How to Factory Reset a Roborock (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

If your Roborock is glitching, stuck in a boot loop, refusing to connect to a new router, or about to go on Craigslist — a factory reset is the big red button that wipes everything and puts the robot back to the day it left the factory. It is also the step people get wrong most often, because the button combo is different for older S-series models than it is for the newer Q Revo and Saros lineup, and the app-based Saros reset does not use physical buttons at all.

This guide covers every model sold from 2019 onward, explains what a factory reset actually erases (hint: more than you think), and walks through the two things most people really want instead — a Wi-Fi-only reset that keeps your maps, and a map reset that keeps your Wi-Fi. If you are selling the robot, read the dedicated section at the end first.

30-Second Summary

• New models (S7, S8, Q Revo, Q5, Q7, Qrevo Curv): Press and hold Power + Spot + Dock together for about 3 seconds until all three lights go out.
• Older models with a pinhole (S5, S5 Max, S6): Hold Dock for 3–5 seconds, press the reset pinhole once with a paperclip, keep holding Dock for another 5 seconds.
• Saros 10, 10R, 20, Qrevo CurvX: Reset from the Roborock app → Device Settings → Restore Factory Defaults. No button combo.
• What you will hear: "Restoring the initial version. It will take about five minutes."
• What gets erased: Wi-Fi, maps, schedules, no-go zones, cleaning logs, firmware is rolled back to shipping version.
• Takes: About 5 minutes.

When to Factory Reset (and When Not To)

A factory reset is a nuclear option. Most Roborock problems do not need it, and you will lose your painstakingly mapped multi-floor layouts in the process. Before you reach for the button combo, match your problem to this table.

Situation	Use This
Selling or giving away the robot	Factory reset (mandatory — clears your account link)
Moving to a new router or new Wi-Fi password	Wi-Fi reset only (keeps maps)
Map is wrong after rearranging furniture	Map reset only (keeps Wi-Fi)
App shows the old owner's account	Factory reset then re-pair
Robot stuck in a boot loop or error loop	Try reboot first, then factory reset if that fails
Firmware update failed halfway	Factory reset to roll back to shipping firmware
Robot is cleaning weirdly	Reboot (hold Power 5 seconds), not factory reset
Cannot connect to app during setup	Wi-Fi reset, check 2.4 GHz network, then retry pairing

One user on the Roborock community forum described an S5 Max that got stuck repeating "Restoring the factory settings" every time the power button was pressed — essentially bricked. That is exactly why you do not factory reset as your first troubleshooting step. Try a normal reboot first, let the battery drain and recharge fully, and check our Roborock not connecting to Wi-Fi guide or Roborock mapping issues guide before going nuclear.

What a Factory Reset Actually Erases

A factory reset on a Roborock is closer to a phone factory reset than a soft reboot. Everything customized is wiped. Here is the full list, based on Roborock's official support documentation:

Data	Erased?	Notes
Wi-Fi credentials	✅ Yes	Robot forgets every SSID it has ever joined
Saved maps	✅ Yes	All floors, all room labels, all no-go zones gone
Cleaning schedules	✅ Yes	Every scheduled job wiped
No-go zones and virtual walls	✅ Yes	Part of the map — goes with it
Cleaning history and logs	✅ Yes	Every run, duration, area cleaned
Account pairing	✅ Yes	Robot unlinks from Roborock/Xiaomi account
Language setting	⚠️ Reverts	Back to English (or shipping default)
Voice pack	⚠️ Reverts	Custom voices (Homer, baby, celebrity) removed
Firmware version	⚠️ Reverts	Rolled back to whatever shipped on the robot
Consumable timers	❌ No	Brush, filter, sensor timers are not reset
Hardware serial number	❌ No	Stays the same
Purchase record / warranty	❌ No	Tied to account, not the physical robot

The firmware rollback catches people off guard. If your robot shipped in 2022, a factory reset in 2026 takes it back to 2022 firmware. It will offer to update as soon as you reconnect it to Wi-Fi — the whole update takes another 10–15 minutes on top of the reset.

Back Up These Before You Reset

You cannot back up a Roborock map the way you back up a phone. Saved maps live on the robot itself, not in your Roborock account. Once it is wiped, it is gone. Before you hit the button, do these three things:

1. Screenshot your map from the app. Go to each saved floor, screenshot the layout with room labels, no-go zones, and thresholds. You will use these as reference when you re-map after the reset.
2. Write down your schedules. The Roborock app does not export them. A photo of the schedule screen is enough.
3. Note your voice pack and language. If you use a non-default voice ("Homer" from The Simpsons is a popular one), note which pack — you will re-download it after re-pairing.

If you have multiple floors, re-mapping from scratch takes about 30–45 minutes of robot runtime per floor, and you have to physically keep doors open and no-go zones clear during the mapping run.

