10 votes

Which privacy-friendly home appliances exist? e.g. robot vacuum cleaners.

Posted by X08
Tags: privacy, ask.recommendations, appliances, shopping

I'm curious as I'd be possibly interested in a solution that works for me. I'd be looking at devices (mainly a robot vacuum cleaner) that are able to operate without a mandatory internet connection that send over data to a datacenter to collect your information without your explicit knowledge (nearly everyone just clicks 'accept' when reading the ToS after purchase).

5 comments

  1. [2]
    unkz
    Link
    https://valetudo.cloud/ I was just reading about these guys. Basically, they jailbreak your existing cloud connected vacuum and give you control over your device. Supported vacuums:...

    https://valetudo.cloud/

    I was just reading about these guys. Basically, they jailbreak your existing cloud connected vacuum and give you control over your device.

    Supported vacuums: https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/buying-supported-robots/

    TLDR:

    Okay, but what should I buy?

    Probably a Dreame X40 or L40.
    If you really do absolutely not want to go the PCB rooting route required for all Dreames, get the Eureka J15 Max instead.
    If you're on a budget, check for offers for the L10s Ultra or J15 Pro Ultra respectively.
    If that doesn't yield anything, buy anything else from the supported robots list.

    2 votes
    1. thearrow
      Link Parent
      Happy Valetudo user here. Been using it for years without issue on my Dreame L10S Ultra. Great integration with Home Assistant. Initial flashing/installation wasn't that difficult - just follow...

      Happy Valetudo user here. Been using it for years without issue on my Dreame L10S Ultra. Great integration with Home Assistant. Initial flashing/installation wasn't that difficult - just follow their guides.

      1 vote
  2. brogeroni
    Link
    https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/supported-robots/ You can get regular Chinese vacuum cleaners and then root them to work with valetudo instead of talking with the original cloud

    https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/supported-robots/

    You can get regular Chinese vacuum cleaners and then root them to work with valetudo instead of talking with the original cloud

    1 vote
  3. tibpoe
    Link
    I have Valetudo on my robot vacuum, but I never was particularly worried about privacy even before swapping over since I chose a vacuum model with no camera and no microphone. At that point, all...

    I have Valetudo on my robot vacuum, but I never was particularly worried about privacy even before swapping over since I chose a vacuum model with no camera and no microphone. At that point, all the vendor can see is my floor plan, which I'm comfortable sharing and is public record anyway.

    1 vote
  4. vord
    Link
    Largely, they don't exist without DIY. Or just never connecting online and/or never accept the EULA. For home automation choose Zwave or Zigbee things that don't get an internet connection....

    Largely, they don't exist without DIY. Or just never connecting online and/or never accept the EULA. For home automation choose Zwave or Zigbee things that don't get an internet connection.

    Otherwise, you've got to rely on some nice hardware hackers to strip off the garbage. These of course immediately void your warantee.

    Valentudo for robot vacs. I bought a Eureka J15 Pro per the supported devices, opened the box, and flashed Valentudo. Never installed the vendor app. Very happy with result. Is pretty easy if you've familiar with android flashing.

    I bought a Worx robot lawnmower. If it stops working I intend to dive into the world of OpenMower. I tried to source a model supported there, but couldn't; and it seems some have made progress with my model.

    No Longer Evil lets you restore and degoogle Gen 1/2 Nest thermostats that Google bricked for no reason.

    1 vote