Shark Ion Can’t Find Dock? – Here’s How To Fix

Wondering why your Shark ION can’t find dock? Keep reading!

Shark ION vacuum robots are very popular because of their efficient performance.

They not only clean the home but also empty its bin and go back to the dock itself for charging.

Sometimes the robot is unable to find its dock, therefore can’t charge, hence, no cleaning.

The solution only takes 5 minutes of your time!

The Shark vacuum will not be able to locate its dock station due to many reasons such as path obstacles, low battery, and dirty sensors. You can easily fix this by cleaning the dock and inspecting every possibility which might be involved.

Let’s learn the ways to fix the Shark robot docking issue…

How To Fix When Shark ION Robot Can’t Find Dock?

To be able to identify why the Shark ION robot can’t find the dock, we need to send the device on a mission and observe.

This is the best way to track its path and find exactly what’s going wrong, preventing the robot from getting home.

Let’s jump into the solutions!

Solution #1 Move Dock To Another Location

Sometimes the dock is at a place where it is difficult for a robot to reach. So, changing the dock location is the first thing that you need to do.

Also, if the dock is set up on the carpet, then you should definitely have to move the dock to a hard floor. 

Here is how you can set up a Shark dock station in a new place:

1. Find a standalone power outlet.
2. Relocate the Shark Robot Docking Station.
3. Now use the SharkClean app to call the robot back to its dock.
4. The robot might move in a circular motion for a while.
5. This is because it is unable to find the dock location.
6. Within a couple of minutes, the robot should find the dock.

Keep in mind that when you start the cleaning sessions from the new dock location, the latest map automatically updates.

However, it might take the robot a few cleaning sessions to perfect the map and start returning to the docking station more quicker.

Tip: Avoid installing the docking station on a dark carpet or surface.

Solution #2 Charge The Battery!

When the robot battery becomes low during the cleaning session, then it becomes difficult for the robot to reach out to its dock.

Also, if you have been using your robot for a long cleaning session, then maybe the battery is dead. 

• The shark robot batteries last about 90 minutes after being charged fully. 

To manually charge the robot’s batteries make sure that the metal plates on the bottom of the robot align with the metal plates on the dock.

Embed the Shark robot on the docking station! In addition, your robot batteries might malfunction.

If you were using your Shark robot for a very long time, then check whether the robot battery needs a replacement.

In case that’s what you need to do, find the best Shark replacement batteries at the bottom of this guide!

Note: It takes 2 hours for the robot to charge to the full battery!

Solution #3 Check The Internet/Re-pair

Assuming you are already familiar, the robot only follows the commands when connected to the network.

However, sometimes even when the SharkClean app device is connected to the WiFi, the internet could still be down.

Therefore we need to check the internet connection! 

Here is how you can connect the shark robot to the internet:

1. Open the SharkClean app. 
2. Turn on the robot by pressing the Power Switch. 
3. Press and hold the Dock and Spot button from the robot at the same time. 
4. Now open WiFi settings in the SharkClean app.
5. Tap on your Shark robot “Shark_RVxxxx” to pair. 
6. Come back to the Shark app. 
7. As the robot connects to the internet, a “Success” should appear.

To justify, you will see a steady blue light that will appear on the robot that confirms that the device is connected to the internet.

Now send the robot on a mission and observe!

Alert: Test whether your WiFi is actually working!

Solution #4 Clean Robot Navigation Sensors

Dirty sensors may also cause the robot not to properly detect the dock’s infrared rays.

So, it is important to clean the Shark robot navigation sensors because a dust layer is formed with time.

Here is how you can clean your Shark robot sensors:

1. Turn OFF the robot by pressing the Power Switch. 
2. Take a clean and dry cloth to wipe the robot sensors from a shiny black strip. 
3. Turn down the robot and pull off the robot housing between the two metal sensors. 
4. Take a dry cloth and clean the housing and robot sensors. 
5. Also, take a soft brush or compressed air to clean the cliff sensors.

Note: Do not use any cleaning solution, water, or a wet cloth on the robot.

Solution #5 Clean Docking Sensors

When Shark ION can’t find dock the reason might be from the dock itself. Cleaning the dock sensors is as important as cleaning robot sensors.

When a lot of dust and hair layers are formed on the dock’s black area the signal might get lost. 

Here is how you can clean your Shark dock sensors!

1. Unplug the dock from the power outlet.
2. Take a paper towel.
3. Properly clean the dock’s black area using a paper towel.
4. Also, try to clean the dock’s surrounding area.
5. Wipe clean the dock power switch as well.
6. Plug back in the dock to the power outlet and try to call back the robot.

That’s not all, also clear the area between the robot and the dock station. Make sure that the dock station power outlet is working fine and clear ALL obstructions in between.

Then call the robot back and observe what happens.

Solution #6 Factory Reset The Robot

In case the Shark ION robot is unable to locate its dock station, then the next step is to perform a Factory Reset.

This method is one of the most potent solutions and it primarily resets every single robot configuration.

Starting from scratch is the best way to deal with any issues!

Here is how you can factory reset your Shark robot:

1. Open the SharkClean app.
2. Go to the app Settings.
3. Look for Factory Reset from the menu.
4. Click and Confirm to start the factory reset process.
5. Within a couple of minutes, the robot will reset.

When you’re ready, follow the instructions from Solution #3 to re-pair the Shark ION robot to the application.

When this is done, check whether the device will be able to find the docking station!

Note: The factory reset might take up to 5 minutes!

Shark Robot Can’t Find Dock – Problem Is Still There…

If you’ve attempted ALL of the solutions in this guide but the problem is still there, then it’s time to reposition the docking station again.

Use a central spot, without obstructions on the path, and test whether the robot will find the base.

In case the problem continues, regardless of what you try, perhaps there is a malfunctioning IR component, causing the issue.

Sadly, it’s nearly impossible to solve this problem at home.

Need Help?

When you’re suspecting that the Shark ION robot is malfunctioning, the next step is to seek some professional help.

You don’t have to worry because Shark Support is available 24/7.

Share what you’ve already attempted with the support team to save as much time as possible!

Quick Recap:

Hence, your Shark ION robots cannot find the dock when the battery is dead or when the sensors are dirty. We’ve learned that the solution includes a thorough sensor cleaning, relocating the base station, and checking whether our internet connection is intact.

Final Thoughts:

Now that we’ve learned why Shark ION can’t find dock we’re ready to attempt to solve the problem.

Following our guide, you certainly can’t go wrong so in case you’ve missed something, jump back and read. The problem should be gone by now!

Looking for a Shark ION battery replacement?

We strongly recommend the JIAJIESHI Battery 2600mAh, for Shark ION Robot. The replacement is super easy.

Open the battery compartment, unplug the old battery and install the new one. When the operation is over, the robot will no longer run out of charge!