Learn why Roomba is disconnecting from the iRobot Cloud and how to fix this issue.
Roomba, an AI-powered robotic vacuum, is one of the electronic appliances you’ll find in a modern home today.
Built on a philosophy of convenience, Roomba is a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner that is fully automated for hands-free cleaning and can be scheduled for periodic cleaning of your programmable space.
Many users have praised its ability to remove disease allergens and nasal triggers of respiratory diseases, making the iRobot Roomba medically beneficial in homes.
This article will discuss the causes of Roomba not connecting to the iRobot Cloud for updates and data synchronization, and how to fix it.
“The Cloud Cannot Talk to Roomba” Causes and Fixes
- Roomba out of WiFi Router
- Home Wireless Network Issues
- Roomba Connected to a weaker WiFi-Band
- Roomba is not Turned on or in Sleep Mode
- Roomba is Disconnected/Not Paired
- Roomba can’t Recognize WiFi Encryption
- Roomba Charging Station not Turned On
- Roomba Vacuum OS is Outdated
- Roomba Vacuum Box and Filter is Filled
- Roomba Cloud Server is Down
Let’s look at each of these factors and the best possible fixes to resolve them.
1. Roomba Out of WiFi Router Range
As a general rule of thumb, you should place your Roomba within 200-250 feet within the WiFi Router range whenever it’s connected to the 2.4GHz band.
WiFi connection on 5GHz band has a maximum of 70-100 feet of WiFi range.
Whenever Roomba wanders away from the WiFi Router range, its connection to the Cloud Server may be temporarily interrupted, but can be restored by ‘calling’ the Roomba back to its home base.
The trick is to place the home base very close to the WiFi Router.
2. Home Wireless Network Issues
Problems with the WiFi network, such as connection errors, WiFi internet speed redundancy, bandwidth depleted or WiFi internet disruptions, will interrupt Roomba’s connection to the cloud server.
The first thing to do is Troubleshoot the WiFi components.
- Turn off the WiFi Router/Modem and all other appliances
- Unplug all cables from their ports, and remove the power cables for 30 seconds.
- Plugin the power cables, reinsert the cables to their ports and restart the WiFi Router.
- Perform an internet speed test and ensure you have more than 5mbps.
- Disconnect other devices not currently in use, such as printers and scanners, to free up WiFi bandwidth.
3. Roomba Connected to a Weaker WiFi-Band
The arrival of the 5Ghz WiFi band signalled a gradual migration for most Internet/WiFi users from the 2.4GHz band.
An average person believes the 5GHz band should be better for all home internet/WiFi operations since 5Ghz is a faster band than 2.4Ghz.
But this isn’t always the case. The reality is that most home appliances still prefer the 2.4GHz band simply because of its more extended range and higher penetration strength through solid walls and furniture.
So if Roomba is having trouble working on the 5GHz WiFi band, try connecting it to the 2.4GHz alternative.
4. Roomba is not Turned on or in Sleep Mode.
An easily overlooked issue, Roomba ‘goes to sleep’ after a particular period of inactivity and won’t be able to connect with the iRobot Cloud unless it is awoken.
While in sleep mode, you’ll keep getting “the cloud cannot talk to Roomba, try again later” error reports.
You can tell Roomba to ‘wake-up’ by holding down the Clean button for 10 seconds to wake it from the Reduced Power Standby Mode.
5. Roomba is Disconnected/Not Paired
You’ll need always to keep Roomba paired with the iRobot mobile app for seamless data transmission, and any interruptions in the connection will disconnect Roomba from the cloud servers.
- You can reset Roomba back to factory settings and restart its WiFi connection by holding the Clean + Home + Target buttons together for 10 seconds.
- Release the buttons once there’s a beep sound, confirming Roomba is reset.
- Now connect it to the available WiFi through the iRobot mobile app.
6. Roomba can’t Recognize WiFi Encryption.
WiFi connections today are encrypted using WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (WiFi Protected Access), WPA 2 and WPA 3 protocols.
Roomba currently supports all encryption protocols, except WPA 3. WPA 3 is a very recent encryption protocol (released in 2018) and hasn’t yet gained full adoption in wireless gadgets.
WPA 2, on the other, offers efficient encryption of your WiFi connection and is supported in every WiFi Router.
You can change the WiFi settings in your router by heading to settings > advanced > Wireless > wireless settings.
7. Roomba Charging Station not Turned On
Perhaps some Roomba owners forget to turn on the iRobot charging dock after docking the Roomba for oversight reasons.
This eventually runs out the battery and shuts down Roomba.
If your power socket is connected to the internal lighting of your home, turning off the switch also automatically turns off the power in the socket.
The best solution is to find an alternative wall socket not connected with the home lighting, or don’t turn off your lights, however inconvenient that may seem.
8. Roomba Vacuum OS is Outdated
Like every other digital electronic gadget, Roomba needs to be frequently updated to perform its tasks efficiently.
Ensure you’re using the latest version of the iRobot mobile app by checking in Apple AppStore or Google Playstore for any updates.
Pressing the Home Button commands Roomba to go back to its Home station. Roomba updates are automatic once it’s docked in the charging station and connected wirelessly to iRobot Cloud.
9. Roomba Vacuum Box and Filter is Filled
Roomba red light Indicator blinking reveals the Vacuum Bin is full and needs to be emptied.
It’s always recommended to change the Roomba filter once every two months to keep removing allergens and micro-dirt effectively.
If you’ve emptied the bin and Roomba keeps blinking the red light bin indicator, you’ll ensure no waste particles and dirt materials are hanging on the Roomba Vacuum bin sensors.
10. Roomba Cloud Server is Down
If none of the fixes above could help your Roomba reconnect black to the iRobot Cloud Servers, it’s most likely an internal server error from the Cloud servers.
You can verify if there’s any Server outage on the iRobot Cloud Servers here.
Once there are reported cases of Server Downtime, you’ll have to wait it out while the iRobot technical teams fix the Issues. That usually won’t take longer than a few hours.
Tried everything but no solution? Leave it unplugged for a few days and try it one more time. Be sure to charge it first.
Don’t forget to let us know, in the comments section, how you were able to get Roomba back online, applying these fixes.