its iRobot Home App. Designed to make the interface easier to navigate, now cleaning is not only simpler to control, but more intuitive—and it gives you the controls for both iRobot vacuums and mops like the m6.
How to use iRobot Home app to make the most of your bot
A host of improved features take the hassle out of scheduling and cleaning your device, creating a more user-friendly experience.
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What’s new with iRobot Home app?
Scheduling is simpler—and suggestive!
Some features have rolled over from previous versions of the iRobot Home App, like the ability to set cleaning schedules. This allows you to set specific times and days for your device to clean, so you can fit vacuuming or mopping into your schedule.
The revamped app will now make suggestions based on your cleaning habits, looking for patterns in your scheduling behavior, to assist with customizing your cleaning routine. The app also now provides season cleaning alerts, like pet shedding times, so you can get ahead of a mess before it happens. As a double dog owner, I find this infinitely helpful and it means I can schedule more frequent cleanings to keep the pet hair tumbleweeds to a minimum.
On Demand cleaning lets you target specific areas easier
These scheduling features pair well with the new On Demand cleaning controls. Using the app you can now target specific areas of your home for cleaning, drawing where you would like the device to clean. Like previous models, the app collects mapping data of your home from your connected device, creating a visual layout within the app that you can label. This interactive map can be used for designating on demand cleaning areas, as well as Keep Out Zones (more on this later). This control allows you to focus cleaning on high traffic areas, or to address an unexpected mess – perfect for tidying up after a party or sweeping or mopping up pet tracks on a muddy day. You can also use this feature to keep your device out of your way while you do other tasks, like sending your device to clean the living room before guests arrive while you are preparing items in the kitchen.
Better control over Keep Out Zones
As previously mentioned, the overhauled iRobot Home App allows you to create and manage personalized Keep Out Zones. Previous generations of robots needed magnetic tape or battery-operated ‘lighthouses’ to create barriers, but now, this all happens within the app.
Using a map of your home, you can mark off areas where your bot may run into trouble, like areas where it can easily get stuck or in rooms where there may be small objects (like children’s toys or many cables and cords) or just keep it away from the dog’s water dish.
iRobot app learns where it has trouble and recommends no-go areas
Get your iRobot m6 mop to clean anywhere—or avoid some spots
The app can even make suggestions on where you might want to set these zones based on tracked data from the device, alerting you to areas where your device often gets stuck or where it has difficulties navigating.
Smart location control means you don’t need to ask
All of these features allow you great control over where, and when, your device cleans. The intuitive app also has buttons allowing you to quickly start a cleaning cycle, so you can vacuum the house while you are out running errands or gone for a meal. The app can also be integrated with smart thermostats, door locks and other devices, so they can communicate. This will help the device know when you are not home, based on the data from the smart devices, so it can run without disturbing your day. The app can also be integrated with smart home devices, like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple devices, for further control and ease of use. Now you can ask your device to start the vacuum while you’re in the bathroom, or send it home before you start a video conference.
The new iRobot Home App controls most devices, but is best paired with the Roomba s9+ and i7+, and the Braava jet m6, to ensure you get to take full advantage of all that the iRobot Home App has to offer.
As you can see, the iRobot Home App offers many improvements on scheduling and cleaning functionality, allowing you greater control over when and where your iRobot device cleans. With new intuitive features, like Keep Out Zones and on demand cleaning, cleaning is a breeze so you can spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying life.
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