How To Fix Roomba Virtual Wall Barrier Not Working?

Whenever the Roomba virtual wall barrier not working, there are quite a few possibilities that you would need to inspect.

The virtual wall barrier is a very important feature of Roomba’s that prevents the device from bumping into physical objects on their path.

If there is a problem with that feature, Roomba may not follow its scheduled path correctly and get stuck into various objects.

To fix the virtual wall barrier of Roomba, ensure that you’ve updated the device to the latest firmware version available. Then, check if you’ve put the device to the correct mode and reposition the barrier. Lastly, you should perform a factory reset.

Why Is The Roomba Virtual Wall Not Working?

Regardless of the virtual wall version you have on your Roomba, they pretty much work the same way.

There is a small sensor detecting the scheduled path that your Roomba has to follow, but if the sensor doesn’t turn on properly, the robot can trespass a forbidden zone.

Here are some of the reasons why your Roomba’s virtual wall isn’t working:

1. Incorrect Mode

Your Roomba is probably not in the correct mode if the virtual wall has troubles working.

2. Virtual Wall Not Enabled

There’s a switch for the virtual barrier on your Roomba that has to be enabled.

3. Worn-Out Batteries

The batteries inside of your Roomba might be due for a replacement.

4. Incorrect Wall Placement

You have to position the virtual wall’s infrared beam pointing in the right direction.

5. Software Problems

Lastly, there could be an issue, such as corrupted data that affects the software of your Roomba device.

Those were all of the possible problems that could have occurred with the virtual wall of your Roomba, so let’s now address each of them.

How To Fix Roomba Virtual Wall Barrier Not Working?

To fix your Roomba virtual wall issue, we’ve prepared a list of solutions to help you identify and solve your problem.

In that regard, make sure you apply the solutions in order and test the virtual barrier after each of them.

Here’s how to fix the virtual wall barrier of your Roomba in easy solutions:

Solution #1 Enable The Virtual Wall

The virtual device has an ON/OFF button position that respectively keeps the device running or shut down.

If you have the virtual wall device disabled, your Roomba won’t be scanning and therefore will trespass forbidden areas, which is something you will want to avoid.

Simply go over to your virtual wall device and ensure that you push the switch upwards. When turned ON the virtual wall head will blink in blue, to indicate that the device is working and Roomba will be detecting the wall.

Depending on whether the device is working or not, fix or turn on the device first and if the problem is still there, proceed with the next solution.

Tip: If you don’t see the LED of the virtual wall, look inside of the glass protection layer and you should see bright blue light, blinking once or twice upon turning the device on.

Solution #2 Power Cycle Roomba

We suggest performing a power cycle on your iRobot Roomba to refresh the virtual wall barrier’s functionality.

This will solve any temporary bugs or glitches your device has developed, therefore fixing your Roomba robot wall barrier.

Here’s how to power cycle your Roomba robot:

1. Turn your Roomba upside down.
2. Locate the screws holding the protective compartment.
3. Undo the screws with a screwdriver and eject the compartment.
4. Take out the batteries, beneath the wheel.
5. Standby for around 60 seconds and insert the batteries.
6. Put your Roomba’s compartments back together and test.

Note: Make sure that you have inserted the batteries correctly so they make good contact with the compartment’s electricity poles.

Solution #3 Incorrect Barrier Placement

In case the virtual wall barrier is still not working, maybe the positioning is not quite right.

The barrier device should be placed on the ground since it creates an invisible wall that Roomba will not cross.

The indicator on the top of the virtual wall should be pointing in the direction you want to be blocked. 

Tip: Position your Roomba virtual wall in an open and obstruction-free area.

Solution #4 Replace Virtual Wall Batteries

Your Roomba virtual wall barrier might have run out of charge even if the head LED blinks upon turning the device on.

Before continuing any further, you need to replace the batteries so you can exclude this possibility from the equation. The Roomba virtual wall requires 2x AA batteries.

Here is how to replace the Roomba virtual wall batteries:

1. Grab your virtual wall barrier device.
2. Flip the switch down to turn OFF the device.
3. Open the battery compartment.
4. Eject the old batteries.
5. Insert 2x fresh AA batteries.
6. Close the compartment.
7. Turn the device ON.
8. Test.

Having new batteries should definitely resolve the problem. However, in case the virtual wall is still not working, proceed with the next solution,

Solution #5 Reset Your Roomba

If nothing worked so far, you should factory reset your Roomba robot. In some cases, functionality issues are related to the robot, and not to the virtual wall device.

This is why via factory reset, the operating system will be reinstalled, hopefully solving the problem.

Alert: Keep in mind that resetting your Roomba will erase all software configurations you’ve made to the device and you will have to set them up again.

Here’s how to factory reset your Roomba robot in easy to follow steps:

1. Examine the hardware buttons of your Roomba device.
2. Locate the Clean button on the Roomba.
3. Press and hold the Clean button for 20 seconds straight.
4. Once you see the light ring lid, release the button.
5. Wait for the reset to complete.

Once the device is back on, test if the Roomba robot will avoid restricted areas.

In case the device is still not recognizing and following the virtual wall restrictions, let’s see what’s next.

Roomba Virtual Wall Barrier Still Not Working…

If you have applied all of the above-listed solutions and the problem is still there, maybe one of your devices is faulty.

In such cases, the best next step would be to check if the warranty of the devices is still intact and request professional assistance.

Another workaround would be to contact Roomba customer service for further investigation in regard to the problem.

At least now you’ve got the confidence needed since you’ve attempted everything you can do at home.

Thus, to fix the virtual wall barrier of Roomba, re-insert the batteries to power cycle both of the devices. Then, replace the 2x AA batteries in the virtual wall device and make sure the virtual wall barrier is properly positioned. As a last resort, you should factory reset your iRobot Roomba and contact their support center for more help.

Read Next: Why Is My Roomba So Loud?

Bottom Line:

Now that you know why the Roomba virtual wall barrier not working, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the problem with our solutions.

If you end up still not having the problem solved, contact Roomba customer service for more help!