How to reflash a Russian-speaking robot vacuum cleaner and troubleshoot
Chinese tech maker Xiaomi has won favor with buyers in the smartphone market. In addition to gadgets, the company is interested in affordable and functional home electronics. With a talking robot vacuum cleaner, cleaning becomes a pleasure. Only the foreign assistant speaks Chinese. Installing the Russian version of the program will help overcome the language barrier. You can manage the flashing yourself.
Instructions for installing Russian voice on Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaners
The devices of the Chinese company are united by a special application Mi Home. With it, household appliances can be controlled from a smartphone. In the settings of the robot vacuum cleaner, a choice of the type of voice is offered. But to understand his speech, you need a smartphone, an iPhone or a computer. Russian dubbing will appear after reinstalling the language pack.
Changing the language of the vacuum cleaner will not affect the Mi Home control system. This is a local update on a separate device. The robot will receive commands as before, but it will respond in Russian. Only developer programmers can modify Mi Home.
android
Flashing Xiaomi vacuum cleaners via smartphone running Android OS:
- download the XVacuum Firmware application, install it but do not open it;
- search the Internet and download a voice package in Russian in pkg format, save it in memory separately from other system folders;
- reset the Wi-Fi settings of the vacuum cleaner - simultaneously press and hold two buttons of the vacuum cleaner until a beep sounds;
- in the list of available wireless networks of the phone, select access to the signal from the vacuum cleaner;
- after connection, open the application downloaded on the smartphone;
- the system automatically identifies the device thanks to its Wi-Fi signal;
- after identification, press the button labeled “Flash Sound”;
- select the downloaded voice package from the list of programs offered.
Lines with system files will run on the smartphone screen. Stopping them means the end of the program update. Then you need to turn on the vacuum cleaner and check if there is a new dubbing. The method is suitable for devices of the first and second generations.
iOS
The iPhone vacuum cleaner firmware is made in the same way, but you need to download the files from special resources.
Instructions:
- download the archived version of the XVacuum firmware for IOS and unzip;
- install through iTunes;
- download the language pack pkg and also use iTunes to save it in the "Documents" folder;
- Reset vacuum's wireless network settings and pick up its signal from iPhone;
- open the application, go through the automatic identification;
- press the "Flash Sound" button;
- select a file with a voice package.
After installing updates, the language will change. The app uses the network IP address and device token for identification.
If the settings are not playing automatically, the Flash Sound button remains grayed out. In this case, the data is recorded manually. Description of the method:
- download the XVacuum firmware;
- save the archived package with voice in downloads and unzip it;
- replace Mi Home downloaded from play market app with modified version of vevs and register the vacuum cleaner in the system;
- open the section with information about the device, go to "General settings", then to "Additional settings" and find the section "Network information";
- remember or rewrite the vacuum cleaner's IP address and token;
- open XVacuum Firmware, select the "Settings" section in the menu;
- enter the token and network address in the appropriate fields;
- click on the “Save” button to save the data.
After saving the token and IP, you need to enter the application again. The Flash Sound button turns orange, active, and the language pack can be loaded.
Windows-PC
Russification of the vacuum cleaner is carried out from a computer using the Win Mirobo utility. To work with the vacuum cleaner, you will also need to look at its IP address and token in the Mi Home app on the smartphone.
Instructions:
- download the program to disk From a computer;
- open the folder with the name of the utility, find the system file of the same name with the ini extension, right-click on it, select the "Open with" item from the context menu and the "Notepad" program from the next list;
- enter the device profile in Mi Home;
- open the "Settings" item, select "General Settings";
- enter the "Network Information" section and view the vacuum cleaner's IP address and token;
- write data in the open "Notepad" window, save it and close it;
- do not close the utilities folder, but open the win-mirobo file with the bat extension;
- a command line window will open, the network address code will be written at the top and the percentage of battery charge is indicated, and below there are 3 menu items;
- in order to Russify the device, it is necessary to select element n°2 called "Flash voice package" by pressing alternately on the keyboard the key bearing the number 2 and "Enter";
- select the required package from the following list in the same way;
- the command line information will show the name of the selected dub, the download status of the file marked "OK" and the countdown to complete installation;
- the counter digits will count down 15 seconds and also change to “Ok”;
- to exit the command line, press any key on the keyboard.
