Companion Robot Moving Home Checklist: 18 Network, Battery and Privacy Tests
A source-led checklist for moving a connected companion robot to a new home without exposing old Wi-Fi credentials, private recordings, accounts or damaged batteries.
Quick answer
Before moving a companion robot, document its owner, battery condition, software version, network access and cloud accounts. Shut it down with the manufacturer’s procedure, protect joints and sensors, and keep lithium batteries within model-specific transport limits. At the new home, use a separate trusted network, review permissions and remote access, then test emergency stop, privacy indicators and only one low-energy movement before normal use.
General consumer safety and privacy information; follow model-specific manufacturer instructions and relevant authorities.
1. Define the move and the responsible owner
Record the departure address, destination, dates, carrier, responsible adult and whether the robot will be stored between homes. Decide who can authorize shutdown, transport, network enrollment and restart. A connected robot should not be treated like ordinary furniture: it may contain intimate recordings, account tokens, lithium batteries and moving assemblies. A written handover prevents a mover, guest or new resident from powering it up merely because a button is visible.
2. Inventory the robot and every connected accessory
List the robot, dock, charger, removable packs, remote controls, mobile apps, hubs, spare parts, shipping braces and manuals. Photograph serial numbers and physical condition without capturing private household material. Note which accessories are safety-critical and which can be packed separately. Missing a proprietary charger or transport brace can lead to an unsafe improvised restart, while an untracked phone or hub may retain access after the main robot leaves.
3. Review manufacturer transport documentation
Find the current manual for the exact model and hardware revision. Record shutdown, lifting, posture, battery, temperature and packaging requirements. NIST emphasizes that useful IoT documentation must explain secure operation across the product lifecycle. Do not substitute instructions for a phone, toy or unrelated robot. If documentation is absent or conflicts with observed damage, pause and obtain written model-specific guidance instead of guessing.
4. Inspect batteries and power equipment
Check for heat, swelling, odor, leakage, cracked housings, damaged cables, loose connectors and charging errors. Review official recalls for the exact pack and charger. CPSC documents recurring hazards involving lithium-ion batteries, packs and chargers. Do not transport or recharge a suspect pack to see whether it still works. Isolate the area from combustible material and follow manufacturer or local hazardous-waste instructions when damage is found.
5. Preserve only the records genuinely needed
Save receipts, warranty status, safety incidents, support tickets, versions and ownership records. Avoid making a full copy of conversations, images, biometrics or location history simply because export is available. Encrypt the minimum necessary archive, name its custodian and set a review date. Moving data to a laptop does not make it safer; it creates another copy that can be lost, synced or restored into the robot later.
6. Remove the old home network deliberately
Delete obsolete Wi-Fi profiles, router reservations, local certificates and smart-home integrations through documented controls. Record anything the interface will not remove. Do not reset the household router as a shortcut because that can disrupt unrelated devices without clearing cloud credentials. The FTC advises identifying and securing every internet-connected device; the move is an opportunity to ensure the robot cannot silently reconnect to a network that another resident now controls.
7. Review accounts and remote administrators
Open the official account portal and list owners, delegates, paired phones, support sessions and remote operators. Remove people who should no longer have access and strengthen recovery methods before the old phone number or email is abandoned. Enable multi-factor authentication when available. A physical move does not terminate cloud sessions, and a former household member may still view sensors or issue commands if permissions are left unchanged.
8. Use the documented full shutdown
Disable schedules and autonomous routines, park the robot safely and follow the manufacturer’s long-term shutdown sequence. Confirm displays, motors, microphones, cameras and radios are inactive. A dark screen or sleep mode may continue network traffic and battery drain. Never pull power during an update or defeat an interlock to save time. Record the shutdown result and any error code before packaging hides access to the device.
9. Brace joints, sensors and moving assemblies
Use original shipping locks, approved braces and the specified posture so weight does not rest on one joint, wheel, cable or soft covering. Protect lenses and microphones without blocking vents or trapping moisture. Never use adhesive directly on sensors or force limbs into a box. Photograph the final packing arrangement. If the robot is heavy, use trained lifting help and manufacturer lifting points rather than handles intended only for normal operation.
