FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Tapo Robot Vacuum

This article provides some answers to the most common questions about RV10 and RV30 series Tapo robot vacuums.

Part 1: RV10/RV30 Series General Questions

1.How to reset the Tapo robot vacuum?

https://www.tp-link.com/support/faq/3623/

2. How much time does it take to charge the Tapo robot vacuum?

Battery capacity

Estimated charging time

RV10 series

2600 mAh

around 150 mins to charge the battery from 20% to 100%.

RV30series

5000mAh

around 180 mins to charge the battery from 20% to 100%.

Note: the above data are based on the tests in the experimental environment, the real charging time can vary due to different factors.

3. 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 serves to maintain the battery’s best status of performance.

4. 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.

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

Yes, Tapo Robot Vacuum supports vacuum and mop combo.

Note: Tapo RV10 Lite can only vacuum.

Part 2: Accessories of Tapo Robot Vacuum

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. Other accessories such as Mops, Vacuum bags

For the availability of other accessories, please pay attention to our official website or the Tapo website.

3. 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. Or it can make the robot vacuum clean one particular area only like the living room, kitchen, or bedroom.

4. Can the RV10 Lite/ RV10/ RV10 Plus use a Magnetic Tape from other brands?

Due to possible compatibility issues, we don’t recommend using Magnetic Tapes from other brands. Tapo Magnetic Tape will be soon available, please keep an eye on TP-Link official website, Tapo website, or TP-Link Where To Buy.

5. 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.

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.

Part 3: Usage Scenarios

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 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 wouldn’t go inside the machine and cause damage.

3. Can the Robot Vacuum work in the dark?

Yes, it can work well in the dark.

4. Does the Robot Vacuum clean up pet droppings?

Cleaning up pet droppings can be challenging for the robot vacuum and it is suggested to clean them before a vacuum cleaning routine. Here is a relevant instruction to help the robot clean more efficiently.

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

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 series be used in a multi-story house?

Yes. 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.

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

Part 4: Functions

1. How does 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 was 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 charging process. For example, if a new cleaning task was started during the charging process, the robot vacuum will abandon its previous cleaning task.

Recharge threshold

Resume threshold

RV10 series

20% Battery level

80% Battery level

RV30 series

20% Battery level

50% Battery level

2. 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.

3. 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 failing height threshold (8 cm)

4. Does the Robot Vacuum support Voice Reporting?

The RV30 series supports the voice reporting which keeps the user informed about the robot current status.

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

5. Does Taoo Robot vacuum support Amazon or Google voice control?

Yes. Both Tapo RV10 and RV30 series support Amazon Alexa and Google voice control.

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

Now it only supports the below commands:

"Alexa, turn on xxx." Then the robot vacuum will start to clean.

"Alexa, turn off xxx." Then the robot vacuum will stop to clean.

"Alexa, turn on xxx at xxx time." Then the robot vacuum will start to clean at xxx time.

"Alexa, turn off xxx at xxx time." Then the robot vacuum will stop to clean at xxx time.

Note: More commands will be supported in the future.

7. When encountering carpets, can the Tapo robot vacuum detect the carpet and automatically stop mopping?

A: 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.

Part 5: Auto-Empty Dock Related (for RV10 Plus and RV30 Plus)

1. What is the Auto-Empty function and how does it work?

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

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

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 the accumulated cleaning time more than 30 minutes. 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.

2. 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.

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

The Auto-Empty dock will enter energy-saving mode after 10 minutes of inactivity and the LED light will go out.

Part 6: Mapping Feature

1. How many maps does the RV30 series 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. Is it possible to set individual rooms cleaning?

Tapo RV20/30 Series support individual rooms cleaning and zones cleaning but Tapo RV10 Series do not.

3. Why 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:

  • Adjust the height of the mirrors so they are positioned higher than the robot vacuum.
  • Attach something on the bottom portion of the mirrors that can block or absorb the mirror's reflections.
  • [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.

Part 7: RV30 series LiDAR sensor related

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?

No. According to the characteristics of the LIDAR sensor, the infrared light from the sensor will pass through the glass door and cannot be identified.

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