Siri, Clean My Mess: iOS 18.4 Adds Apple Home App Support to Robot Vacuums

If you’ve ever wanted to ask Siri to vacuum your house, you’re in luck because that’s one of the new features baked into the iOS 18.4 update that started rolling out yesterday.

The updated mobile OS (which also includes iPadOS 18.4) adds support for robot vacuums in the Apple Home app thanks to the Matter smart home standard. Once manufacturers implement it, robo vac owners can use the Home app to automate cleaning routines, customize cleaning areas, and set up hands-free Siri control, Apple says.

“We worked with top brands like Ecovacs, iRobot, and Roborock…to ensure seamless integration and exceptional results,” an Apple spokesperson says.

CES 2025: Roborock’s grabby new robot vacuum is a huge flex

Roborock says it will roll out a firmware update over the next 10 days for seven of its products, including the S8 MaxV Ultra and the Roborock Saros Z70, which features a fully retractable mechanical arm capable of recognizing objects, picking them up, and putting them away.

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Notably absent on the list are the Roborock S8 Max Ultra and the Qrevo Slim. Roborock says Matter updates for those are in the works and will release “in the upcoming weeks and months, with more models coming soon.”

Ecovacs is also getting in on the action with a Matter firmware update rolling out now for the Deebot X2, X2 Combo, T50, T50 Max, and X8, an Ecovacs spokesperson confirms.

Also on tap for the update is iRobot’s Roomba Combo 10 Max robot + AutoWash

Robot vacuums have been supported by Matter since version 1.2, which was released in 2023, but it takes time for companies to adopt new standards. Major smart home manufacturers are looking to speed up the process, however. Earlier this year, Apple, Google, and Samsung agreed to put more trust in the Matter smart home standard and its interoperability testing results, which could mean faster product development cycles.

About Joe Hindy

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Hello, my name is Joe and I am a tech blogger. My first real experience with tech came at the tender age of 6 when I started playing Final Fantasy IV (II on the SNES) on the family’s living room console. As a teenager, I cobbled together my first PC build using old parts from several ancient PCs, and really started getting into things in my 20s. I served in the US Army as a broadcast journalist. Afterward, I served as a news writer for XDA-Developers before I spent 11 years as an Editor, and eventually Senior Editor, of Android Authority. I specialize in gaming, mobile tech, and PC hardware, but I enjoy pretty much anything that has electricity running through it.

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