Voice assistant on Xiaomi: how to turn on and configure in 5 minutes

Voice assistants are no longer exotic — they save time, simplify device management and make interaction with technology more intuitive. On Xiaomi devices, this role is performed by XiaoAI (or Voice Assistant). MIUI It's a global firmware system that can run applications, run a smart home, answer questions, and even joke, but many users are faced with the problem that the assistant is either disabled by default or is not working properly after updating the firmware.

In this article, you will find current ways to enable voice assistant on all Xiaomi devices (2020-2026), including smartphones, smart speakers and TVs. We will break down the standard method through settings, alternative options for global firmware, as well as solutions to problems from lack of voice response to authorization errors.

1.What voice assistant is installed on your Xiaomi?

Before you turn on the assistant, it is important to understand which version of the assistant is installed on the device, and the available functions and the way you activate them depend on this:

• 📱 XiaoAI (Chinese version) is a full-featured Chinese and English-language assistant integrated into firmware for the China region, able to manage the Mi Home smart home, run system commands and even call contacts.
• 🌍 Voice assistant MIUI (global version) – a stripped-down analogue for firmware Global/EEA. Supports more languages (including Russian), but has limited device control capabilities.
• 🔊 Google Assistant – on some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro for the global market) can be installed by default instead of native solution from Xiaomi.

To find out your version, check out:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → version of MIUI.
2. If there's a firmware in the name CN (for example, MIUI 14.0.5 CN) — You have a Chinese version with XiaoAI.
3. If Global/EEA/RU — global firmware with a stripped-down assistant.

2. Standard way to enable voice assistant

On most Xiaomi devices (smartphones, tablets, TVs), the assistant is enabled through system settings. MIUI 12–14 and HyperOS, but there may be minor differences in menu items.

Connect your device to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data)

Update the firmware to the latest version

Make sure that Russian/English is added to the language settings

Turn off power saving modes (they can block the background work of the assistant)-->

Steps for activation:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Voice Assistant (or Settings) → System and device → Voice assistant in HyperOS).
2. Activate the Voice Assistant (or XiaoAI) switch.
3. Press Voice Settings and select the language of communication (Russian is available for global firmware).
4. Enable the "Hello XiaoAI" Recognition option (or similar for your version) to allow the assistant to respond to the voice command.
5. Take a short voice training (the system will ask you to repeat several phrases to adjust recognition).

After activation, check the assistant:

• 🎤 Say “Hi XiaoAI” (for the Chinese version) or “OK Google”/”Hi Mi” (for the global version).
• 📱 Press and hold the Home button (on gesture screens – swipe up from the bottom edge and hold on to it).

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If the assistant doesn’t respond to voice, try restarting the device — sometimes it solves problems with background recognition services.

3. Alternative ways of inclusion (if the standard does not work)

If the voice assistant is missing from settings or not turning on, try these methods:

3.1. Through the Mi appendix AI (china-fix)

China Firmware Devices Often Require Separately Install Mi App AI:

1. Open the App Store (Chinese App Store) or download APK from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Find the application (XiaoAI) and install it.
3. Launch the application and follow the setup instructions (authentication via Mi Account is required).

3.2. via Google Assistant (for global firmware)

If native assistant from Xiaomi is missing or is unstable, you can use Google Assistant:

1. Install the Google app from the Play Market (if removed).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Voice Assistant.
3. Choose Google instead MIUI Voice Assistant.
4. Activate Hey Google in the Google app settings.

3.3. ADB (power-user)

If the assistant is disabled at the system level (for example, after resetting), it can be enabled via ADB:

adb shell settings put global voice_interaction_enabled 1


adb shell pm enable com.miui.voiceassist

After completing the commands, restart the device.

4.Set up the voice assistant after turning on

Once the assistant is activated, it needs to be customized to suit its tasks.

For fine tuning:

1. Open the application Voice Assistant (or Mi) AI).
2. Go to Profile. → Settings.
3. Set up: 🔊 Volume (70-80% recommended for clear perception). 📍 Geolocation (for commands like "what weather is outside the window?"). 🔄 Update data (enable automatic updates for current responses).