Factory Reset by Model

Button placement and combo changed across generations. Find your model below and follow exactly the instructions for it — using the wrong combo on the wrong model is the #1 reason people think their robot is broken after a reset attempt.

Newer Models: S7, S8, Q Revo, Q5, Q7, Qrevo Curv (2021 – 2024)

These robots have three physical buttons on top: Power (⏻), Spot/Clean (🧹), and Dock (🏠). No pinhole.

Steps:

1. Make sure the robot is powered on and off the dock. Battery should be above 30%.
2. Hold all three buttons simultaneously — Power + Spot + Dock — for about 3 seconds.
3. The LED ring under all three buttons will turn off at the same time.
4. Release. Within a few seconds you will hear: "Restoring the initial version. It will take about five minutes."
5. Wait. The robot will beep a few times and eventually announce: "Welcome. Press Power to start."
6. Do not interrupt the process. Do not put it back on the dock until you hear the welcome prompt.

If only two of the three lights go out, you did not press all three buttons firmly enough. Release and try again with slightly more pressure on the Dock button — it is the one people miss.

Older Models with a Reset Pinhole: S5, S5 Max, S6, S6 MaxV, S4 (2019 – 2021)

These robots have a small pinhole under the top cover, labeled "Reset" next to the Wi-Fi indicator LED. You will need a paperclip or SIM ejector pin.

Steps:

1. Lift the top cover of the robot (it opens like a hood — the dust bin is underneath).
2. Locate the reset pinhole next to the Wi-Fi LED.
3. Press and hold the Dock button for 3–5 seconds. The Dock, Power, and Spot LEDs will all turn off.
4. While still holding Dock, use a paperclip to press the reset pinhole once.
5. Keep holding Dock for another 5 seconds until the Power LED starts blinking.
6. You will hear: "Restoring the initial version. It will take about five minutes."
7. Release everything and wait.

The timing is fiddly. If nothing happens, you probably released Dock too early — the 5 seconds after pressing the pinhole is the part people miss. Start over and count it out.

Saros Series and Qrevo CurvX: App-Only Reset (2024 – 2026)

The Saros 10, Saros 10R, Saros 20, Saros Z70, and Qrevo CurvX do not have an accessible factory reset button combo. Roborock moved the function into the app for security — so a stranger cannot unpair your robot with physical access alone.

Steps:

1. Open the Roborock app (not Mi Home, not Xiaomi Home — the dedicated Roborock app).
2. Tap your robot from the device list.
3. Go to Settings (gear icon, top right) → Device Settings → Restore Factory Defaults.
4. Confirm when the app asks. Enter your account password if prompted.
5. The robot will announce: "Restoring the initial version. It will take about five minutes."

If your Saros is disconnected from the app and you cannot factory reset it from there, you have a chicken-and-egg problem. Your options are:

• Reconnect it to Wi-Fi first (see Wi-Fi reset section below), then factory reset from the app.
• Contact Roborock support with your serial number for a remote unpair.
• As a last resort, there is a hidden 10-second three-button hold on Saros models (Power + Spot + Dock for 10 full seconds, not 3) — but this is undocumented and not every firmware version responds to it.

Roborock E-series: E2, E3, E4, E5 (budget models, 2018 – 2020)

E-series robots have two buttons (Power and Spot/Home) plus a pinhole under the top cover.

Steps:

1. Make sure the robot is on, off the dock.
2. Press and hold the Home/Spot button for 3 seconds.
3. While still holding, use a paperclip to press the reset pinhole once.
4. Keep holding Home/Spot for another 5 seconds until the Power LED blinks.
5. Release. Wait for the voice confirmation.

The E-series voice prompt is sometimes just a series of beeps with no English prompt, depending on firmware. If you hear a long beep followed by a reboot sound, the reset worked.

Reset Just the Wi-Fi (Without Erasing Maps)

This is what 80% of people actually want. You are moving, getting a new router, or changing your Wi-Fi password — you need the robot on the new network but you do not want to re-map three floors.

A Wi-Fi reset clears the robot's stored SSID and password only. Maps, schedules, no-go zones, voice packs, and firmware all stay. Here is how:

All models (newer and older):

1. Make sure the robot is on and off the dock.
2. Press and hold Spot + Dock together for about 3 seconds.
3. You will hear: "Resetting Wi-Fi. Please reconnect the robot to your Wi-Fi network."
4. The Wi-Fi LED will start flashing slowly, meaning it is in pairing mode.
5. Open the Roborock app and go through the "Add device" flow on your new network.

This is the shortcut for 90% of "my Roborock is not connecting to Wi-Fi" problems — do this first, before factory reset. See our full Roborock Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide for the details.

Reset Just the Map (Without Erasing Wi-Fi)

If you rearranged furniture, finished a renovation, or just want a clean map start — you do not need a factory reset for that either.

