Leave a Review Neato Robotics
Needs notice when APP is down.
The IOS application was down due to technical difficulties and the only way I could find out was calling your customer service line and waiting to get a hold of a live person. There wasn’t even a prerecorded message when I called their customer service.
When the application was logged in already when I first opened it, the app couldn’t find my neato vacuum. I kept getting errors like “something went wrong”. I then started to troubleshoot my vacuum. I thought maybe there was something wrong with the vacuum and I reset it. That didn’t fix it. This is a brand-new vacuum I thought, not even two days old there shouldn’t be anything wrong with it. I’m starting to get ideas like did I get a lemon and I need to swap it out? Maybe it’s the app on my phone since this is my second neato and I did not uninstall the app when I added this new Neato D7. So I uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Making several unsuccessful attempts to login i thought maybe I forgot my password and tried to reset it and had problems with that too. So I called customer service to find their app is down.
A lot of effort for a customer when you could of just had a notice that your servers are under maintenance when I first opened the app. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s troubleshooted their vacuum like this when they’re having issues starting their vacuum because your servers are down.Show lessKaleb peaden
Developer Response
Thank you for your feedback, Kaleb. The issue was a server issue with an overload due to the recent software update. We'll use this experience to provide a better update experience for each of our customers. Your Neato TeamAWFUL! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME
We have had the Botvac D5 for a few months and where do I even begin. Let’s start with my current problem. The bot wouldn’t run off of my APP anymore-a common problem. So I emailed the support team. Well don’t expect immediate chat responses. The guy took 10 minutes at times to respond and then had no idea where we were. He reset my password when I had asked him not to. Then he said to delete the app and power down the bot...so I did...well now I can’t get my bot to connect. I then told the guy my WiFi wasn’t popping up on the app...none of the WiFi’s in the APP were and he had NO CLUE what was going on. It has now been over a month I can’t get the app to work nor the bot to connect to my phone so now it’s this worthless thing collecting dust.
When I press the button to run it, it gets stuck, rarely returns to home base (and guess what if you move it, it’s not very smart and keeps getting stuck again), and doesn’t even clean all of my rooms.
Save yourself the hassle and invest in a different one-this program, their staff, is not worth your sanity.Show lessCstro15
Great Vac, Terrible App
This review has nothing to do with the actual vacuum cleaner, which works really well. The problem is entirely with this app which continuously drops connection to the Internet requiring frequent re-boots. I’ve had the vacuum for over a year and probably have to reset it at least once a week. I have no problems with connection to the many other devices I have in my home. I have a very strong Wi-Fi connection. This app is definitely the issue. After the latest update, it dropped connection to my vacuum as usual. I have been unable to get connected again. As you go through the steps to establish connection, I was able to connect the vacuum after following the set-up instructions. The next step, the app does not even show my router or any other router. My phone, computer, TV and everything else has a connection. I manually typed it in and then it will show up. At this point, I think I’m home free but I cannot get past the part where I name the vacuum. I typed in the same name I’ve used in the past and it stalls.
Don’t waste your money getting a Connected vac because you really get very little use out of that part of it anyway. Just buy the best vacuum and don’t worry about the Connected features. Until they over hall this app entirely it is not worth it’s time.Show lessRDHLCSW
Developer Response
Hi, we understand how frustration connection issues can be, we would be more than happy to help get him back connected and not dropping offline, please email rosie@neatorobotics.com and have 588212 in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you. Your Neato TeamPractical but basic
The app has a clean design and is easy to use. It’s modern and I’m pleased to see that it is now frequently updated (although vague improvements defined as ‘user improvements’ have not been easy to spot).
I’d like to see more functionality reaching also backwards. I’m on my second robot in 8 years, the latest is less than a year old. I have the Connected. This is, it seems, not in focus as much as Neato’s Connected D7 which gets all the attention. That’s a shame.
My greatest wish is that the ‘dock’ button should work with my Connected bot. I need to place my robot under the sofa, and have to lie on the floor every second day to empty the bin then manually push it back. If I drive it manually, it often pushes too far back and doesn’t connect. Result? Flat battery.
Auto docking should be possible. Another option I miss is to remotely stop a cleaning process if it encounters a problem. If I’m not home and the bot gets stuck having vacuumed a lighting cable for example or the bin needs emptying, the machine beeps regularly until I get home. My neighbours don’t like that. I like the beeping when I’m home. It would help if I could simply stop t when it’s stuck and I’m at work, so I can save the battery power too.
Please don’t only improve D7 functionality. Many of us have invested in other WiFi bots at a high price just recently. I don’t want to buy another brand next time I need a new machine. I’d rather upgrade this one, and remain loyal.Show lessdrlambda
Love this robot, have a few app issues
I love my Neato. I recommend one to everyone I talk to. It’s amazing and life changing. It cleans so well, it does an amazing job, far better than I do cleaning. I thought I would be replacing myself sweeping but it’s so much more. I’ve never done as good a job sweeping and vacuuming as my Neato does.
