If you own a Roomba, you may have seen the headlines. In December 2025, iRobot, the company that made the Roomba famous, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, with a plan to be taken over by Picea, the company that manufactured its robots. The takeover was completed in January 2026.
For owners, the obvious questions are whether the app will keep working, whether warranties still count, and whether you'll still be able to get parts and repairs. Here's what's known, and how to keep your Roomba running.
What happened
iRobot had been under financial pressure for several years, including after a planned takeover by Amazon was abandoned in 2024. In December 2025, it filed for Chapter 11 in the US, a process that lets a company restructure while it keeps trading, and agreed a sale to Picea. That sale was completed in January 2026, and iRobot now continues as a company owned by Picea.
Does the Roomba app still work?
When the takeover was announced, iRobot's chief executive said it was business as usual: the app was working, warranties would be honoured, and firmware updates would continue. That was the position at the time, and the company has said it plans to keep releasing products in the UK.
It's sensible to keep your app and robot up to date, and to keep an eye on iRobot's own announcements for any change.
What about warranties?
iRobot said warranties would be honoured. If your Roomba is still within its warranty, contact iRobot first, as you would have done before. Your rights under UK consumer law are with the retailer you bought it from, whatever happens to the manufacturer. If a fault appears that you believe was there from the start, the retailer is your first port of call.
Will you still be able to get parts?
This is less clear. The public statements about the takeover focused on the app, warranties and data, not on spare parts. The good news for Roomba owners is that the robots are unusually modular, and many common parts are widely available from other sellers as well as iRobot:
- Brushes, filters and side brushes are consumables, and plenty of compatible versions are sold.
- Batteries for the popular series are widely available. As with any lithium-ion battery, it's worth buying good quality.
- Wheel modules, cleaning heads and bins unplug from the robot on many models, so a worn part can be swapped without specialist tools.
Keeping an older Roomba running
The Roomba's modular design is its biggest strength as it gets older. A few things keep it going for longer:
- Clean the brushes and bearings regularly. Hair wrapped around the brush ends and bearings makes the motor work harder.
- Clean the charging contacts on the robot and the dock.
- Clean the cliff sensors on the underside.
- Replace the battery when cleaning time drops, rather than replacing the robot.
- Keep the dock in the same place, with clear space around it.
When a repair makes sense
Many Roomba faults are simple module swaps that owners can do at home. The ones that are harder are faults on the main board, charging faults that aren't the battery, and problems that come back after parts have been replaced. Those need diagnosing properly, rather than buying parts one after another.
For an older, basic Roomba, a repair only makes sense if the part is inexpensive. For the i-series, j-series and s-series robots, especially with self-emptying bases, a repair is usually worth considering before replacing the robot. Is it worth repairing a robot vacuum? goes through how to decide.
Common questions
Will my Roomba stop working?
There's no sign of that. iRobot said at the time of the takeover that the app would keep working and updates would continue. The robot itself doesn't depend on iRobot to clean. It's the app features, such as maps and scheduling, that rely on iRobot's service.
Should I buy a new Roomba now?
That's your call, but a working Roomba doesn't need replacing because of the takeover. If yours develops a fault, it's worth checking whether a repair makes sense first.
Got a Roomba fault?
If your Roomba has a fault you can't fix with a part swap, get in touch with your model and what it's doing. I'll tell you honestly whether it's worth repairing.
The Repair Works is an independent UK repair service, run by me, Paul — 25 years of hands-on repair experience, working by post for customers across the whole country. Not affiliated with or endorsed by iRobot.