10. Control the transport environment
Keep the robot within documented temperature, humidity, orientation and vibration limits. Secure it against tipping and separate hard accessories from finished surfaces. Do not leave it in a hot vehicle or expose it to rain. If removable batteries require separate handling, use terminal protection and approved containers. Labels should identify orientation and responsible contact without revealing intimate product history, account names or household details.
11. Quarantine the device on arrival
Inspect the package before opening and photograph crushing, moisture, punctures or tampering. Move the robot to a stable, ventilated area away from children, pets and combustible clutter. Do not connect power immediately after cold, heat or condensation exposure; follow the manual’s acclimation guidance. Treat unexpected odor, warmth, swelling, corrosion or fluid as a stop condition, not an inconvenience to be cleared by a quick boot.
12. Prepare a separate trusted network
Update the new router, change default administrator credentials and enable current encryption. Create an IoT or guest segment if supported and compatible with the product. The FTC and CISA recommend securing routers, changing defaults and disabling unused features. Do not expose file shares, cameras or administrative interfaces merely to make discovery easier. Record the network boundary so later troubleshooting does not quietly move the robot onto a more trusted segment.
13. Re-onboard identity rather than copying blindly
Confirm the exact device identity, account owner and expected software version before supplying network credentials. NIST SP 1800-36 describes trusted onboarding as establishing confidence in both device and network before credentials are issued. Avoid restoring an old router backup that recreates stale trust. If the robot presents an unexpected certificate, serial number, activation lock or administrator, stop and reconcile ownership with official support.
14. Test safety before autonomy
Locate the physical emergency stop, clear the movement envelope and keep one responsible adult within reach. Start with power status, stop controls and one low-energy movement. Then test charging, balance, obstruction detection and safe shutdown. Do not begin a full autonomous routine or remote demonstration as the first test. A transported joint, sensor or wheel can fail even when the software dashboard reports a healthy device.
15. Revalidate privacy indicators and permissions
Test microphone mute, camera shutters, recording lights, remote viewing, guest mode and deletion controls. Review app permissions on every paired phone. Confirm that the new home’s residents understand what sensors are active and can decline interaction. A previous privacy decision does not automatically transfer to a new space or household. If a sensor can operate without clear disclosure, restrict placement or power until an acceptable control is available.
16. Close old-home access and billing
Remove obsolete addresses, delivery profiles, geofences, subscriptions, payment methods and automation rules. Check whether warranty, insurance or support coverage changes with location. Save confirmation references without retaining card data. Verify the old router and smart-home controller no longer list the device. A successful restart at the destination is not completion if the former home or former resident still has a route into the account.
17. Document every unknown and failed check
Use a dated worksheet with pass, fail, not applicable and unknown. Attach model, versions, source links and support references, but exclude passwords and intimate recordings. Quarantine the robot if battery condition, emergency stop, owner account, privacy indicators or remote access cannot be verified. Unknown is not pass. A bounded decision such as “approved for supervised local testing” is more defensible than declaring the robot safe after one successful boot.
18. Schedule a post-move review
Repeat account, network, battery and safety checks after several days, especially after firmware updates or a change in household membership. Review router logs and the vendor account for unexpected sessions. Confirm packaging and braces are stored for future service or transport. The move is complete only when the new baseline is documented, unresolved tickets have owners and the next review date is set; convenience should not erase the audit trail.
How to record the result
Use a dated worksheet and mark each check pass, fail, not applicable or unknown. Include the exact model, hardware revision, software version, source links, support case numbers and the person responsible for every unresolved item. Keep passwords, access tokens and intimate recordings outside the worksheet. Unknown is not pass, and a successful reboot does not prove battery safety, account integrity or cloud deletion.
Ask a second person to reproduce the most important checks before unrestricted use, transfer or disposal. The final decision should be narrower than the evidence: for example, approved for supervised local testing on an isolated network. Reopen the checklist after repair, account transfer, major update, battery event, household change or vendor-policy change.