How to remap a Roomba, and what moving its base does

Which way fits your situation?

Remapping is not always the same job. iRobot separates a few situations, and what you do also depends on your model. The table shows what iRobot says for each.

Starting a mapping run

A mapping run is the best way to make a map, says iRobot. The robot drives around without cleaning, which saves battery, and it is faster and better at building a map than a normal cleaning run. One complete run is enough to start customizing. To start one:

1. Turn the lights on or open the blinds. The robot recognizes landmarks such as picture frames, windows and lights, and it needs light to see them.
2. Clear cords, socks and shoelaces so the robot does not get stuck.
3. In the iRobot HOME app, tap the map icon on the right side of the home screen.
4. Choose “+ Create a new Smart Map” and start the mapping run.

On the i3, i4 and i5 the mapping run has to start and end on the dock and finish without an error or help from you. If it does not, you start over, writes iRobot. On the LiDAR models (iRobot lists the Roomba Mini, 100/1000, 200/2000, Plus 400, Plus 500 and Max 700) you choose “Create a Map”. It can take up to 30 minutes and the robot may recharge on the way. Do not pick up the robot or the dock and do not press any button, or the map ends up incomplete, says iRobot.

Adding a room or a new space

You add a new room without starting over. Send the robot on a mapping run and do not put it in the new space yourself. Let it clean the whole area you want on the map, and make sure it can reach all of it. After the run your Clean Map shows “New Space Found” and the map updates by itself, according to iRobot. That is for Imprint Smart Maps. On the LiDAR models, press the power button on the robot instead of starting from the app. The i3, i4 and i5 do not update their map, so delete it and remap.

If the robot has trouble getting back to the dock, your space may be larger than the maximum map size. A Dual Mode Virtual Wall splits the area (so does a large keep out zone, but the i3, i4 and i5 do not support those). The limit is 1,600 square feet for the i3, i4 and i5, 2,500 square feet for the i6, i7, i8, j series and m6, and 3,000 square feet for the s9. The LiDAR models have no map size limit.

Deleting the map and starting over

An i3, i4 or i5 keeps only one map. To remap the same space or map another floor, you have to delete the existing map first, writes iRobot. Here is how, according to iRobot:

1. Tap the map icon on the home screen.
2. In the list, pick the map you want to delete and tap “Delete Map”.
3. Or open the map itself, tap the three dots at the top right and choose “Delete Map”.
4. Start a new mapping run, as above.

The i3, i4 and i5 do not update their map while the robot is cleaning. Any change to the map therefore means deleting it and running a new mapping run, writes iRobot.

What happens if you move the base?

The robot uses the dock as a fixed reference point when it starts a job. That is why iRobot advises against moving the dock to another floor. If you clean two spaces often, buy a second dock.

For the i3, i4 and i5 iRobot is clear: after major changes to the layout, or when the dock has moved, the map has to be deleted and remapped, writes iRobot. On the LiDAR models you may move the dock, but iRobot recommends against doing it often. For the other models iRobot states no fixed rule. If the robot then cannot find its way to a room, iRobot says to delete the map and create a new one.

A robot stores a limited number of maps. On the LiDAR models the oldest map is erased when you make too many. A robot with Imprint Smart Maps can store 10.

The map is wrong: roll it back or start over

Sometimes the robot updates the map incorrectly. If it gets stuck while its wheels still turn, for example, it can draw a long, narrow hallway that does not exist. First remove whatever it can get stuck on. Then roll the map back, says iRobot:

1. Open History and pick a Clean Map report from an earlier run that looks right.
2. Tap the three dots at the top right and choose “Update Smart Map”.

You cannot undo an update, but you can do another one from a different Clean Map report. If that does not help, delete the map and make a new one. If the problem stays, put a keep out zone on the space that does not exist (not available on the i1 to i5).

Still not working properly?

If the robot still reports an error, see the guide to a Roomba that goes in circles, beeps or blinks red or reset the robot. A dirty front wheel or dirty sensors also give odd maps, see how to clean a Roomba. Would you rather have a new one? See what iRobot costs today (as of 29 October 2026). Models on sale: 32.

* Foreign shop: delivery cost and VAT to the Netherlands estimated.

All iRobot models are on the iRobot page, and the advisor finds the robot that fits your home in seven questions.