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Local control does not automatically mean cloud-free operation. A robot vacuum may accept commands over your home network while still needing the manufacturer’s servers for account setup, authentication, maps, firmware, rate-limited APIs, or recovery when its local interface is unavailable. Conversely, a genuinely local-first system can keep routine control on your network, but usually requires a particular model, technical installation, and a different firmware-maintenance process.
The practical choice depends on four details: the exact vacuum model and firmware, which integration you plan to use, what happens when internet access is blocked, and whether “offline” means no vendor cloud at all or merely local commands during normal operation.
What “local control” and “cloud control” actually mean
These labels describe different parts of a communications path, not mutually exclusive product categories.
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In the conventional model, the manufacturer’s mobile app connects your account and vacuum to vendor-operated services. Those services can handle account registration, remote access, schedules, map synchronization, notifications, device binding, and functions that are not exposed directly on your LAN. The vacuum may also contact the cloud for firmware delivery and service diagnostics.
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Cloud dependence is not limited to the moments when you open the app. A device can appear to respond quickly on your LAN while the cloud remains necessary for setup, authentication, a fallback route, or selected sensors and actions.
Local communication with cloud dependencies
Home Assistant’s Roborock documentation illustrates this hybrid design. The integration uses local communication for many commands and polling, but it requires linking the vacuum to the official app and account. Home Assistant obtains information from cloud APIs to discover the device and establish local communication. Its documentation also says cloud access is required for the integration to work.
If a vacuum is disconnected from the internet, the local API may be blocked until the device can reach Roborock’s servers again. Therefore, seeing LAN packets in a network monitor is not proof that the vacuum is independent of the vendor cloud.
Local-first or cloud-free control
A local-first system keeps the control interface and routine data exchange on equipment you operate. Valetudo describes itself as “a cloud replacement for vacuum robots enabling local-only operation” in its Newcomer Guide, last updated October 27, 2025. It provides a web interface, REST interface, and MQTT integration for Home Assistant and other smart-home systems.
That model applies only to robots on Valetudo’s exhaustive supported-model list and to the firmware and rooting method documented for each model. A similar model name or a different hardware revision is not sufficient evidence of compatibility.
How the three operating models compare
| Decision axis | Vendor cloud or hybrid integration | Local-first approach |
|---|---|---|
| Internet dependence | Account pairing and cloud setup are required for the documented Home Assistant Roborock integration. The local API can be unavailable after an internet disconnect. | Valetudo documents operation without internet for supported robots. Optional network uses include time synchronization and explicitly checking for updates; some firmware still expects the local gateway to be reachable. |
| Controls and sensors | Home Assistant exposes vacuum commands and map-related functions, but capabilities vary by device and some functions use cloud APIs. | Valetudo documents start, stop, return-home, fan and water settings, maps, room and zone cleaning, virtual walls, and obstacle avoidance. It is not intended to be a feature-for-feature copy of every vendor app. |
| Model support | Roborock S, QV, Qrevo, and Saros series are documented as fully supported; Q-Series compatibility varies, and newer variants may use a protocol that fails to connect. | The supported-model list is exhaustive. A robot absent from it should be treated as unsupported rather than “probably compatible.” |
| Setup | Requires the official app and account, network access, and local-network reachability. | Requires the exact supported robot and its model-specific rooting and installation procedure. |
| Firmware maintenance | The manufacturer’s normal firmware service remains available through its ordinary route, subject to that model and service. | A rooted robot no longer receives vendor-cloud OTA firmware updates, so vendor fixes and improvements delivered through that channel stop. |
| Privacy boundary | Data collection and service processing follow the vendor’s policy. Claims about encryption or retention are vendor statements unless independently audited. | Less vendor-cloud traffic can reduce the information sent to the manufacturer, but local operation is not automatically risk-free; traffic metadata and other local-network risks remain separate questions. |
What Home Assistant’s Roborock integration requires
Home Assistant’s current documentation describes a hybrid integration rather than a fully offline one. The setup sequence is:
- Pair the vacuum in the official Roborock app. The integration requires the device to be linked to a Roborock account.
- Add the Roborock integration in Home Assistant. It discovers the device through cloud APIs to obtain information needed for local communication where supported.
- Keep the vacuum reachable on the LAN. Home Assistant recommends a stable local IP address, preferably a DHCP reservation or static assignment.
- Check firewall rules. The documentation identifies TCP port 58867 for device communication. A firewall may need to allow that traffic between Home Assistant and the vacuum.
- Check outbound MQTT connectivity. The integration documentation identifies port 8883 as an outbound MQTT consideration, in addition to local TCP and UDP reachability.
- Test after an internet interruption. Confirm which commands, sensors, maps, and location functions continue to work instead of assuming that local traffic guarantees offline operation.