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The more you set up permissions (contacts, location, calendar), the more useful the assistant's answers will be, for example, with access to the calendar, it will be able to remind of meetings.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even after setting it up properly, the voice assistant can malfunction, and let’s look at the most common errors and how to fix them:

5.1 Assistant does not respond to voice

Possible causes and solutions:

• 🔇 Microphone disabled: Check if access to microphone is blocked for the assistant app (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Microphone).
• 📵 Do Not Disturb: Turn it off in the notification curtain.
• 🔋 Energy saving: Add the assistant app to exceptions (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 🌐 Poor Internet connection: Assistant requires stable connection to handle requests.

5.2 Mi Account Authorization Error

If you are setting up the assistant, an error message about the entrance appears:

1. Log out of your Mi Account (Settings) → Accounts. → Mi Account → Get out).
2. Sign in again using your account password, not PIN-code.
3. If the error is repeated, reset your password at account.xiaomi.com.

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For Chinese firmware (CN) You may need to link your phone number to your Mi Account, without which some XiaoAI features don’t work.

5.3 Assistant speaks Chinese

If the assistant answers in Chinese, despite the chosen Russian language:

1. Remove Chinese from system settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Language and input → Languages).
2. Reinstall the Mi app AI (china-fix).
3. Update the firmware to the latest version – new builds often fix localization.

6 Voice commands worth remembering

Assistant XiaoAI/MIUI Voice Assistant understands hundreds of commands, but the following are the most useful:

For HyperOS, additional commands related to multitasking are available:

• 🔄 "Open the latest apps, shows a list of recent tasks.
• 📱 "Split screen – activates multitasking mode.
• 🔍 "Find on the screen [text] — searches for the specified text in open windows.

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The more specific the wording of the command, the more accurately the assistant will execute it, for example, instead of setting an alarm clock, it is better to say set an alarm clock for 7:30 tomorrow.

7. Voice assistant on other Xiaomi devices

In addition to smartphones, XiaoAI is available on smart speakers, TVs and even in Xiaomi’s automotive systems.

Smart speakers Xiaomi Mi Smart Speaker

To activate the assistant in the column:

1. Connect the speaker to the Wi-Fi network through the Mi Home app.
2. Say: "" (XiaoAI Tongxue) or "Hello, Mi" (for global versions).
3. Set up your voice in the Mi Home app in the device section.

Features:

• 🎵 Supports music management (Mi Music, Spotify).
• 🏠 Could be a smart home control center.
• 🔌 It only works on the network (no battery).

7.2. Xiaomi Mi TVs TV Redmi Smart TV

On TVs, the assistant is turned on through the remote:

1. Press and hold the voice search button (microphone) on the remote.
2. Say a command (e.g., "Turn on Netflix").
3. To set up, go to Settings → Voice assistant.

If the assistant is not working:

• 🔄 Update the TV firmware.
• 🎤 Check the microphone on the remote control (it may be contaminated).
• 📡 Connect your TV to the internet via cable (Wi-Fi can be unstable).

Xiaomi Car Car Car Car Car Car Systems AI

In cars with Xiaomi Car system (for example, Xiaomi) SU7) Assistant integrated into multimedia:

• 🚗 Activated by voice: or by the steering wheel button.
• 📍 Can build routes through Xiaomi Maps.
• 🎶 Manages media system and climate control.

8. Security and confidentiality

Voice assistants record and process your commands, so it's important to set up privacy settings.

• 🔍 Recording voice commands: The assistant can save audio of your requests to improve recognition.To disable: Go to Settings → Voice assistant → Voice history. Click Delete History and turn off Save Records.

Access to location

Mi Account

account.xiaomi.com

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For maximum privacy, turn off voice activation ("Hello, XiaoAI") and start the assistant manually (holding the button).

Additional security measures:

• 🔄 Regularly update the firmware – new versions close vulnerabilities associated with the processing of voice data.
• 📵 Use Incognito mode (if available) for commands that don't need to be saved.
• 🔊 Check which apps have access to the microphone (Settings) → Confidentiality → Permits → Microphone).

If the assistant is activated accidentally (for example, when listening to music), turn off voice activation (Settings) → Voice assistant → Voice activation).