Frequently asked questions about Tapo Robot Vacuum

1. Is the LiDAR sensor harmful to eyes, children, or pets?

Our LiDAR sensor uses a low-power infrared laser as the transmitting light source. The emitted laser power consumption is extremely low and does not harm children or pets.

Besides, it meets Class 1 safety standards and does not generate dangerous radiation.

2. Can the LiDAR sensor identify glass?

According to the LiDAR sensor's characteristics, the sensor's infrared light will pass through the glass door and cannot be identified.

1. Can the Robot Vacuum be used outdoors?

Tapo robot vacuum is designed for indoor use. We recommend using it indoors only to reduce the risk of burning, electric shock, injury, etc.

2. Can the Tapo robot vacuum be used offline?

The Robot Vacuum cannot be controlled in the app when it shows offline. However, you can control and operate the robot vacuum with physical buttons.

3. Can the Robot Vacuum work in the dark?

The Robot Vacuum can work well in the dark.

4. Can the Robot Vacuum work on a wet surface?

The robot vacuum is not waterproof and should not run over watery areas.

When using the robot vacuum in a damp environment like a bathroom, be sure to clean up the water first and ensure water or liquid doesn't go inside the machine and cause damage.

5. What types of liquid stains can a Vacuum-mop combo clean?

The Robot Vacuum can mop air-drying liquid like water stains and dry soy sauce.

While for things like liquid soy sauce, it may spread the stain over the floor surface.

6. Can the Tapo Robot Vacuum be used in a multi-floor house?

The Tapo Robot Vacuum can be used in a multi-floor house. However, it is necessary to manually move it back to the Charging Dock after cleaning.

7. What floor types do the robot vacuum support?

It supports most floor types, such as hard floors, hardwood, tile, marble floors, carpet, rugs, etc. (Not suitable for long pile carpets)

Note: When mopping tile floors, there may be slippage. Please use a low water level on the tile floor.

8. Can the Tapo robot vacuum detect the carpet and automatically stop mopping when encountering carpets?

After enabling the carpet boost function, the Tapo robot vacuum can detect the carpet area and stop spraying water, but since it doesn't support automatic mop lifting, it cannot automatically stop mopping the carpet. We will introduce more advanced models with this feature in the future, so please stay tuned.

Note: You can manually remove the mop attachment to make the robot vacuum only clean without mopping the carpet.

1. How long does it take to charge the Tapo robot vacuum?

2. How much power does the robot vacuum consume when being placed on the Dock?

The power consumption is very low when the Robot Vacuum is placed on the dock, which maintains the battery's best performance status.

3. How does the Recharge & Resume function listed on the specification page work?

With the "Recharge and Resume" feature, the robot vacuum will return to the charging dock automatically when the power is lower than the threshold value, and when the battery is charged to a certain level, the vacuum will return to the same area and continue its original cleaning task.

Note: This function would not take effect if the original cleaning task is interrupted during the charging process. For example, if a new cleaning task is started during the charging process, the robot vacuum will abandon its previous cleaning task.

* When the map is locked, the robot vacuum calculates the battery power needed to finish cleaning the remaining area. Once it reaches the required power level, it will automatically resume cleaning.

1. Can the Robot Vacuum vacuum and mop at the same time?

Tapo Robot Vacuum supports vacuum and mop combo.

Note: Tapo RV10 Lite/RV20/RV20 Plus/RV30C/RV30C Plus can only vacuum.

2. Does the Robot Vacuum clean up pet droppings?

Cleaning up pet droppings can be challenging for the robot vacuum, and it is suggested that pet droppings be cleaned before a vacuum cleaning routine. Here are some relevant instructions to help the robot clean more efficiently.

FAQ: How to Troubleshoot Your Tapo Robot Vacuum When It Can't Pick Up All Debris

3. Does the Robot Vacuum support Voice Reporting?

The RV10 series does not support voice reporting and instead uses a buzzer for alerts and notifications.

All robot vacuums except the RV10 series support voice reporting, which keeps the user informed about the robot vacuum’s current status.

Note: If the initial language is not English, the vacuum will use a buzzer for alerts during the first use. After the initial setup, you’ll receive a reminder in the Tapo app to change the voice pack. To switch it, you can also open the Tapo app > Tap the Robot Vacuum Card > Click the settings icon on the top right corner > Go to General Settings > Select Robot Vacuum Language > Choose your preferred language and save it.