The integration polls the vacuum approximately every 30 seconds. The Roborock app polls at roughly two-second intervals, according to the same documentation, so status updates in Home Assistant may not match the app’s refresh speed. Cloud rate limits can make entities temporarily unavailable, and retrieving the vacuum’s current position is identified as a cloud-API function.
Model compatibility is not uniform
Home Assistant lists the Roborock S, QV, Qrevo, and Saros series as fully supported. Q-Series support varies, and newer variants can use a protocol that fails to connect. Treat this as documentation for the integration as currently published, not a permanent guarantee for every SKU, region, or future firmware release.
When Matter helps—and what it does not prove
Home Assistant says compatible Matter-connected vacuums can work fully offline, although controls and sensors are limited. This is a narrower statement than “all robot-vacuum features work without the internet.” Matter support must exist on the specific vacuum, and the functions exposed through Matter may be a subset of those available in the manufacturer’s app.
Home Assistant itself runs on hardware you control and stores its data locally. It also notes that local protocols such as Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, and ESPHome do not need internet access. Those platform properties do not establish that a particular robot exposes one of those protocols, nor that maps, room selection, obstacle images, firmware updates, or every sensor are available through it.
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What Valetudo changes
Valetudo replaces the vendor-cloud control layer on supported robots. After installation, the robot can be managed through its local web interface, REST API, or MQTT. This is the strongest route in the supplied evidence for readers whose requirement is that routine operation continue with the internet disconnected.
Internet-disconnected behavior
Valetudo’s FAQ says it can operate without an internet connection. Internet access is used only for optional time synchronization and when the user explicitly checks for updates. Some robot firmware still expects the local gateway to be reachable, so “no internet” does not mean “no network.” The robot and your controller must still be able to communicate on the LAN.
Feature coverage
Valetudo documents start and stop, returning to the dock, fan and water settings, map viewing, room and zone cleaning, virtual walls, and obstacle avoidance. It explicitly does not promise to be a feature-complete copy of the vendor application. A feature that matters to you—such as a particular map editor, camera workflow, consumable estimate, or proprietary automation—must be checked against the exact Valetudo implementation and robot model.
Rooting and supported models
Do not buy an arbitrary vacuum and assume it can be converted. Valetudo support depends on model-specific rooting and firmware details. Its supported-model documentation is exhaustive; a robot that is not listed is not supported. Hardware revisions sold under nearly identical names can require different procedures or have no supported procedure at all.
Privacy: what local operation can and cannot tell you
Data described in Roborock’s policy
Roborock’s app privacy policy, effective and updated June 22, 2026, says that binding a network-connected device can involve the following categories:
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- Mobile-device model, identifier, MAC address, operating system, and operating-system version.
- Vacuum model, serial number, and MAC address.
- Time-zone settings.
- Wi-Fi network name, mode, IP address, signal strength, and the Wi-Fi password supplied by the user.
- Bluetooth name, MAC address, and signal strength.
The same policy separately states that the Wi-Fi password is stored on the device and is not uploaded to backend servers. These are the policy’s stated practices, not an independent audit of every network transmission or firmware version.
Vendor statements about images and video
Roborock’s trust-center material says certain pet-obstacle images are encrypted and stored locally, that opting out deletes those photos, and that AI training uses simulated home environments rather than real users. It also says video-call streams are encrypted and are not stored by the device, cloud, or app. Attribute these points to Roborock: they are manufacturer claims, not independent verification.
Why encryption is not the whole privacy story
A 2024 paper by Benjamin Ulsmaag, Jia-Chun Lin, and Ming-Chang Lee reports an experiment with a popular robot vacuum in a real smart-home environment. The authors say selected events could be inferred from captured traffic metadata even though the application, cloud, and device exchange used end-to-end encryption. The narrow implication is that encrypted payloads can still leave observable timing, volume, or connection metadata. The paper does not establish that every vacuum leaks the same events, nor that maps were recovered.
Can I block internet access for this device?
You can place a vacuum on a network with restricted outbound access, but the result depends on its model and integration. For the documented Home Assistant Roborock integration, blocking internet access can prevent setup, cloud fallback, or local API access until the vacuum reconnects to Roborock’s servers. A firewall rule that appears to work during normal operation may therefore fail after a reboot, account change, firmware update, or temporary local-service error.
For a supported Valetudo robot, internet blocking is part of the documented operating model. Allow the robot and the local controller to communicate on the LAN, preserve local DNS or gateway behavior required by that firmware, and test every required action with the WAN path disabled.
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Can I use the Mi Home app with this integration?
Do not assume that an integration using local traffic can also use a different manufacturer app. The Home Assistant Roborock documentation requires the official Roborock app and account for its setup path. A Mi Home account or app is not established as a substitute by that documentation. If your vacuum was originally configured through another app, verify the exact integration and model instructions before changing accounts or resetting the device.
