A detailed guide on how to connect a robot vacuum cleaner to Alice - setup, control, solving problems

Voice assistant Alice now helps not only on the Internet, but also in everyday life.In 2024-2025, it is not necessary to turn on the vacuum cleaner using a button or a mobile phone, just ask Alice about it.

By connecting the robot vacuum cleaner to an assistant, you can use a voice command to start or end cleaning, as well as pause it.

The first vacuum cleaners for synchronization with Alice were launched by Xiaomi.

The following Xiaomi devices are compatible with Yandex Station: a special model of the Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner smart vacuum cleaner and Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner 1S, for which a special update has been released. The list of such devices is gradually expanding due to the growing popularity.

To facilitate the search, the cards of these products have a special marking in the Yandex Market.

When choosing a model, it is worth considering not only the possibility of synchronization with Alice, but also the usual technical functions, because the vacuum cleaner, first of all, must cope with maintaining cleanliness.

Special features of Yandex Station

The virtual assistant initially performed search and entertainment functions, such as: find information, open the desired site, turn on music or video. Users asked her to voice the weather forecast, tell an interesting fact, just chat.

In addition to Xiaomi, the app supports Philips, Redmond, Rubetek, Samsung iClebo, etc. devices. The list is gradually replenished, all new manufacturers produce models suitable for voice control.

At the moment, a large number of household appliances are compatible with Alice: teapots, coffee makers, fans, air conditioners and others. The appearance of a full-fledged station in 2018 significantly expanded the functionality.

The "Smart Home" system combines entertainment and household help:

• Knows how to turn on and off the light at the right time;
• Will wake up the owner in time;
• Adjust the desired climate in the room;
• Boil the kettle;
• Download a movie on demand or advise, taking into account the preferences of the owner;
• Turn on the desired tracks and read out podcasts and interesting facts;
• Tell about the weather, the situation on the roads;
• Will report the main news;
• Remind you to turn off the stove, take your medicine, make an important call.

Alice also has specific skills, for example:

• Assistance in compiling a shopping list;
• Can suggest recipes from existing products;
• Deciphering food additives;
• Smart calorie counter;
• Alcohol test;
• Personal fitness trainer;
• Conducts quests, quizzes;
• Helps with the education of the little ones;
• Can make a toast, tell a joke, congratulate on the holiday, etc.

Alice's vocabulary is replenished exponentially every year, she better recognizes requests, puts stress, and owns intonations. Even knows how to joke and demonstrate sarcasm. Videos are popular on the network in which Alice and a robot vacuum cleaner swear and sort things out just like people.

How to connect a vacuum cleaner to Yandex Assistant

Synchronizing the robot vacuum cleaner with Alice is easy. Consider an example with a Xiaomi device:

• First you need to install the Mi Home application and authorize your account in it;
• Selecting a region (depending on the version of the vacuum cleaner);
• Grant the application all permissions upon request;
• Click the plus sign in the top right corner to add a device.

Now you need to connect to Alice:

• Log in to the "Smart Home" system;
• In the right part of the window, select the "Devices" tab;
• Click the "Add device" button;
• Select a manufacturer (in this case, Xiaomi)
• Select a vacuum cleaner from the list of devices;
• Pass authorization through the Mi Home account, which the system will request;
• Update the list of devices in the Smart Home program

The robot will remain connected to Mi Home, which is not very suitable for Russian users, but is compatible with the Russian-speaking assistant.

Setup and management

The Smart Home application will ask you to configure the added appliances. To begin with, it is advisable to rename them, since the system does not work correctly with hieroglyphs and the Latin alphabet. You can simply rewrite the name of the vacuum cleaner in Russian, or give it a funny home nickname.

You can do this in Mi Home for Xiaomi, or in the application of another manufacturer, depending on the brand of the device. After that, you need to click on refresh the list of devices again. Manual editing is also available directly in the Yandex.

To facilitate the work, you can create a script by selecting the appropriate key in the "Devices" tab.

Complex, multi-stage scenarios are currently not possible, this feature is under development. However, for a vacuum cleaner, the simplest voice commands are enough for it to perform its main task - maintaining cleanliness.

Common scenarios for vacuum cleaner operation:

• Daily maintenance of the cleanliness of the entire apartment at the same time;
• Local cleaning, for example, in the hallway after the command "Alice, I'm at home";
• Unplanned removal of emerging contaminants.

Possible problems and solutions

Smart vacuum cleaners, as a rule, do not deliver serious worries to owners. If the connection and synchronization are done correctly, the device subsequently works correctly.

The resulting errors are well studied and easy to fix:

1. Error while synchronizing the robot with Yandex Station. When you try to bind the device, an error message appears and a request to repeat the steps later. Usually this is really due to the server load and it is enough to wait a few minutes and try again.
2. The robot cleaner did not appear in the device list after successful synchronization. The problem is related to the wrong choice of region. To solve it, you need to go back to the Mi Home and Yandex applications, find the "Accounts & Permissions" section and unlink all accounts. After that, re-authorize by selecting the appropriate region. After setting the country correctly, the device will appear in the list.
3. Users are also alarmed by constant delays in the execution of commands of 5 seconds or more. The developers are aware of the issue and are working to fix it. In this case, you just have to wait a little while Alice can fulfill the request.

In addition to digital errors, technical ones are not uncommon. Most of them are also easy to fix on your own.

In order for the robot vacuum cleaner to work without interruption, you should follow simple rules of operation:

• Timely clean up debris and animal hair. Special tools included;
• Be sure to clean the sensors from contamination;
• Timely replace filters and brushes that have become unusable;
• Do not allow large debris to enter the body of the vacuum cleaner;
• For the correct operation of the device, it will be necessary to provide a flat surface, without strong height differences;
• Monitor the level of charge, avoiding the complete discharge of the battery;
• Keep the docking station clean, otherwise the contact will deteriorate and the device will not be able to charge;
• Avoid overheating the vacuum cleaner battery.

For Xiaomi devices, there are special standard error codes that are the same for all models. Information about the solutions is freely available on the manufacturer's website.

The usual recommended actions are cleaning the sensors and the mechanism of dirt, moving the vacuum cleaner to a more convenient place for work, removing obstacles.

In many cases, rebooting the device, or resetting it to factory settings, helps. To reset the device, you need to press and hold the "Reset" button.

If the reboot does not occur, you will have to perform a forced reset by simultaneously holding the "Reset" and "Home" buttons until a beep sounds. After the reset, you will need to reconnect the vacuum cleaner to the Yandex station.

If the error persists after completing all the steps, or the device does not turn on, you will have to contact a certified service center. Perhaps the breakdown is too serious and cannot be corrected at home.

Useful video

In this video you will learn how to connect Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner to Alice: