Vorwerk shuts down Neato cloud: thousands of users demand open-source solution

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Two robot vacuums, 18 euros each – that’s how much Helge Mayr’s devices were worth after Vorwerk shut down the cloud platform for Neato devices in October 2025. “Of course, I pointed out that they are only usable to a limited extent,” he writes. Meanwhile, he has ordered a Roborock. Under Vorwerk, he has “drawn a line under robot technology.”

His annoyance is not an isolated case. Almost 4,700 users had signed a petition by Tuesday afternoon, urging Vorwerk to reverse the decision – or at least release the source code so that the community can keep the devices alive themselves. The signature collection, initiated by Alexander Schöcke, ends on March 11 at 11:59 p.m. The goal is 5,000 signatories.

Promise broken?

Vorwerk had acquired the US company Neato Robotics in 2017. When the brand was closed down in 2023, Vorwerk promised to continue operating the cloud infrastructure for the smart vacuum cleaners for another five years. For this purpose, Vorwerk had taken over a 14-person team from the Neato subsidiary in Milan. However, on October 6, 2025, the company announced the immediate shutdown of the Neato cloud platform – about three years earlier than announced. Without a cloud connection, the devices can no longer be controlled via app, cleaning schedules cannot be set, or mapping functions can be used. While the robots still run in manual mode, a large part of the advertised functions are thus obsolete.

It is a classic problem in the age of cloud services. Manufacturers outsource functions to their servers. This offers advantages for all parties involved. Similar things also happen with software and games. But when the servers are shut down, in the worst case, only e-waste remains.

Three demands, one message

The signatories present Vorwerk with three possible solutions: Either the company should reverse the shutdown, which is likely unrealistic given the lack of plans for the brand. Alternatively, Vorwerk should publish the source code of the firmware and the cloud server software as open source, or at least enable integration into existing open-source platforms such as Home Assistant. Ideally, the initiator of the campaign hopes, Vorwerk should implement all three points.

In addition to the broken promise, the petitioners also criticize the company's sustainability record: functional hardware is degraded to e-waste for economic reasons. Should Vorwerk not offer a fair solution, the signatories announce that they will no longer buy products from the Vorwerk group in the future – and will pass this on to their circle. Helge Mayr has already taken this step.

Vorwerk: Data protection and security as reasons

Vorwerk has responded to a request from heise online. The company had voluntarily continued to operate the Neato cloud after the company's closure and for an extended period. However, the legal and technical requirements for data protection, cybersecurity, and compliance have since increased significantly. The outdated technical architecture of the Neato software no longer meets these requirements, and continued operation would entail risks that they do not want to impose on customers.

Vorwerk has examined the possibility of releasing the source code as open source but has so far rejected it. The effort involved in disentangling intellectual property, legal issues surrounding hardware still under warranty, and overlaps with other Vorwerk products make this step currently unfeasible. This is also a common problem: manufacturers often rely on third-party components for their software, which they have licensed for their own purposes. This then initially prevents open-source publication. However, they do not rule out an open-source commitment in the future.

According to Vorwerk, basic functions remain intact: the robots continue to operate in manual mode, and all existing warranty and service obligations remain in place. The company is aware of the petition; it is already in direct substantive exchange with the petition initiator.

Not an isolated case

The case is part of a growing debate surrounding the so-called Right to Repair and the question of how long manufacturers of smart devices must secure their cloud services. Similar cases – such as the shutdown of servers for game consoles or smart home devices – have recently regularly caused discussions. In the EU, stricter requirements for the long-term support of networked products are currently being discussed.

(mki)