Can I use Valetudo without an internet connection?
Yes, for a robot and installation supported by Valetudo. Its FAQ describes operation without internet, with optional time synchronization and explicit update checks as the remaining internet uses. The local gateway requirement still applies, and the vendor-cloud OTA route is no longer available after rooting.
Can you support Robot Model XY?
Only the exact model shown on Valetudo’s exhaustive supported-model list should be treated as supported. Check the full model identifier, hardware revision, and firmware instructions rather than relying on a product family name. If the model is absent, do not attempt a rooting procedure intended for a similar-looking robot.
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Feature trade-offs that matter in daily use
Maps and room cleaning
Hybrid Home Assistant integrations can expose maps and related functions, but the exact entities vary by vacuum and some location information uses cloud APIs. Valetudo documents maps plus room and zone cleaning locally. If your routine depends on selecting a room while the WAN is down, test that workflow specifically; a start/stop command working locally does not prove that map data is local.
Obstacle handling and cameras
Valetudo lists obstacle avoidance among its documented capabilities. Roborock’s trust-center statements about pet-obstacle images and video calls apply to Roborock’s own services and should not be generalized to another manufacturer or to a modified robot. A vacuum with no camera, a camera with local-only processing, and a camera that uploads selected images are different privacy cases.
Automation latency
Home Assistant’s approximately 30-second polling interval can make state changes appear slower than in the Roborock app, which the documentation says polls at about two-second intervals. Automations that require near-real-time position data may also depend on cloud APIs. Local-first MQTT events can reduce that particular polling dependency, but the actual timing still depends on the robot firmware and network.
Firmware updates and maintenance burden
Rooting a robot changes who controls firmware maintenance. Valetudo states that rooted robots no longer receive vendor-cloud OTA updates. That means automatic vendor fixes or improvements delivered through the normal cloud channel stop. You must understand Valetudo’s alternate update process, monitor compatibility notices, and preserve a recovery plan before modifying the device.
Hybrid use has the opposite trade-off: the manufacturer’s normal update path remains available, but an update can alter local protocols, authentication, or integration compatibility. Before accepting a firmware update, check the current integration and model notes, and keep a backup of your Home Assistant configuration.
A decision framework for choosing an approach
- Define “offline.” Decide whether you need local commands during a temporary outage, no vendor account, no vendor cloud at all, or complete operation with WAN access physically blocked.
- Write down the exact SKU and firmware. Family names are insufficient where Q-Series variants, hardware revisions, or regional versions differ.
- List non-negotiable features. Include room and zone cleaning, maps, obstacle handling, camera functions, water control, schedules, notifications, and current-position data.
- Choose the least disruptive model. Use the official app plus a hybrid integration if cloud fallback and manufacturer updates matter more than eliminating cloud dependence. Choose a supported local-first installation if WAN independence is the primary requirement and you accept rooting.
- Plan network isolation deliberately. A separate IoT VLAN, fixed address, firewall rules, and local DNS can improve control, but isolation must not block the local gateway or controller path the robot requires.
- Test failure modes before relying on automation. Disconnect the WAN, reboot the vacuum, restart the controller, let a map update occur, and test cleaning, docking, room selection, and status reporting.
- Document the update path. Record the current firmware, integration version, model revision, and recovery procedure before changing software.
Troubleshooting common failures
The vacuum appears online but commands fail
- Confirm the vacuum and controller are on reachable networks and that client isolation is disabled where needed.
- Check the fixed IP or DHCP reservation.
- For the Home Assistant Roborock integration, verify TCP 58867 and the documented outbound MQTT path on port 8883.
- Restore temporary internet access and test whether the local API is waiting for cloud contact.
Entities disappear or become unavailable
- Check for cloud rate limiting, which Home Assistant identifies as a cause of unavailable entities.
- Compare the integration’s approximately 30-second polling behavior with the faster refresh in the official app.
- Confirm that the model and firmware remain supported; newer Q-Series variants may use a protocol that does not connect.
Valetudo installation does not match the guide
- Stop and verify the complete model identifier and hardware revision.
- Use only the rooting method documented for that exact robot.
- Do not substitute a procedure for a similar model or assume that a missing model is merely undocumented.
- Before proceeding, understand that vendor-cloud OTA updates will no longer arrive after rooting.
Bottom line for privacy and features
Choose a hybrid integration when you want broad manufacturer functionality, ordinary firmware support, and Home Assistant automation while accepting a cloud dependency. Choose a local-first system only after confirming exact model support and accepting the rooting, update, and troubleshooting workload. “Local control” is a useful description of where some commands travel; it is not, by itself, a privacy guarantee or proof that the vacuum will keep working when the internet is disconnected.
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