Last checked: October 13, 2026.
iRobot invented the home robot vacuum with the first Roomba in 2002. It went bankrupt in December 2025 and now belongs to Picea, the Chinese company that already built its robots.
Why 70%
- Starting point70%Recently went through bankruptcy.
- Track record0Has not switched off any Roombas so far.
- Works without the cloud0Roombas still clean at the press of a button, but maps and schedules need the app.
- Our estimate70%
The good news: The Roomba is not dead. Picea completed the takeover in January 2026, the iRobot app kept working through the bankruptcy, and iRobot has kept launching new Roombas in 2026. Engineering and product work stayed in Bedford, Massachusetts.
The bad news: After its $1.7 billion sale to Amazon fell apart in 2024, iRobot laid off much of its staff and ran out of money. Under the new owner, nobody outside the company knows how long older Roombas will keep their app support. A Roomba that loses its app goes back to being a button-press vacuum, without maps or schedules.
If you own a Roomba
- Your Roomba keeps working for now, and there is no announced end date for app support.
- Remember the physical Clean button. It is your fallback if the app ever stops working.
- If you are buying now, compare iRobot with Roborock, Eufy and others, since its long-term plans are still unclear.