Google Assistant on Xiaomi: how to completely disable and what will happen after that

Are you tired of the sudden activation of Google Assistant on your Xiaomi? Voice assistant can accidentally start from the press of a side button, consume battery power in the background or simply interfere with the usual work with a smartphone. This is especially true for owners of devices with MIUI 14/15, where the integration of Google services is deeper than ever.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO smartphones, from standard settings to hidden developer settings, how to deactivate the assistant at the system level, untie it from hardware buttons, and even uninstall updates if necessary, and analyze which features will stop working after the shutdown and how to replace them with alternative solutions.

Why Google Assistant is activated on its own on Xiaomi

Many Xiaomi users are faced with a situation where Google Assistant starts without a command, for example, when you hold the Home button or the side key for a long time. This is not an accident, but the result of deep integration of Google services into the MIUI firmware.

• 🔹 Default setting: On new Xiaomi devices (especially pre-installed) MIUI Global) Google Assistant is often activated out of the box as the primary voice assistant.
• 🔹 Google Play Services Updates: After Automatic Update of Google Services, Custom button binding settings may be reset.
• 🔹 Conflict with MIUI Optimized: In some versions MIUI 13-15 Optimization of the system forced to return the button settings to the factory.
• 🔹 Mistakes of recognition: The microphone can pick up random sounds (like in your pocket) and interpret them as a command, OK, Google".

Interestingly, devices for the Chinese market (MIUI China) do not have this problem — instead of Google Assistant, XiaoAI ( Xiaomi’s own assistant) is used, but in global versions of firmware, users have to put up with imposed Google services or look for ways to disable them.

Method 1: Disconnect via Google Settings (Standard Method)

The easiest and safest way to deactivate the assistant is to use the built-in settings of the Google app.This method works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13, POCO F5 and others.

Step instructions:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the letter "G" on a color background).
2. Slip on your profile (icon in the upper right corner) → select Settings.
3. Go to the Google Assistant section.
4. Scroll down and select General Settings.
5. Turn off the Google Assistant slider (at the top of the screen).
6. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

After that, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands and button retention. However, the application’s background processes will continue to work, consuming up to 5-10% of battery power per week (according to tests on Xiaomi 12T).

Make sure you have a backup assistant enabled (XiaoAI or another)

Check if you are using voice search in other apps

Save important reminders from Google Assistant manually

Turn off the auto-update of Google’s app in the Play Market-->

Method 2: Uncoupling from hardware buttons (for MIUI 14/15)

Even after the Google Assistant is disabled, it can be triggered when you hold the Home or Side key, because the button binding is managed separately through the MIUI system settings.

To remove the binding:

1. Go to Settings → System and device → Buttons and gestures.
2. Select the Home button (or the Side button, depending on the model).
3. In the section Long press change the action to: 🔘 No action (recommended) 🔘 Voice assistant XiaoAI (if installed) 🔘 Launching a camera or other application

Save the changes and restart the device.

On some devices (such as the POCO X5 Pro), you may need to further disable the swipe gesture from the corner to call the assistant.

Method 3: Complete disabling via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods fail, you can force Google Assistant to be deactivated at the system level using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that is suitable for users willing to work with the command line.

Warning: Incorrect ADB commands may disrupt the system.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 15 and newer some ADB-If the assistant continues to work after completing Google commands, try disabling first. MIUI Optimization in the Developer Settings.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in the Developer Settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → Press 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox This command removes Google Assistant updates for the current user, returning it to the factory version (which is less intrusive).
4. To completely disable all Google Assistant services, use: adb shell cmd package disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

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If you use Google Photos to back up, disabling the assistant won't affect this process. These services work independently of each other.

How to get back Google Assistant if you need it again

If you've decided to return the assistant after you've shut down, you can do it at any time, and the recovery process depends on how you deactivate it:

If you have been disabled through Google’s settings:

1. Open the Google → Profile → Settings → Google Assistant.
2. Turn on the Google Assistant slider and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. Re-attach the buttons to Settings → buttons and gestures.

If you've been off through ADB:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell cmd package enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
2. Update Google Assistant through Play Market.
3. Reset the device.

If updates have been removed:

• Just update the Google app through the Play Market and the assistant will return to its original state.

On devices with MIUI 15, you may need to adjust permissions further after you return Google Assistant. Go to Settings → Applications → App Management → Google and check that all permissions (microphone, location) are enabled.

Specifics for different Xiaomi models: Redmi, POCO, Black Shark

The process of disabling Google Assistant may vary slightly depending on the device line and MIUI version. Below are key features for the popular series.

Redmi devices (Note 11/12, 10A, etc.):

• 🔹 These models often don’t have the option to disable the Home button retention — instead, it can be reassigned to Camera Launch.
• 🔹 V MIUI 13 for Redmi may need to be disabled MIUI Optimization in the developer settings before use ADB.

POCO devices (F4/F5, X4/X5 Pro):

• 🔹 Nana POCO s MIUI for POCO Google Assistant is often tied to the side button – it can be turned off in Settings → Additionally. → Button POCO.
• 🔹 These devices are more likely to face automatic return of settings after updating MIUI.

Black Shark devices (4/5 Pro):

• 🔹 On Black Shark Google’s gaming smartphones, Assistant can be integrated into game mode – turn it off in Shark Space → Settings → Voice assistant.
• 🔹 Alternatives are also available here – voice commands for game functions (e.g., starting a screen recording).

Devices for the Chinese market (MIUI China):

• 🔹 Google Assistant is not available by default, but XiaoAI is used instead.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling Google Assistant on Xiaomi