iRobot Roomba j7 Combo Review: Turning a Robot Vacuum into a Livestream Security Camera

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The iRobot app alerted me that the j7 Combo robot vacuum can now be used as a livestreaming security camera via a new beta feature called Remote Check In. Though iRobot is late to the game, as other manufacturers have offered this feature for a while now, I was interested in seeing how the Roomba j7 would manage this new task. Remote Check In was launched in November 2022 as part of iRobot’s beta program, and Ryan Schneider has now made it widely available. However, it is only available in the US, only on iOS devices, and only on the j7 series, which has AI-powered obstacle avoidance technology. The feature allows stream live video from the vacuum’s obstacle-recognition camera, and you can set viewpoints on the map screen, where you can send the robot to check on certain parts of your home. While the roving robot camera cannot serve as a true security camera, because it lacks motion notification or audio capacity, its main use is for checking if the door is shut or the pet’s location. Nonetheless, I appreciate that it has a similar feature to Ring’s Always Home Cam, as it’s a mobile camera that can navigate autonomously to view multiple locations in your home without the need for multiple cameras. The Roomba j7’s camera is hidden from view when docked. One significant disadvantage of a vacuum serving as a security camera is its limited view, only a few inches above the floor. Amazon’s Astro addresses this issue by using a periscope camera. Remote Check In is opt-in only, and there’s no recording or storage capacity: it’s solely a livestream, accessible only via your app. Besides, the livestream is encrypted, and iRobot has implemented cybersecurity measures to alleviate privacy concerns. When the live view is active, the vacuum emits an audible ping every few seconds to alert people in the home that the camera is being used.


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