iRobot Home app gets a major update, brings clean zones, keep-out zones and more features

iRobot Roomba is the first name that comes to mind when you think of robotic vacuum cleaners. Be it iRobot’s Roomba series or the Braava series, all of the company’s robotic vacuum cleaners work with the help of the iRobot Roomba app, which not only helps the users check the device’s charge levels but it also enables users to schedule cleaning sessions as per their requirements. Now, iRobot has updated its Home app and brought a host of new features to iRobot’s vacuum cleaners.

iRobot has launched the Genius Home Intelligence platform, which brings a range of digital features across the company’s line of Wi-Fi connected products, including the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners and the Braava jet robotic mops.

The newly launched platform brings the Clean Zone feature to iRobot’s robotic vacuum cleaners, including Roomba i7 and i7+ and Roomba s9 and s9+ and Braava jet m6 robotic mops. This feature uses machine learning to automatically detect and proactively suggest clean areas around specific objects, like couches, tables and kitchen counters. Users can also customise their Smart Map by designating their own precision Clean Zones. Users can ask the robotic vacuum cleaner or the robotic mop to clean a targeted area using the app. They can also do so by speaking to a voice assistant.

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Next, the app is getting event-based automations that will let the robot know when the ideal time is to start or stop cleaning based on prompts that are defined by the user. These automations can be set up directly within the iRobot Home app. The platform is also getting recommended cleaning schedules that are based on users’ more common cleaning patterns like cleaning on Monday mornings. The robotic cleaners can also provide room-specific recommendations like vacuuming the living room on Friday evenings, or in the dining room and kitchen after meals. 

In addition to that, the seasonal recommendations feature offers personalised suggestions to automatically schedule cleanings or suggest times when a user’s home may need more frequent cleaning, like pet-shedding or allergy seasons. This feature will be available to customers worldwide via a software update beginning August 25.

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The list doesn’t end there. The app is also getting a recommended keep out zones feature that will enable the robotic cleaners to automatically learn to avoid trouble areas. This feature will come in addition to the special remotes accompanying iRobot’s robotic cleaners that enable users in creating keep out zones in their homes.

Lastly, the app is getting a favourites feature that enables users to quickly create and access their own pre-set cleaning routines such as “After Dinner” that instructs the robot to clean the dining room and in front of the kitchen counter or “Bedtime” to clean the playroom and living room floors.