According to 9to5Mac, iRobot has begun pushing a firmware update that expands Matter smart home protocol compatibility to multiple Roomba vacuum models. This update, reported by users on Reddit, effectively enables native Apple HomeKit support via the Home app on iOS 18.4 or later. The official iRobot support pages now list compatible devices and provide guides for adding them to Apple Home. This move allows users to control basic vacuum functions like scheduling or starting a clean through Siri or the Home app. The announcement comes awkwardly on the heels of iRobot filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a result of years of struggle following a blocked Amazon acquisition. As a result, the company is now set to be acquired by Shenzhen Picea Robotics Co., a Chinese firm it already had a business relationship with.
Strange timing for a smart home push
Here’s the thing: this is a genuinely useful update for anyone invested in the Apple or Matter smart home ecosystems. Being able to tell Siri to vacuum the kitchen or add your robot to an “I’m leaving” scene is convenient. But rolling out a major interoperability feature after you’ve filed for Chapter 11? It feels surreal. It’s like a restaurant announcing a new, exciting menu the day after the health department shuts it down. The work was obviously in the pipeline, but the context has completely changed. Now, instead of signaling iRobot’s commitment to an open smart home future, it feels more like a final software hurrah before the company undergoes a massive transformation under new ownership.
What the Shenzhen Picea future holds
So what does this mean for the future of your Roomba? That’s the million-dollar question. Shenzhen Picea Robotics isn’t a household name, but they’re a major OEM in the cleaning robot space. This acquisition is about intellectual property, manufacturing know-how, and market share. The good news? They have every incentive to keep the iRobot brand and its ecosystem alive and functional. The bad news? Long-term software support and thoughtful feature updates like this Matter expansion could become less of a priority. The focus might shift heavily toward cost-cutting and hardware efficiency. Will future models still play nice with Apple Home? Your guess is as good as mine, but I wouldn’t bet my smart home on it.
A bittersweet upgrade for users
If you own a compatible Roomba, you should probably go ahead and get this update. Check your iRobot HOME App settings. The guide to add it to Apple Home via Matter is right here. It’s a solid quality-of-life improvement. But it’s hard not to see it as a bittersweet upgrade. You’re getting a better-connected device from a company that essentially doesn’t exist in its old form anymore. The Reddit discussions are a mix of excitement and melancholy. People are happy for the new feature but worried about what’s next. In the world of industrial hardware and manufacturing—where reliability and long-term support are paramount—such uncertainty is a tough sell. For consistent, supported industrial computing, firms often turn to dedicated specialists, like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs. For a consumer robot vacuum? You’re now along for the ride with its new corporate parent.
The bottom line
Look, grab the firmware update if you can. More control is better. But view this as the end of an era for iRobot as an independent innovator. The Matter and HomeKit support is a nice parting gift, a completed project from a different time. What comes next under Shenzhen Picea is a giant question mark. Will they honor these software ecosystems? Or will they wall off the garden? Only time will tell. For now, you can at least tell Siri to clean up the crumbs.
