Direct answer
For the iRobot Roomba i5/i5+, dock power, contact cleanliness, approach clearance, map location and battery state should be separated. First, place the robot close and command Dock/Home.
What this covers
- iRobot Roomba i5/i5+ (i5, i5+)
- iRobot Roomba; mapping, obstacle avoidance, self-emptying and mop functions vary.
- The specific fault this record addresses: robot vacuum will not return to or charge on the dock
What it does not cover
- ×The same symptom on a different iRobot product line, which has its own record and its own cited source
- ×An on-screen error code whose meaning has not been checked against this exact model's manual
- ×Live electrical, gas, sealed-system, internal battery-cell or structural repair — a technician boundary, not a self-service step
Differential
What actually causes this, and how to tell them apart
These are ordered by how often each one is the answer, not by how easy it is to try. The point of the middle column is that two causes producing the same headline symptom rarely produce the same detail — that detail is what tells you which one you have before you change anything.
- 1
The dock itself has lost power or its outlet has failed
What separates it The dock's own indicator light is off or absent, independent of anything the robot does.
How to confirm Confirm the dock is receiving power at the outlet before troubleshooting the robot's navigation or contacts.
- 2
The dock's contacts or the robot's charging contacts are dirty
What separates it The robot physically reaches the dock and appears to sit in place, but doesn't show a charging indication.
How to confirm Clean both sets of contacts with a dry cloth — dust buildup on charging contacts is extremely common and easy to miss visually.
- 3
The approach area in front of the dock is obstructed or too tight
What separates it The robot approaches but doesn't complete the final docking maneuver, sometimes bumping or circling nearby instead.
How to confirm Clear the documented minimum clearance around and in front of the dock — most manufacturers specify an exact distance on each side.
- 4
The robot's internal map has the dock in the wrong location
What separates it Docking failure started right after the dock was physically moved, or after furniture rearrangement near it.
How to confirm Update or rebuild the map after moving the dock — most robots need to relearn the dock's position rather than automatically detecting a move.
- 5
The battery is too depleted to complete the final approach
What separates it The robot stops short of the dock specifically at the end of long cleaning runs, in a low-battery state.
How to confirm Compare against the short-runtime and not-charging symptoms — a battery nearing end of life often shows this alongside those.
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
Every item below stops existing the moment a reset, re-pair or settings change is made. Written down first, they are what separates the causes above; recovered afterwards, they are guesswork.
- Whether the dock's own indicator light is on, independent of the robot.
- Whether the robot reaches the dock area at all, or stops well short of it.
- Whether the dock was recently moved or furniture nearby was rearranged.
Confirm the dock has power at the outlet
ReversibleCheck this before troubleshooting the robot itself.
Clean both the dock's and the robot's charging contacts
ReversibleUse a dry cloth; dust buildup here is a very common and easily missed cause.
Clear the documented minimum clearance around the dock
ReversibleCheck the manual for the exact distance required on each side.
Update the map if the dock was recently moved
ReversibleMost models need to relearn the dock's location rather than detecting a move automatically.
Complete one full automatic return-and-charge cycle to confirm
ReversibleA single successful docking confirms the fix.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
Generic advice for the product line fails here. Each item below is a property of this specific model family that changes which of the steps above apply to you.
- Model scope
- i5, i5+. iRobot Roomba; mapping, obstacle avoidance, self-emptying and mop functions vary.
- Type — ROBOT vacuum
- A ROBOT vacuum with navigation and app control — symptoms are navigation, docking and brushes. The i5+ adds a Clean Base self-empty dock; the plain i5 empties its onboard bin.
- Docking & (on +) self-empty
- 'Won't dock/charge' is dirty contacts, a moved/unplugged dock, or blocked clearance. On the i5+, 'won't empty' is a full Clean Base bag or clogged path.
- Brushes, wheels & sensors
- Two rubber brushrolls, side brush, wheels and sensors — clear hair and wipe sensors if it gets stuck, circles or misses areas.
- Symptom boundary
- This record covers iRobot Roomba i5/i5+ when it robot vacuum will not return to or charge on the dock. A different symptom on the same hardware, or this symptom on a different iRobot product line, has its own record with its own causes and its own cited source.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
Continuing past any one of these costs more than the repair saves — in safety, in warranty, or in evidence a technician needs.
- !Stop for hot or swollen batteries, wet charging contacts, or physically damaged charging pins on either the robot or the dock.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Visible sources support the visible claims. Home Product Support records the publisher, the fact used and the review date; community reports can suggest an issue but do not become a published fact on their own.
Where the manufacturer's article stops. iRobot Support publishes this as "Does Not Return Home, All Roomba® Models". iRobot's own device-agnostic (explicitly "All Models") not-docking article. Verified reachable and content-matched via the Browser tool 2026-08-28 after direct fetch was refused. What that article does not carry is the model boundary — it is written for a product line, and i5, i5+ is the scope applied here. Where a control label, terminal, indicator pattern or reset sequence differs on your unit, the manual for that exact model is the authority, not this page and not the article.
Exact questions
Common follow-ups
My Roomba i5 gets stuck under the same furniture.+
Robots wedge under low furniture that is just tall enough to enter but too low to exit. Use the app's keep-out zones (where supported) or a physical barrier to block that spot, or add small risers to the furniture. Also clear hair from the wheels and brushes, since a hair-bound wheel makes it lose traction and strand itself. Wiping the cliff sensors underneath helps if it also stops near thresholds or dark floors.
The robot gets close to the dock but doesn't actually connect.+
Clean both the robot's and the dock's charging contacts with a dry cloth first — dust buildup there is extremely common and easy to miss just by looking, and it's a much more frequent cause than a navigation or dock-power fault.
Does this answer apply to every iRobot model?+
No. It is scoped to i5, i5+. iRobot Roomba; mapping, obstacle avoidance, self-emptying and mop functions vary.
What should I record before troubleshooting not docking or charging base?+
Record the complete model identifier, exact message or indicator, software/firmware where visible, the operating stage and what still works.
Why is a factory reset not the first step?+
A reset can erase accounts, networks, maps, schedules or preferences without distinguishing not docking, charging base. The ordered checks preserve that evidence.
When should I stop and use qualified service?+
Stop for hot/swollen batteries, wet contacts or damaged charging pins.
Answer for the exact device and software version shown above.