4. What is the Auto-Empty function and how does it work? (For Plus Series with an Auto-Empty Dock)

Auto-Empty is a convenient feature that helps the Robot Vacuum automatically empty its dustbin when the vacuum returns to the dock.

1) There are four Emptying modes (Smart, Light, Balanced, and Max) and the frequency of dust collection varies based on the selected mode.

In Smart Mode (recommended), the longer the cleaning time, the longer the dust collection time.

2) The robot vacuum will start auto-empty upon returning to the dock after more than 30 minutes of accumulated cleaning time. The emptying operation, whether auto-emptying or manual emptying, cannot exceed three times within a ten-minute timeframe.

Note: Auto-emptying will be disabled during the Do Not Disturb mode.

The accumulated cleaning time will be reset after the emptying operation.

5. Will there be a prompt if the water tank is empty or the dustbin is full?

There are no prompts due to hardware limitations, it is recommended to regularly clean the dustbin after the cleaning and fill the water tank before or during the cleaning.

Relevant FAQ: How to Clean the Dustbin of My Robot Vacuum

6. Will there be a prompt when the dust bag is full?

No. However, the APP will remind the user to replace the dust bag after a total of 30 dust-collection operations.

7. How to delete custom cleaning settings

If you want to delete the custom cleaning settings, please click the Rooms icon on Vacuum’s main page > Select the settings you want to remove > Edit it > Click delete to remove it.

8. Does the vacuum support executing mopping commands with the physical button?

Currently, the vacuum does not support executing mopping commands using the physical button, but you can control it through the Tapo App; after attaching the mop, please set the water level, and then you can start cleaning to begin mopping.

9. How to remove the Virtual Wall/No-Go Zones

If you want to delete the Virtual Wall/No-Go Zones you have set, please click the Map option on the main page of Vacuum, then Edit Map > Click Virtual Wall > Click the Virtual Wall/No-Go Zones you set up before on the Map > Click on the red “X” to delete it.

1. How many maps does the Robot Vacuum support in total?

Up to 3 maps can be saved in the app.

If you have saved 3 maps in the app, the 4th map will be saved as a temporary map that can be overwritten or deleted at any time; therefore, be sure to follow the APP instructions to save the map in time.

2. How to add a room on the map directly

The vacuum does not support adding rooms to an existing map. If one room was not included on the map during the initial mapping and you want to include the room, please open all doors and run a whole-house clean, the map will be updated.

For models with a mapping lock feature, such as the RV20 series/RV20 Max series/RV30 MAX series, please unlock the map first by clicking the Map icon on the main page of Vacuum> Map Management > Unlock the Map.

Alternatively, you can remap and make sure the room’s door is opened.

3. How to delete the map

If you want to delete the existing Map, please click the Map icon on the main page of Vacuum, then click Map Management, then select the Map you want to delete. (Please ensure that at least one map exists; if there is currently only one map, then it cannot be deleted)

4. What’s the falling height threshold of the robot’s Anti-Drop protection?

The failing height threshold is 8 cm.

With the built-in cliff sensors, the Anti-drop protection of the robot vacuum can intelligently detect gaps and level changes that are more than 8 cm and prevent the robot vacuum from falling from the stairs.

5. Will the color of surfaces affect the Anti-Drop protection performance?

The black objects or surfaces tend to absorb light, and this may affect Anti-drop protection to some extent; for example, the anti-drop protection can be triggered when the height is lower than the failing height threshold (8 cm)

6. What is the barrier-cross height for the robot vacuum?

1. What should I do if the App shows "dust bag has been uninstalled"?

If the app shows "dust bag has been uninstalled," try removing and reinserting the dust bag. Make sure you hear a crisp click sound when inserting, as this indicates the micro switch has been triggered. If the issue persists, unplug the dustbin power, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.

2. What should I do if the water tank has odors or mold?

If you notice odors or mold in your water tank, please note that only clean water should be used, as any cleaning agents may cause the water tank to be broken. Typically, this problem shouldn't occur, but if it does, you can rinse the tank with a mixture of water and fragrance. Just ensure you rinse thoroughly to avoid any residue that could damage the tank.

