Roomba Not Connecting to Wifi? 6 Troubleshooting Steps! October 2023

There’s nothing more frustrating than when technology doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, and not being able to figure out why or how to fix it. For electronics like cell phones, you can just go to the nearest provider storefront and one of their capable techies will solve your problems right quick, while Roomba’s troubleshooting might not so straight forward.

The bright side is that today the internet has hundreds of sources for information, and most companies have an online presence and tech support you can call for help. There are some things you can do yourself, without too much hassle to get your Roomba to connect to your wifi.

Roomba Not Connecting to WiFi: Try These Troubleshooting Steps

Remove other devices first
Check home base location’s wifi
Reboot network and devices
Check Roomba base
Increase wifi signals
Remove unknown or unused items

Remove other devices from App List

If you’ve had a roomba before and just replaced it, a good place to start for ensuring it connects to your Wifi is to make sure the previous roomba model is removed from your iRobot Home app. Once the previous model is no longer linked to your iRobot Home app, you can proceed with connecting your new Roomba in the app.

To remove a previous Roomba model,open up the app and go to the settings tab. From there you can add and remove devices that are shown. Remove the old Robot by looking for its name, and then add your new roomba.

Make sure Home base’s Location has Wifi signal

Aside from making sure the home base is on a clear wall where the Roomba can get to it, you also need to make sure it is in a position where it gets plenty of signal from your wifi modem. Most modems have antennas you can point in different directions- and can use them to direct the wifi signal in certain directions to boost the signal to your Roomba and it’s home base.

If your Home base is in a spot with poor signal, it won’t be able to communicate with your Roomba to keep it on track or find where to go when the batteries get low, or the collection compartment gets full.

If your home base is in a prime wifi spot, then rebooting both the roomba and home base may be required in order for them to make a connection with the network. Once you complete the wifi set up and the roomba’s wifi indicator is blinking green then you’re ready to go.

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Reboot your Network & Devices

If after completing the wifi set up in your iRobot Home app and the Roomba is still not showing up, you may need to reboot the Roomba and base, as well as your wifi modem. Follow the instructions in your user manual to perform a factory reset of your Roomba. Be sure to double check the settings you have for your wifi, as there could be a selected feature blocking your Roomba from connecting.

Make sure Your Roomba and Base are Plugged in

As silly as it sounds, sometimes checking to make sure your devices are powered and awake result in fixing the problem. If the roomba is off, then it won’t connect to the wifi network, and the same goes for the base. Make sure the roomba is on the base when you power it on and begin the wifi setup with the iRobot Home app.

Increase your Wifi signal Strength

If your wifi modem is not strong enough to get a signal to where your base needs to be, try giving it a boost or change of location. Wifi signals lose strength the farther they go. Signal strength from 1 foot away is much stronger than from 12 feet away, and walls can dampen the signal as well. Investing in wifi extenders and signal boosters is a great way to make sure your roomba and home base get the signal they need to function properly.

Remove Unknown or Unused Items from Network

The vacuum needs a consistent flow of access to the internet, otherwise it will have trouble connecting and performing its duties. One thing that can bog down your internet speed is having too many devices connected and running all at once. Remove unknown devices and ones that you’re no longer using, or in possession of to free up your network speed.

If all these methods still fail, and your Roomba still can’t connect, then it’s possible there is a defect in your device that the company will need to take care of right away. Contact customer services for help and more trouble-shooting advice. Read more Roomba tips here.