I get messages that my robot is stuck and needs to be moved A LOT. I’m not talking about when the robot is working. That’s understandable. I get these messages when the robot is charging on its base. Over and over it will send a message that it’s stuck and would I please move it.
I also wish I could command the robot to return to its base from my phone. There appears to be an option in the app that says “dock” but it is always greyed out. If I have to stop the robot mid clean or move it from another room, I would like to be able to tell it to go dock itself.Show lesshyper zoo
Still not what it could be
*** Updated, based on developers comments, to 4 stars. However virtual borders should be a simple software implementation for BotVac Connected and newer vacuums. Again, not yet worth the upgrade due to no definitive must have upgrades in the latest BotVac vacuum. If you are new to the market, it is the best one out there for quality and money.
2 stars - When we first purchased our Neato BotVac Connected, it was the latest one at the time, connected to your wifi, you could control it through the app, etc. There were two features in the app that were very helpful. The first was the ability to send the robot back to the base. For some reason they removed it and have not brought that feature back. The other feature was the ability to control the robot with directional arrows. This was also removed without reason. The latest robot only brings virtual borders that you can put in the app. There is no reason this feature cant be implemented on current Wifi connected botvacs. I am not spending another $700 for a small feature after you have taken away others. If you are just buying into the market, maybe it is worth it, but if you are looking to upgrade, you have given us zero incentive.Show less2008 CRNA
Developer Response
Hi, thank you for the feedback, we have changed some features on the app but have not removed anything, to use the 'Dock' feature, start the robot from the charging base - let it clean for at least 5 minutes - pause the clean - Dock will then highlight. Manual drive has been improved, you need to select this mode then press start and the buttons appear. Your Neato TeamHorrible experience, the robot is always giving error messages of "I'M stuck"
This is definitely not what I paid for, I have hardwood floors with a few bathroom rugs, this robot can't navigate without getting stuck and requiring me to move it two feet and restart which screws up the mapping function, and it has NEVER been able to do a run around the house in order for me to establish virtual barrier lines. Extremely disappointed that in two months and moving all items from around my house that would interfere with the vacuum it has only ONCE completed a full cycle without me having to pick it up and walk it back to the docking. False advertising on the navigation skills of this robot, and the app is pretty limited and useless for what you want to do. If your vacuum gets stuck and you move the device two feet away and try and "return to dock" it just spins around the same room and never navigates back towards the room where the dock is.Show lessGlennbkr1
Highly frustrating!
I had waited months for the release of the botvac D7 connected. It finally was released and I ordered one right away. I have had nothing but problems since I got it! The vac won’t stay connected to the app. I have gone through all the steps. Restarted, reconnected over and over again. It won’t stay connected to the app for more than several seconds before it goes off line. I have contacted customer support and after several days they finally wrote and told me to do what I have already tried several times myself (and I explained that when I initially wrote). Yes I have strong WiFi signal and the base is right near the router.
Now I am waiting to hear back from them again. The vac seems to work OK off line. However, the whole reason I wanted this model was so that I could set up my no go lines. Which you can’t do if it won’t connect to the app. So.... every time I start the vac it makes a bee line for my couch and wedges itself underneath and I have to retrieve it only for it to immediately go back and do the same thing. They don’t send enough magnetic strip to outline the whole couch so I can’t keep it away! It’s obsessed with trying to get under my couch. I have a huge house, over 2500 square feet on the bottom floor and it won’t leave this one spot alone. What gives?
I’m ready to throw this very expensive thing out the window!Show lessagoodkin
Developer Response
Hi, Thank you for this comprehensive and honest review, this is something we would like to look into please email rosie@neatorobotics.com and have 491234 in the subject line, we look forward to hearing from you. Your Neato TeamSaves me hours a week
Waited for years to buy one of these. $500 for a robot vacuum when I already had central vacuum seemed silly. After living with it for 2 months, it was waiting that was silly. My saved time is well worth $500. In fact I may buy a second one so I can stop carrying up and down stairs.
I have one complaint: before the last update my D5 worked and interacted with app flawlessly. After the update it does not interface with app well anymore, often is unavailable or sends false alert messages, and it also now seems to wander more and lose its place, unable to find its base. If these are bugs from the update I hope they’ll fix them.
But honestly, the app is really secondary. The robot works great and id buy another one even if they don’t fix the app.Show lessD5 customer
Please fix major problems before releasing any other new vacuums
When will the no-go lines software update be pushed through to the Botvac Connected? My robot vacuum makes it back to base about 10% of the time, and that’s after hiding all my cords, placing barriers, and buying extra/placing the thick black strips all over my home. I’m no longer bothered that it makes my wood floors look like they’re held together by duct tape. For $700, I would expect software updates to be ongoing. I bought the $700 robot about 8 months ago and now it’s outdated. Is spending another $800 the only way to get this update? I also would be interested in getting the docking button to work in the app or through voice. It’s frustrating that the button is there but always disabled. So many of the defects defeat the purpose of a robot vacuum.
I would caution anyone from buying a new Neato vacuum, given the lack of ongoing support for improving the problems facing current customers.Show lessbdubya199