The token is the authorization key, the identification code of the vacuum cleaner. It does not always appear in Mi Home. If the key is not showing, you need to uninstall the app and download it again with the apk extension. This is an unencrypted archived version in which the token is visible.
An overview of the official and unofficial language packs available
The voice signal accompanies the actions of the vacuum cleaner and the manipulations with:
- to light up;
- removal and installation of a waste container;
- start and stop cleaning;
- return to base;
- contamination of filters and brushes;
- finish installing updates;
- docking station connection for charging;
- docking station not connected to network;
- low battery level.
The official Russian package ru_official is a Chinese language translation.In the 2008 revised version, the voice guidance is louder and there is no noise.
Unofficial Haomi vacuum cleaner bags have replaced standard phrases with familiar ones. The robot can comment on actions in a female, male or electronic voice, slavishly report cleaning or not be forced to work.
Examples of packages:
- "Alice" is a female voice from the Yandex service, a set of messages close to the standard, but more suitable and pleasant to the ear. Similar versions - "Oksana" and "Zakhar";
- "Maxim" - the vacuum cleaner speaks in a man's voice, reverently addresses "Your Majesty". For lovers of strong words, there is a version with profanity;
- "Leather Bastards" - funny obscene voiceover from video memes about people-hating "Boston Dynamics" robots;
- "Little brownie Kuzya" - after installation, the vacuum cleaner talks funny, like a brownie from a cartoon;
- the sounds of the R2D2 robot - launch and return to base are also accompanied by the music of "Star Wars", errors are voiced by Alice;
- "Winnie the Pooh" - the soundtrack of errors has been changed, instead of Chinese speech, the vacuum cleaner speaks in the voice of a famous bear.
The vacuum cleaner can speak with phrases from the Soviet films "Operation Y", "Gentlemen of Fortune" or the American "Guardians of the Galaxy". For fans of the "Doctor Who" series dubbing recorded with the voices of the Daleks alien robots. Vacuum cleaner users offer non-standard packages. Various options can be found and downloaded on the Internet, or you can create and save your own set of phrases. The third generation robot vacuum cleaner has official certified packaging. Its files are encrypted. Therefore, changing the voice to brownie or Ivan Vasilyevich will not work.
Troubleshoot potential issues
Difficulties downloading a voice plan can also be handled on your own. When flashing Xiaomi vacuum cleaners after pressing the "Flash Sound" button, instead of system files, lines with the same record "Trying to flash firmware" appear. In this case, you must again reset the settings of the vacuum cleaner by simultaneously pressing the buttons on the body and recharging.
If the smartphone does not see the unzipped pkg file when loading in XVacuum Firmware, you need to open the package using the explorer. Also, the reason for the error when loading the package is the Russian letters and the underscore in the name. The robot system only reads the Latin alphabet without unnecessary characters. To fix the error, you need to rename the file.
Before you start flashing the vacuum cleaner, you need to check its battery. If the energy is less than 20%, the device is charging. Sometimes XVacuum Firmware app won't install on your phone because it is blocked by Google Play protection. To disable it, you need to go to the Play Market application, open the "Play Protection" menu item, then cancel the application scan in the "Settings" item.
If after the disappearance of the firmware control of the device from the smartphone, you need to add it back to the application. Since 2019, Xiomi vacuum cleaners have been produced separately for Europe and China. Due to the binding to the region, the Chinese robot cannot be controlled via the Mi Home app with European authorization, it cannot be recognized by the token and programmed in Russian. But the limitation can be circumvented by choosing China as the registration region.
Changing a language pack can be risky business. Sometimes the system crashes, the vacuum cleaner does not connect to the docking station. Damage due to the intervention of a third party is not included in the warranty case. Therefore, the robot will have to be repaired in a private workshop.