iRobot Roomba Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi: Causes and Fixes

Roombas took the world by storm as the first vacuum cleaner with which your family could form a bond. They’re such popular electronic “pets” that iRobot manufactures and sells replacement parts for depreciated Roomba units, allowing families to stay connected with their precious Roomba family members for the long haul.

But what can you do when your Roomba doesn’t connect to your Wi-Fi? Without Wi-Fi you can’t use your Roomba’s companion app or change its settings easily. So here are some quick fixes to try before you send your Roomba off for repairs.


Ensure That Your Wi-Fi Is Functioning

The first thing you’ll want to do is ensure that your Wi-Fi is functioning typically. We often take our Wi-Fi’s functionality for granted. It’s something that we mostly turn on and then forget about unless it happens to start malfunctioning.

So, the first step you should take is to confirm that your Wi-Fi is functioning. Check your phone to see if it’s still connected to the Wi-Fi and load a few pages on your web browser to ensure that the connection is still connected out to the world wide web.

If your Wi-Fi is functioning typically, you may have a problem with your Roomba. However, if you run into issues with your Wi-Fi, resolve those before moving on to the next steps. For example, your Roomba may be functioning typically, but your Wi-Fi is having an outage.

Disconnect and Reconnect your Roomba from your Wi-Fi

To do this, you’ll want to open the Roomba companion app on your phone. From here, disconnect the Roomba from the Wi-Fi. Doing this will reset the Wi-Fi connection and hopefully restore your Roomba to working appropriately with your Wi-Fi.

Once the Roomba is successfully disconnected from the Wi-Fi, go back into the companion app on your mobile device. Ensure that your mobile device is connected to the Wi-Fi signal you want your Roomba to be connected to and that this signal works as intended. You also want to ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on your mobile handset.

Verify that the Roomba is on the charging dock, then launch the companion app on your phone. Next, please enter the password to your Wi-Fi to share it with your Roomba; from there, your Roomba should be set up to use your Wi-Fi.

Check What Wireless Band Your Roomba Is Connected To

Most wireless routers produce two signal frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is ideal for equipment operating further from the router. In comparison, the 5 GHz band is perfect for equipment in close proximity to the router.

Additionally, most Roomba units can connect to both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections. Most, but not all.

So, first, ensure that your Roomba is connected to the Wi-Fi connection that best suits it. We recommend keeping your Roomba connected to the 2.4 GHz band. Still, people with smaller homes might see performance improvements with the unit connected to the 5 GHz band.

If your Roomba is connected to the 5 GHz band, try switching it over to the 2.4 GHz band and see if that resolves your issues. The 2.4 GHz band is more suitable for the Roomba in principle, so we recommend keeping your Roomba on the 2.4 GHz band if possible.

Check Your Roomba’s Proximity to Your Router

Another thing that could affect your Roomba’s performance is its proximity to your router. As your devices get further from the network hub of your router, they’ll experience more frequent service disruptions.

In addition, as signals get further from their home network, they’re harder to pick up, and there are more chances for packet loss. So, if you have a large home, you might consider extending your router with extension packs.

Extending your router’s signal with router extensions can provide your home with a more comprehensive and stable Wi-Fi signal throughout. Rather than needing to be near your office to get good wireless, you can be anywhere in your home.

You can also move your router to a more centralized location in your home. Moving your home Wi-Fi router to a more centralized location can provide a more even Wi-Fi signal to your Roomba.

It would help if you also looked for other things that can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal to your Roomba. For example, areas with lots of electrical signals or behind several concurrent walls are all areas where your Roomba might experience service disruptions.

Factory Reset Your Roomba

Once you’ve ascertained the problem with your Roomba, the first step is to factory reset the unit.

Factory resetting the unit sets all of the device’s settings back to what they would be out of the box. This process can resolve many issues that might arise, especially with units that have been working for a long time. Unfortunately, the longer a device is on, the more discrepancies can arise—sometimes seemingly fatal—with the back-end programming.

Unfortunately, Roombas have different methods of factory resetting depending on the unit model. However, iRobot provides comprehensive details on factory resetting your unit on its website. We’ve compiled them here.

Factory Resetting s Series and i Series Robots

To factory reset an s Series or i Series robot, press and hold the Home, Spot Clean, and Clean buttons until the white light around the Clean button swirls.

Factory Resetting a j Series Robot

Start by removing the dust bin, then press and hold down the Clean button until the Roomba plays a tone. Finally, press the Clean button again to confirm the factory reset.

Factory Resetting an e Series Robot

To factory reset an e Series Robot, you’ll want to press and hold the Home, Spot Clean, and Clean buttons for 20 seconds, then release.

Factory Resetting a 900 Series Robot

For these robots, you’ll want to press and hold the Dock, Spot Clean, and Clean buttons until all the LEDs on the unit illuminate.

Factory Resetting Wi-Fi Connected 600 & 800 Series Robots

These robots factory reset by pressing and holding the Dock, Spot Clean, and Clean buttons until the unit makes a beep tone and then releasing them.

Factory Resetting a Roomba Combo

To factory reset a Roomba Combo, open the unit’s lid and find the recessed “Reset” button under the hood to the left of the On/Off switch. Press and hold this button for 10 seconds.

Factory Resetting a Bravajet j Series Robot

Resetting the Bravajet j Series Robot requires you to press and hold the Home, Spot Clean, and Clean buttons until the white LED ring on the tank lid swirls.


Final Thoughts

It can be distressing if your technology isn’t working correctly, especially if the technology in question can be pack bonded with like Roombas. Luckily, iRobot recognizes the need for people to keep their original Roomba units intact for as long as possible.

So if your Roomba is having persistent issues, you can RMA it and send the unit in for repairs. iRobot will return your original Roomba unit in like-new condition!

Unfortunately, if the fixes here didn’t bring your Roomba back into functioning order, all you can do is RMA it and get your Roomba fixed. But iRobot will be there to support your endeavours all the way through!

Good luck fixing your Roomba and we hope to see you back here with your next tech snafu!