From the app:

1. Open the Roborock app, tap your robot.
2. Tap the Map icon (bottom of the screen).
3. Tap the three-dot menu (top right of the map view).
4. Tap Map Management → select the saved map you want to erase → Delete.
5. Send the robot to do a full mapping run: tap Clean and let it cover every accessible room with doors open.

For multi-floor setups, you can delete just one floor and keep the others. A full factory reset is overkill for a map problem. Our Roborock mapping issues guide covers the weird cases — phantom walls, missing rooms, drifting map — without wiping anything.

Common Problems and Fixes

"Restoring the Factory Settings" Stuck in a Loop

You press Power, the robot says "Restoring the factory settings" instead of starting, over and over. Nothing else works. This is usually a firmware corruption during reset, not a physical failure.

Fix: Let the battery fully drain — leave the robot off the dock until it goes completely dead. Then charge it to 100% without pressing any buttons. Try the reset sequence again. If the loop persists after a full drain-and-charge cycle, the robot needs warranty service — Roborock support (support@roborock.com) can confirm if your serial number is in warranty.

Nothing Happens When I Press the Button Combo

Usually one of three things:

• Robot is on the dock (take it off — most combos require it off the dock)
• Battery too low (plug it in for 30 minutes first)
• Not pressing all buttons firmly at the same time (use two hands; the Dock button is offset from Power and Spot on newer models and is the one most people miss)

App Still Shows the Robot After a Factory Reset

Factory reset happens on the robot side — it clears the robot's knowledge of your account. But your Roborock app still thinks the robot is yours until you remove it manually.

Fix: Open the Roborock app → long-press the robot's tile on the home screen → tap Remove Device → confirm. Then re-add it as a new device if you are keeping it, or just leave it removed if you are selling.

The New Owner Cannot Pair the Robot to Their Account

If a factory reset did not clear the account pairing (this happens rarely on older firmware), the new owner will see a "Device is already bound to another account" error when trying to add the robot.

Fix: You (the previous owner) need to Remove Device from your app first, as described above. Until you do, the robot's serial number is flagged as taken on Roborock's servers. Once you remove it from your app, the new owner can pair within a few minutes.

Before You Sell or Give Away Your Roborock

This is the one use case where factory reset is not optional. Skip these steps and the buyer cannot use the robot.

The correct sequence:

1. Remove any custom no-go zones or schedules (optional, but polite — saves the buyer from weird robot behavior on day one).
2. Factory reset the robot using the method for your model above.
3. Remove the device from your Roborock app (long-press tile → Remove Device).
4. Unlink any smart home integrations — check Alexa (Alexa app → Skills → Roborock → Disable), Google Home (Google Home app → Services → Roborock → Unlink), and Apple Home (Home app → device → Remove).
5. Clean the robot — empty the dust bin, wash or replace the mop, wipe down the body and cliff sensors. A clean robot consistently sells for noticeably more on resale marketplaces.
6. Keep the original box, power cable, and dock — resale value drops noticeably without them.
7. Include the original purchase date for warranty purposes (buyers check this).

One thing people miss: the dock also stores paired info on newer auto-empty models. For full auto-empty docks (Q Revo, S8 Pro Ultra, Saros series), do the factory reset with the robot off the dock, then unplug the dock for 30 seconds before handing everything over. That clears the dock's session cache.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a Roborock factory reset take?

About 5 minutes from when you hear "Restoring the initial version" to when the robot announces it is ready for setup. If it takes more than 10 minutes or the LEDs stop responding, something went wrong — try a full battery drain and recharge, then attempt the reset again.

Will a factory reset fix my Roborock not charging?

Usually no. Charging problems are almost always hardware — dirty charging contacts on the dock or the robot, a failing battery, or a bad dock power adapter. Wipe the metal charging pads with a dry cloth first and check our Roborock not returning to dock guide before doing a factory reset. The reset does not fix physical charging issues.

Do I need to factory reset before updating firmware?

No. Roborock firmware updates are incremental and do not require a reset. In fact, a factory reset rolls firmware back to the shipping version, so you would then have to update again after the reset. Only factory reset if an update actually failed and the robot is in a broken state.

Can I factory reset without the app?

Yes, for every model except the Saros series and Qrevo CurvX, which require the app. Older and mid-range models (S5 through Q Revo, S7, S8, Q5, Q7) have physical button combos that work without any internet connection.

Does factory reset remove my cleaning history from the Roborock cloud?

The robot's local history is erased, and your cleaning history is unlinked from that specific robot. But if you log back into the Roborock app with the same account after re-pairing, some aggregate account-level data (total runtime, total area cleaned account-wide) persists. To completely delete your cleaning data, you have to delete your Roborock account itself via app Settings → Account → Delete Account.