What can your robot vacuum see and hear — and how do you lock yours down after the DJI Romo lesson?

Robot vacuums collect floor maps, camera video, microphone audio and Wi-Fi details. A DJI Romo backend flaw exposed about 7,000 vacuums in February 2026 — here is how to update, lock and network yours safely.

Your vacuum bumps happily around the couch, building a perfect map of your home — a map you would never hand to a stranger at the door. Short answer: Robot vacuums can collect floor maps, camera video, microphone audio and Wi-Fi details. In February 2026 a DJI Romo owner trying to steer his own vacuum with a game controller found DJI’s servers gave him access to roughly 7,000 other Romo vacuums in over 20 countries, including live feeds and room maps; DJI fixed the backend flaw with updates on February 8 and 10, and the story resurfaced in Nov.

1 security roundups as a warning for every brand. Why it matters: The flaw was not in one vacuum — it was in the cloud permission check behind all of them. That is the lesson for any camera-on-wheels device: its privacy depends as much on the maker’s servers and app permissions as on the hardware in your hallway.

How to lock yours down, step by step:1. Keep it updated. Keep your vacuum’s app and firmware updated, and leave automatic updates on.2.

Lock the account. Set a strong, unique password and two-factor sign-in on the vacuum account, and set a camera/video PIN if your model offers one.3. Review app permissions — turn off microphone or remote viewing features you do not actually use.4.

Use guest Wi-Fi. Put the vacuum on your guest/IoT Wi-Fi, not the same network as your work laptop if you can avoid it.5. Clean up maps and video.

Check where floor maps and video are stored, delete old maps you do not need, and cover or park the vacuum away from bedrooms if yours has a camera you cannot disable.Common mistake: Shopping only on suction and battery life. Before you buy any robot vacuum, check how long the maker promises security updates — that matters more than one extra brush.Ad’s take: I love a gadget that cleans while I work, I really do. But anything with a camera that drives itself around my house has to earn that trust, update after update.