iRobot’s new software update makes your old Roomba smarter

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iRobot is pushing out a new Genius 4.0 update that ushers in a slew of new features primarily aimed at making its older robot vacuums smarter. 

The bulk of the updates is focused on the company’s lower-priced line of i3/i3+ Roombas and brings things like Smart Maps, room labels, and the ability to tell the vacuum to clean a specific area of the home. 

On top of that, the company is adding other customization and convenience features like Siri Shortcut integration, do not disturb, customizable schedules, and a child and pet lock function that prevents your pets or kids from accidentally setting the vacuum to clean.

On top of the rollout of Genius 4.0, the company is doing some house-cleaning and renaming the Roomba i3 and i3+ to Roomba i3 EVO and Roomba i3+ EVO.

With the name change comes a new lower price. The Roomba i3 EVO now sells for $349 while the Roomba i3+ EVO retails for $549, respectively. 

The company also included an update that adds clothing and towel avoidance to the Roomba j7 and j7+ line. The feature detects and avoids clothing and towels left on the floor. This adds to the list of things the j7 and j7+ can avoid, which includes shoes, socks, cords, headphones, and pet waste.   

All in all, this seems like a solid update, especially for folks with an older i3 or i3+ Roomba. It’s always comforting to see a company roll out over-the-air updates to products that sit in its lowest-tier of offerings.

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Editors’ Recommendations:

• iRobot now offers a Roomba subscription program for as little as $29 a month
• Review: Roomba S9+ – it’s pricey, but it’s the best of the best
• One of iRobot’s best-selling Roombas is down from $799 to $549
• Your Roomba is getting improved Alexa commands you’ll actually want to use

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.