Wiping the shell is not the same as wiping the robot. A connected device may still be linked to an account, home network, camera library, voice setting or paired phone after it leaves the room.
Use the maker's current reset instructions for the exact model. This checklist helps you identify everything that process should cover.
1. Decide where the robot is going
Selling or giving it away requires a clean handover. Returning it may require support logs or a particular fault state. Recycling may involve separate battery instructions.
Check the return or disposal instructions before deleting information that support needs, but do not send a device containing personal recordings without understanding who can access them.
2. Find the owner account
Identify the email address or sign-in method that owns the robot. A household may use one person's phone while the account belongs to another.
Record the model and serial number separately. Do not write a password on the device or put account credentials in the box.
3. Save only what should be kept
Export wanted photos or settings if the service offers that option and if keeping them is appropriate. Review shared access: another household member may have saved media or a separate login.
Then remove anything that should not travel with the robot.
4. Remove the robot from apps and services
Look for options such as remove device, unpair, delete home, transfer ownership or close account. These actions may do different things. Removing an app from a phone does not necessarily remove the robot from the account.
If the robot uses a subscription, handle it separately. A factory reset may not stop a recurring service.
5. Complete the physical reset
Follow the official sequence and allow it to finish. Keep the robot powered as instructed. A reset interrupted by a flat battery can leave the device in an uncertain state.
Afterwards, restart it and confirm that it shows the new-owner setup rather than your profile, home or media.
6. Remove network access
Confirm that saved Wi-Fi details are gone. If the device cannot be checked or reset, consider changing the relevant home-network credentials after taking advice from the maker or network provider.
For a camera robot, also check cloud storage, local memory cards and downloads saved on phones or tablets.
7. Clean up household access
Remove old shared users, revoke app permissions that are no longer needed and check whether the robot appears in a voice-assistant or smart-home account.
If the owner account is no longer used, decide whether to close it after the device has been transferred successfully.
8. Prepare the next owner
Include the correct cable, dock, controller and ordinary instructions. State honestly if the robot requires an app or service that may have regional restrictions. Do not pass on your account as a shortcut.
Our used robot-pet buying guide explains the same handover from the buyer's side.
If the reset cannot be completed
Do not sell or donate a connected robot while it remains linked to personal information. Contact the maker's support route. If the device is beyond repair, use an appropriate electrical recycling route and follow separate instructions for its battery.
Digital maintenance is part of ownership. Add the reset instructions to the record described in our maintenance guide before you need them.