"Software update" vs "firmware update": what's actually on your mower, and why it matters

The three things that update, separately

Mammotion mowers involve three pieces of software, each with its own version number, its own update schedule, and, critically, its own answer to "can I undo this?"¹

1. The phone app, not the robot

This is what you install from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store: the interface you actually tap on. It handles setup, mapping, scheduling, and remote control, but it isn't what makes the mower physically move or avoid obstacles.

• Where you find the version: the app's own About/Settings screen.
• Where your map lives: you draw and edit the map in the app, but the map itself is generally kept on the mower, not on your phone. A Mammotion staff account said in Mammotion's subreddit that map data is "generally" stored on the robot⁴. It is a reply in a thread, not a published spec, so treat it as a strong pointer. An owner also posted the text of an email reply they say came from Mammotion support: it says the map is stored on the machine and is not lost if you reinstall the app or change your phone, and it still recommends backing the map up with the app's Cloud Backup⁵. We can't see the original email, only the owner's copy of it. That is why this stays a pointer and not a fact: Mammotion has not published where the map is kept, and both answers we hold reach us second-hand. They do agree.
• Can you roll it back? Yes, on Android; see our Android rollback guide. iOS is more restricted; see the iOS guide for what's actually possible there.
• When this is the problem: app crashes, login issues, map editor bugs, notification problems, Bluetooth pairing issues with your phone specifically.

2. The robot body, not the app ("body firmware")

This lives on the mower itself: the software that actually drives the wheels, reads the sensors, decides where the blade is allowed to run, and enforces boundaries. It's pushed over-the-air (OTA) through the app, but it's a completely separate install from the app itself.

• Where you find the version: usually under a "Device Info" or "About Device" screen inside the app, not the app's own About screen. It'll look like a longer version string (e.g. 1.30.29.26 or 2.3.30.35); the numbering scheme is different for different mower generations, which is normal, not a typo.
• Can you roll it back? No self-service path exists: there's no button or setting an owner can use to downgrade this themselves. But it isn't entirely impossible either: Mammotion support has, in at least two documented cases, pushed an older body-firmware version to a specific mower after the owner asked repeatedly and got escalated to the right department, over a back-and-forth that started in the app's chat and finished by email. The owner reported being asked for proof of purchase and the mower's registered device name, and said Mammotion insisted on express written consent before pushing anything to the robot². A second owner, with a LUBA mini 2 AWD 1500, got "the last version from June" back on September 28 after four weeks of being told it was not possible³. A Mammotion staff account explained in August why the company does not offer old versions as a choice: it can technically provide a rollback, but iOS owners cannot get the previous app, and the new firmware writes files the old firmware and app cannot deal with⁶. Other owners in the same thread described reps initially refusing outright ("we will forward your suggestion to the relevant department"), so this is a support-mediated exception you may have to push for, not a guaranteed or self-directed option. This is still the single biggest reason this site exists: most of what we track is body-firmware behavior, because there's no way for an owner to undo it themselves.
• When this is the problem: the mower gets stuck, crosses boundaries it shouldn't, has blade behavior issues, navigation that got worse, or any change in physical mowing behavior after a firmware update prompt. If the app looks and behaves the same but the mower is acting differently, it's almost always this.

3. The RTK station, not the app or robot body

If your setup includes an RTK reference station (the small unit that gives the mower centimeter-level positioning, used on LiDAR/NetRTK-equipped models), that station runs its own firmware too, separate again from both the app and the mower body.

• Where you find the version: inside the app's device list, listed as its own separate device from the mower.
• Can you roll it back? Partially. Mammotion provides an official manual tool for this one specific piece of hardware. See our RTK station firmware guide.
• When this is the problem: positioning drift, "NetRTK disconnected" errors, GPS/RTK signal issues that don't correlate with a mower-body firmware update.

Why this matters before you touch anything

The most common mistake we see in forum threads: an owner has a real problem, correctly suspects "an update broke something," but doesn't know which of the three things updated, so they either roll back the wrong thing (the app, when the mower body firmware was the actual cause) or give up because "there's no way to roll back" (true for body firmware, not necessarily true for the app).

Before following any fix on this site:

1. Check what actually changed. If you got an app-store update notification, that's #1. If the app prompted "a new firmware update is available for your mower," that's #2. If it specifically named the RTK station or reference station, that's #3.
2. Note the exact version number for whichever one changed. Screenshots of the update/device-info screen are genuinely useful if you're posting in a forum asking for help, since "it broke after the update" without a version number is very hard for anyone (including Mammotion) to act on.
3. Match your situation to the right guide on this site rather than the first one you find: a LUBA 2X guide won't necessarily apply to a LUBA 3, and an app-rollback guide won't fix a body-firmware navigation bug.