How to disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi Redmi: Full instructions

Owners of modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face intrusive behavior built-in voice assistant, which is activated every time you carelessly press the power button or say a random phrase. This not only consumes battery power, but can also cause irritation when the device suddenly begins to listen to the command at the most inopportune moment. Complete shutdown of the service requires understanding the structure of the settings of the Android operating system and the shell MIUI or HyperOS.

In this detailed guide, we’ll look at all the ways you can deactivate the feature, from standard system settings to deeper application permission management techniques. You’ll learn how to reassign the power button so it doesn’t call an assistant, and how to prevent the system from running Google Assistant in the background. Follow the instructions consistently to fully control your gadget.

Why Google Assistant is constantly on

The main reason for spontaneous activation is the “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” setting, which causes the smartphone microphone to constantly work in the background, waiting for the key phrase. This creates a constant load on the processor and battery, which is especially noticeable on models with the smallest battery. In addition, by default on many Xiaomi devices, a long press or double press of the power button is programmed to call this service.

Another factor is the integration of voice control into system search processes. When you swipe from the corner of the screen or use search widgets, the system can automatically trigger the assistant interface. Understanding these triggers allows you to effectively block unwanted launches. System-based power button binding is the most frequent activation scenario that users forget to check first.

⚠️ WARNING: Disabling Google system components completely can affect smart home and voice typing in some apps, so act consciously.

Disconnection through Google Settings

The safest and most effective way to remove the extra functionality is to use the official settings of the app itself. To do this, open the app menu and find the Google icon or go to Settings → Google. This is the control center for all the services of the search giant, including voice functions.

In the menu that opens, select "Settings for Google Assistant" (or simply "Assistant"). You'll need to find "All Assistant Settings" and go to "Hey Google and Voice Match" category, and that's where the switch that allows the phone to constantly listen to the environment hides.

Once the Hey Google feature is disabled, the phone will no longer respond to voice commands, but the service will remain formally installed on the system, an option for those who want to retain the ability to manually call the assistant in rare cases, but get rid of background wiretapping.

• 🔹 Open the Google app and click on the profile avatar.
• 🔹 Go to Settings and select Google Assistant".
• 🔹 Find the tab "Hey Google and Voice Match".
• 🔹 Translate the “Hey Google” slider to the “Off” position".

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If you can’t find the assistant settings, try saying “Ok Google, open the assistant settings” and the phone will go to the menu itself.

Managing the power button on Xiaomi

On Redmi and Poco smartphones with MIUI 12 and later, as well as HyperOS, there is a separate setting that conflicts with the user's desire to get rid of the assistant. By default, a prolonged press on the on button causes the voice assistant, rather than the off menu, which often leads to accidental activations in the pocket.

To fix this, reassign the action of the button. Go to Settings → Additional Features → Buttons (the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version). Here you will see the option "Long-term press of the power button".

Change the value from Google Assistant to Nothing or Shutdown Menu if you want to return the classic behavior of your smartphone, and this action will instantly stop calling the assistant when you physically hit the lock button.

It's worth noting that some global firmware versions may call this item something else, like "Button Combinations." If you can't find the right switch, search by settings by typing "button" or "power."

Comparison of disconnection methods

There are several levels of service limitation, and the choice depends on your goals, some people want to just stop hearing the answer to the word "OK," and some people want to completely unload the process from memory. Below is a table comparing the effectiveness of different methods.

As you can see from the table, simply switching the toggle in settings is often not enough for complete comfort. Combining methods, such as turning off voice activation and reassigning the button, gives the best result for everyday use.

Forced shutdown and data cleanup

If standard settings don't work, you can use a more radical method, which is forced process stops. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Search Google on the list (not to be confused with Google Assistant, these are different processes, albeit related).

Within the app menu, click the Stop button, which will complete all the ongoing search and voice input processes, but the system can automatically restart the service after a while, so this method is temporary.

For a deeper cleaning, you can click on Memory and select Clear, which will remove cache and temporary files that may be causing crashes or intrusive behavior, and be prepared for the personalization of search to reset after this procedure.

⚠️ Attention: Google app data clearing may temporarily disrupt search bar widgets and voice input in Gboard keyboard.

Some users also try to remove updates to the app by returning it to the factory version, which can be done in the same menu by clicking on three dots in the top corner and selecting "Remove Updates", and then the functionality will be limited to the basic set.

Advanced shutdown via ADB

For power users who want to securely remove the voice assistant component from the system without obtaining superuser (Root) rights, there is a method using USB debugging and ADB tools.

First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the build number seven times (MIUI Version).

Turn on USB Debugging and connect your phone to your PC. Use the command line on your computer to command to remove the package responsible for the assistant, which is irreversible without reflashing or installing updates.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant

Executing this command will remove the user version of the Google Assistant app. If you want to return it, you will need to reset the phone to the factory or install it. APK-file again.

It’s important to understand that after this intervention, system updates may try to recover a remote component, so it’s best to use this method if you know you’re never going to use voice search.

Frequently asked questions

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An integrated approach, including setting the power button and disabling voice activation, provides maximum comfort using the smartphone without unnecessary AI intervention.