3. What should I do if the vacuum can not be charged or shows a charging error?

First, please open the dock cover to check if the LED on the dock station lights up; if it's off, unplug and re-plug the dock. Then, clean the metal contacts on the dock, water tank, and robot with a dry and clean cloth, using alcohol on a cotton swab if needed. Finally, slightly pull the robot's metal contacts outward to ensure they align properly with the water tank contacts, ensuring the vacuum is turned off during this process.

4. Why is the Auto-Empty dock’s LED light off?

For non-Max/Plus models, the Auto-Empty dock will enter energy-saving mode after 10 minutes of inactivity, and the LED light will go out.

For the Max/Plus models, the LED will remain on when not charging and will pulse while charging.

Note: Non-Max/Plus models include Tapo RV10 Plus, Tapo RV20 Plus, Tapo RV20 Mop Plus, Tapo RV30 Plus, Tapo RV30C Plus, and Tapo RV30C Mop Plus.

Max/Plus models include Tapo RV20 Max Plus and Tapo RV30 Max Plus.

5. Why does the Tapo robot vacuum create non-existent areas on the map when there is a mirror?

Mirrors are reflective. It will reflect the robot vacuum's LiDAR scanning, causing the vacuum to "think" there is still open space in front of it.

To prevent the robot vacuum from creating non-existent areas on the map due to mirror reflections, here are some suggestions:

1) Adjust the height of the mirrors so they are positioned higher than the robot vacuum.

2) Attach something on the bottom portion of the mirrors that can block or absorb the mirror's reflections.

3) [Only available for specific models] Cover the mirror on the first mapping and LOCK the map once it is completed. Note that with this method, the robot vacuum will not automatically update the map in response to changes in the environment while performing a cleaning task, such as changes in the furniture arrangement.

6. How to Prevent the Robot Vacuum from Falling Off Steps

If the robot vacuum falls from a step, please check the step height to ensure it is 8cm enough or more than 8cm. Then please inspect the Cliff Sensors for dirt and clean them.

How to clean the sensors of my Robot Vacuum

Additionally, you can set up no-go zones to prevent future falls. Click the Map option on the main page of Vacuum, then Edit Map > Click No-Go zones to add it.

1. Does my Robot Vacuum support HomeKit?

Currently, all the Robot Vacuums don't support HomeKit.

2. Does Tapo Robot vacuum support Amazon or Google voice control?

Currently, all the Robot Vacuums support Amazon Alexa and Google voice control.

How to make my Tapo / Kasa device work with Amazon Alexa

How to control my Tapo / Kasa smart devices via Amazon Alexa with voice commands

3. What voice control commands does the robot vacuum support?

Note: More commands will be supported in the future.

1. Can I add my preferred cleaning agents to the water tank?

Not recommended. You can use water or Tapo cleaning agents instead of an unofficial floor cleaner, as that may corrode the water tank or affect the lifetime of your vacuum.

It is recommended to use water at the moment or keep an eye on Tapo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaning Solution or other Tapo cleaners on the Tapo website that will be released in the future.

2. What is Tapo Magnetic Tape, and what does it do in the Robot Vacuum?

Tapo Magnetic Tape is the special magnetic tape for the robot vacuum with strong magnetism, which is used to build the invisible wall to stop the robot vacuum from going where you don't want it to go, such as the bathroom, the carpet, etc. It can also make the robot vacuum clean only one particular area, like the living room, kitchen, or bedroom.

Note: Only the RV10 series supports this feature.

3. Can the RV10 Series use Magnetic Tape from other brands?

Due to possible compatibility issues, we don’t recommend using Magnetic Tapes from other brands. We suggest you buy Tapo Magnetic Tape.

4. What should I do if I purchased another brand's Magnetic Tape by myself?

If you have purchased another brand's Magnetic Tape by yourself, ensure its magnetism exceeds 35Gs. If its magnetism is less than 35Gs, contact the retailer to return it in time and purchase Tapo Magnetic Tape.

If you can't return it, consider padding the magnetic strip. For example, put a layer of double-sided tape with a thickness under the magnetic tape. Or consider sticking a double-layer magnetic tape.

5. Other accessories such as mops, vacuum bags

For the availability of other accessories, please check our official website or the Tapo website.

6. What kind of lubricant can I use for the metal shaft of the caster wheel?

It's not limited. You can even use cooking oil, car lubricant, etc.