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# Devices that speak in the night
- URL: https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/shut-up-roomba/
- Published: 2017-06-22T19:48:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-23T22:21:56.000Z
- Description: I don’t want my Roomba to shout “Press CLEAN to restart!” to itself in the middle of the night, but here we are.
- Author: Daniel Aleksandersen
- Tags: User Experience, Robot vacuums, Sleep

*The room is dimly lit and it’s 02:30 in the morning. My internet service provider is doing some unscheduled maintenance and my internet connection is down. I probably should have been sleeping…. Then all the sudden, a loud female voice starts talking behind me:*

> “Error 15: ‘Press CLEAN to restart.’”

The above isn’t the start of some bad sci-fi novel set in the slight-future. It was an episode that scared the heck out of me a couple of nights ago.

As anyone who’ve walked up behind me and started talking while I’m concentrating on something can attest to: I’m easily startled and I can jump surprisingly high. I also make the most manly of screams.

It took me half a minute to realize that it was my needlessly-internet-connected Roomba 960 robotic vacuum that had spoken from its parking position. Apparently, it was unhappy about the disruption of internet service and wanted someone to take care of it. I felt the same way myself, but there wasn’t much I could do about it.

I believe this is the perfect time to introduce a revolutionary new general design rule for any internet connected device that provide spoken feedback: **REMAIN QUIET UNTIL MORNING!** That applies to almost all types of devices that provide any type of audible feedback.

Unless there’s a fire or a danger to health and safety, then *things* should remain quiet during the night. They most certainly shouldn’t start talking loudly on their own initiative!

The error in question, according to [iRobot’s documentation](https://web.archive.org/web/20190504164602/https://homesupport.irobot.com/app/answers/detail/a%5Fid/8967/~/wi-fi-connected-roomba%3A-error-15), is an “internal error” and I should hold the Clean button pressed for ten seconds to reset it. This could have waited till morning.

I don’t have a talking digital assistant or “cylinder lady” in my home. However, I certainly hope they’re smarter than my Roomba when it comes to understanding the concept of quiet time.