How to reset a Roomba: every model, and when a reboot is enough

Reboot or reset: what is the difference?

iRobot draws a clear line. A reboot is like turning the robot off and on again. According to iRobot it is always safe: maps, schedules and preferences are kept. It is the first step for an error that does not clear on its own.

A factory reset returns the robot to the state it left the factory in. Language, cleaning preferences and time zone go back to their defaults, and from the app the robot is also removed from your account, along with any smart speaker connection. iRobot recommends always trying a reboot first, and resetting only when that does not clear the error.

How to reboot a Roomba from the app

iRobot has two apps. The new Roomba Home app is for the Roomba Mini, the 100/1000 and 200/2000 series, the Plus 400, Plus 500 and Plus 600 and the Max 700 and Max 800. Every other model runs on the original iRobot Home app. The menus below are named as iRobot names them.

1. Roomba Home app: open the Robots tab, tap the three dots at the top right and choose Reboot Roomba twice.
2. iRobot Home app: go to Product Settings, choose Reboot Roomba and confirm with Reboot Roomba.
3. Wait for the robot to start up again.

How to reboot a Roomba with its buttons

Without the app you reboot the robot with its buttons. Take it off the dock first. On most models you hold the CLEAN or power button until you see a white light and hear a tune or a voice. How long you hold it depends on the model, and the reboot itself can take up to a minute and a half, iRobot says:

On a Roomba 600 series, remove the bin first and look for a green dot on its underside. If there is one, you reboot it by taking the battery out, waiting thirty seconds and putting it back. Without a green dot, hold HOME and SPOT together for 10 seconds.

The Roomba Combo (the model with just that name, not a Plus or Max Combo) reboots like this:

1. Open the top cover of the Roomba Combo.
2. Turn the power switch off.
3. Wait 10 seconds.
4. Turn the switch back on.

On a model without Wi-Fi a reboot resets the clock, but the schedule is kept.

How to factory reset a Roomba

iRobot recommends resetting from the app. That also removes the robot from your account and disconnects its data in the cloud:

1. iRobot Home app: Product Settings, then About (your robot’s name), then Remove Device from Account.
2. Roomba Home app: choose the robot, go to Robot Settings, choose About Roomba and then Factory Reset and Remove Robot.

The buttons work too. The cloud data, the app data and the link to your account then stay in place. The combination depends on the model, according to iRobot:

Will I keep my map?

After a reboot, yes. After a factory reset only if your robot has Imprint Smart Map: the app then offers to keep your maps before the reset. Turn on the "Save maps during factory reset" switch on the reset screen. The new Roomba Home app cannot keep the map, but a robot with lidar makes a new one in a few minutes, iRobot says.

Does the error keep coming back?

If a factory reset does not clear the error either, contact iRobot’s customer care. What iRobot’s bankruptcy means for your warranty is in iRobot after the bankruptcy.

If you are thinking of a new robot, see where Roombas stand in the tests first. Today 24 iRobot models are on sale, from € 147, and the best-placed of them, the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+, is number 63 of 77 in our ranking. These are the iRobot models, with their prices on 2 October 2026:

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

Every model of the brand is on the iRobot page, and the advisor finds the robot that suits your home in seven questions.