How Do I Know if My Roomba Is Charging? All Indicator Lights Explained

Roomba’s indicator lights can be confusing, especially if you’re using one of the older Roomba models. In this article, we’ll go over two different ways to tell whether your Roomba is charging, how to understand each Roomba status light, and what to do if you find out your Roomba isn’t charging.

How Do I Know if My Roomba Is Charging?

Recent Roomba models don’t leave their status light on while charging. To get an update on their charge status, you need to press the clean button once. This will cause the light to flash a specific color, depending on the charging status.

The most common Roomba light colors are:

• Green or white if the Roomba is fully charged
• Amber pulsing if the Roomba is still charging
• Amber pulsing or red if the battery is very low or empty

For newer Roombas, you can also check the battery status in the iRobot HOME app. When you open the app, you’ll see a battery indicator icon at the top-right corner of the display.

Roomba Indicator Lights

Each model of Roomba has its own indicator lights. Older models could get confusing with their indicator meanings, but newer Roombas have tried to simplify the lights.

With the Roomba i1, i3, i7, S9, and the Braava mops, the lights can be grouped under three main color categories:

• White lights mean normal operation
• Blue lights indicate a special operation
• Red lights mean there is a problem.

This chart will help you understand what the lights on your robot vacuum mean.

Model	Charging	Partially charged	Fully charged	No battery	Low battery	Software update	Light during charging
Roomba 500 series	Amber pulse	Amber	Green	Amber pulse	Red	None	Pulse every 4 seconds
Roomba 600 series	Amber pulse	Amber	Green	Amber pulse	Red	None	Pulse every 4 seconds
Roomba 700 series	Amber pulse	None	Green	Red	Red	None	On for 60 seconds
Roomba 800 series	Amber pulse	None	Green	Red	Red	None	On for 60 seconds
Roomba 900 series	Amber pulse	None	Green	Red	Red	None	On for 60 seconds
Roomba i1 and i1+	White pulse	None	White	Red pulse	Red pulse	White swirl	Yes
Roomba i3 and i3+	White pulse	None	White	Red pulse	Red pulse	White swirl	Yes
Roomba i7 and i7+	White pulse	None	White	Red pulse	Red pulse	White swirl	No
Roomba s9, s9+, and Braava m6	White pulse	None	White	Red pulse	Red pulse	White swirl	No

Does Roomba Light Stay on When Charging?

The older Roomba 500 and 600 series would pulse their indicator light every four seconds while charging. The 700, 800, and 900 series would leave the light on for the first minute and then turn it off.

For the ii and i3 series, the light is always off while charging. The i7 did away with this light once again, so you’ll need to press the clean button to see the current charging status while Roomba is at its dock.

Why Is My Roomba Battery Not Charging?

There are a few common causes for Roomba charging issues. If your Roomba indicator lights show that it’s not receiving power, try the following fixes:

• Try a different power outlet
• Clean the charging contact points on both the Roomba and base with a microfiber cloth.
• Reset your Roomba by holding the clean and dock buttons until you hear a beep.
• Remove and reinstall the battery.
• Factory reset your Roomba by holding the clean button for ten seconds.
• Replace your Roomba’s battery (use this one for the 600, 800, and 900 series or this one for the i1, i3, i7, and s9 series)

How Long Does a Roomba Take to Charge?

Your Roomba will take at least two hours to charge. If your battery takes more than a few hours to charge, you should check the indicator light to make sure that it is actively charging.

If your Roomba is charging too fast, it might indicate that there is a problem with your battery. However, it could also mean that the battery wasn’t entirely dead when your Roomba started charging. There’s no need to worry unless the Roomba starts cleaning for shorter periods between needing recharges.

What Does the Blue Light on Roomba Mean?

The Roomba i and s series use blue indicator lights for certain special operations. The most common of these are:

• Blue clockwise spinning light for when Roomba is in Wi-Fi pairing mode.
• Blue counterclockwise spinning light for when Roomba is spot cleaning.
• Blue marching light for when Roomba is returning to its dock.
• Blue pinging light for when Roomba has detected a virtual wall.
• Blue flashing light for when the Dirt Detect feature has activated.
• Blue sweeping light for when Roomba is emptying its bin into the Clean Base.

What’s Next?

This is just one of the many Roomba tips and tricks that we’ve picked up over the years. In the beginning, it’s all about understanding status lights and stopping your Roomba from getting stuck under the couch. But the more you get used to your Robot vacuum, the more convenient it will become.

From Roomba’s voice commands to its ability to act as a multi-floor robot vacuum, there are lots of cool features for you to discover. Eventually, you might become so comfortable with your Roomba roommate that you’ll be ready to add a robot mop to the mix. After all, who doesn’t want an entire army of cleaning bots at their command?