Everything you need to know to get your Dyson robot vacuum doing exactly what you need it to
There are a number of robot vacuum cleaner options out there, many of which are very good at keeping your floors looking spick and span. None of them look quite as good as Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav that roams around your home with its bright blue body collecting dust into its clear bin though.
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav pretty much looks after itself if you set it up right and while you do need to empty its bin from time to time – something you don’t have to do on some other robot vacuum cleaners, there are some other tips worth making note of to make sure you’re getting the most out of it. These are our top nine Dyson 360 Vis Nav tips and tricks to make sure you’re getting the most out of your robot vacuum with very little input from you. It is a robot after all.
Set up a schedule
Scheduling a robot vacuum cleaner is probably one of the best things you can do. It means your floors will always stay clean, even if you forget to press clean during the day. It also reduces the input from you once the schedule is in place, leaving you free to do whatever else you might please.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on the clock icon at the bottom > Tap Continue > Select your days, start time, the rooms and the cleaning program you want to run > Press ‘Add event’.
Link your Dyson 360 Vis Nav up with Alexa
You might not realise it but the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is compatible with Alexa so you can link them up and then ask Alexa to tell your Dyson to start vacuuming. We have a whole separate feature on connecting Dyson and Alexa, and we have a feature for Dyson fans too, but here’s a quick summary of what you need to do.
Open the Alexa app > Tap More > Tap Skills & Games > Find the Dyson skill > Tap on Enable to Use > Link your Alexa and Dyson accounts.
Link your Dyson 360 Vis Nav with Google Home
If Alexa isn’t your bag, but Google Assistant is, then you’re in luck as Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav is also compatible with Google Home. Similar to Alexa, once set up, you can ask Google to tell Dyson to start vacuuming without having to lift a finger.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Tap on Voice Control > Select Google Home > Tap Set Up Device > Follow the instructions.
See your dust levels
One of the best things about the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is that it shows you dust maps. It’s a little concerning when you realise how dusty certain areas of your home can get, but it’s also interesting to see too. And it’s lovely and colourful.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on the map at the bottom > Swipe right or left to see different days of activity. Purple indicates low dust and white indicates high dust.
Define your zones
Like many robot vacuum cleaners, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav will map your home, creating a map of the different rooms it was able to access. Once it has done a mapping run, you will then be able to add dividers in order to define different rooms and zones. It’s worth defining those zones, trust us.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on Settings in the top right corner > Select Mapping and Zoning > Tap on Manage Zones.
Be selective
When you set your Dyson 360 Vis Nav to clean, it’s sometimes worth being a little selective. Under the dining room table may need frequent cleaning for example, while the living room you only sit in once a week might just need a clean every few days. When you set your robot to start cleaning, it’s worth occasionally only selecting the areas you really want done if you’re in a rush.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap the button in the middle at the bottom > Select the rooms you want to clean > Choose between Auto, Quick, Quiet and Boost.
You might want to select Boost for under the dining room for example, and choose quiet for bedrooms.
Create a restriction
Got some pet bowls that you would rather your Dyson 360 Vis Nav stayed away from? Or perhaps an area near the front door that the kids always kick off their shoes? It’s worth setting up restrictions as robot vacuum cleaners are great, but they are a lot better when there is nothing in their way.
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav doesn’t have obstacle detection like some of the iRobot models for example, so keeping it away from cluttered areas is smart if you don’t want to get an alert that it has got itself in a pickle. The restrictions are also great as you can choose between the 360 Vis Nav avoiding them completely, or simply turning off the brush bar, the latter of which is useful for rugs.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on Settings in the top right corner > Select Mapping and Zoning > Manage restrictions > Create restriction > Choose between no brush bar, avoid and no climb > Tap on the map and draw your restriction area > Tap on Next and name your restriction area > Press submit.
Use Auto mode
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav has four modes as we have briefly mentioned. The Auto mode is the one you want though because while Boost will increase suction, and quiet is good for evening vacuuming, Auto adapts based on your floor. If it detects more dust, it will increase power, and reduce it again when the floor is cleaner. It’s clever and it’s better for battery life too as Boost mode on permanently will deplete the battery much faster.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on the middle button at the bottom > Tap on the cleaning program until you get to Auto.
Make sure its running the latest software
Dyson regularly updates the software for its devices and it is constantly adding new features so you should make sure you’ve set the Dyson 360 Vis Nav to update automatically so you always get those features straight way.
Open the MyDyson app > Tap on the three lines in the top left corner > Select your Dyson 360 Vis Nav > Tap on Settings in the top right corner > Tap on ‘Your robot’s settings’ > Toggle on Auto-update software.
