never trust proprietary software that connects to the internet or company claims if you aim for privacy.
this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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Privacy
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I specifically bought mine for this very reason!
Roborock S5 Max.
Its an older model - and it has all the connectivity / WiFi crap in it - but if you never sync it to the app in the first place (or allow it WiFi access), it works fine with local LIDAR and off line mode.
Good vac; recommended.
PS: I can't believe they called that app Valetudo (I get it - Hygieia). Just..that word has a very different meaning in many folks brains
Perfect! Thank you!
Pro tip: Modern battery powered vacuums are lightweight and easy to carry and use. As someone with both a battery powered "manual" vacuum and a robot vacuum (an old one that relies on infrared beacons and has no app integration/smart features), I find that it's usually more annoying to prep the floor for robot vacuuming (find and remove cables and anything that can jam it, remove temporary things strewn around so it can get to the areas under them, move furniture so it doesn't get stuck, roll up fluffy rugs that it can get caught on, etc, and then having the anxiety that you missed something so you end up following it around anyway) than just vacuuming myself and moving stuff as I go. It's one of the things that seem convenient until you actually take a step back and assess whether the problems it creates actually outweighs the problems it solves. Also, I don't know if the modern ones are better at navigation but mine just rolls around like a pinball and it takes significantly longer for it to cover all the areas than if I did it, and it can end up never actually covering some areas because, again, it just rolls around basically randomly.
Apparently newer models have way better navigation.
The purpose of a robot vacuum isn't to stop manually cleaning the floor; it is to complement my work and do general upkeep. I had an old iRobot which got stuck everywhere and bounced around randomly till it cleaned a room. It stopped working. So now I am in the market for a robot vacuum mop duo.
I have the Hoover One Power battery light weight vacuum. Strong suction, light weight, and easy for anyone to use. I love it too.
neat!
i didn't know valetudo exists and i'm going to try it since i'm not longer able to seperate my vaccuum from the rest of the network.
You need a compatible vacuum.
And if it's a dreame, then you also need a dreame breakout pcb, which seems easier to acquire in Europe.
just learned that i can't since mine isn't supported so i'll have to try it the next time i need to get another vacuum.
The ones that are easily accessible to me are all not supported either.
I run an old Roomba that's offline. It works perfectly fine without being connected to anything. It's a vacuum, not everything needs to be smart. I'll upgrade at some point and not let the new device on the Internet either
Valetudo has the advantage of being compatible with MQTT, Home Assistant and others. And it's FOSS so you get all the advantages of a community-driven project as well.
UltraVision fully respects your privacy
Furthermore, any info you personally insert into the app, such as your name and email address, is stored on US-based servers
Lol, immediate contradiction.
Answer to your question: Only local/offline is privacy respecting. Anything else is naif
Today's promise turns into tomorrow's vulnerability. Even if they are 100% honest with that statement, there's no guarantee they won't go back on their word in the future.
You're right.
Great thread. I run an old Roomba i3 with optical sensor (no camera). In the market to upgrade to a European and privacy respecting device.
Let me know what you upgrade to!
I run a iRobot i3 and cutting its internet connection renders it useless. I’m eyeing a dreame l40 ultra for valetudo
So, whether they store the information or not, the information may not be encrypted while being processed (lots of IoT tech doesn't encrypt data streams, and some of them don't even have a firewall between them and the internet).
There's no good reason for them to need Internet access to sweep or mop your house.