OK Google on Xiaomi: how to configure voice assistant in 5 minutes

Google’s OK Google voice assistant makes it much easier to interact with a smartphone: just say a command to run an app, find information or manage smart devices. However, on Xiaomi smartphones with the proprietary MIUI shell, setting up a voice assistant often raises questions — the standard instructions for “pure” Android do not work here. In this article, we will analyze all the steps from checking the compatibility of the model to solving typical problems with the microphone and language packages.

Xiaomi is also actively promoting its own voice assistant, Xiao AI, which can block Google’s OK by default. In addition, some models (especially for the Chinese market) lack Google services out of the box, which requires additional manipulation. We took all these nuances into account and prepared a universal instruction that is relevant for MIUI 14/15 and Android 12/13/14.

1. Checking the compatibility of the Xiaomi smartphone

Before you start setting up, make sure your Xiaomi supports OK Google.

• 📱 Smartphone model: Must officially support Google services. Most global versions (Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro, Xiaomi 13T, etc.) are suitable, but devices for the Chinese market (marked CN in the title) often require manual installation of Google Mobile Services (GMS).
• 🤖 Android Version: Not lower than Android 8.0 Oreo. On older versions (e.g., Redmi 5A with Android 7.1), the voice assistant won't work.
• 🌐 Google Account Region: Must match the voice language. For example, if you set up Russian in the assistant, the account must be linked to Russia or a country with Russian support.
• 🎤 Microphone: Must be in good working order, and you can check it on the standard Dictaphone app or by phone.

If your smartphone is purchased in China or has firmware without GMS, first install Google services through the Mi Flash Tool or third-party utilities like GMS Installer. Without this, OK Google will not work in principle.

2. Preparation of the smartphone: settings MIUI

The MIUI shell can block background activity from OK Google, so do the following before setting up the assistant:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Google.
2. Slip on Permissions and enable access to microphone, geodata and autorun.
3. Go back and select Battery → No restrictions (this will prevent the assistant from turning off in the background).
4. Go to Settings → Special Features → Voice Assistant and turn off Xiao AI if it is active.

We also recommend turning off battery optimization for the Google app:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management applications.
2. Find Google in the list and select No Limits.

Important: Some Xiaomi firmware has a "Background Lock" feature in its security settings. Make sure Google doesn't make the list of blocked apps.

3. Installation and configuration of the Google app

Even if your Xiaomi has a Google app pre-installed, you need to upgrade to the latest version, either through the Play Market or download the APK from the official APKMirror website (select the arm64 version for modern smartphones).

After the update, follow the steps:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the letter G on a colored background).
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner and select Settings → Voice Search.
3. Activate the “OK Google” switch and follow the instructions for setting up your voice.
4. In the Language section, select the language you want (e.g. Russian (Russia)) and download the language package if required.

If the “OK Google” option is inactive, check:

• 📶 Internet connection (assistant requires stable connection for first setup)
• 🔊 Availability of updates for Google Play Services (update to Play Market).
• 📱 Model compatibility (on some budget Redmi, the function may be disabled at the firmware level).

4. Teaching voice model

In order for OK Google to recognize your voice as accurately as possible, you need to go through a learning process.

1. In the Google app, go to Settings → Voice Search → Voice model.
2. Tap “Retrain voice model” and repeat the phrases that the system will offer (usually 3-5 times).
3. Speak clearly, at a normal pace, without accent, and avoid noisy spaces while recording.

After training, check the assistant's work:

• 🗣️ Say “OK, Google” from the lock screen (if the setting is enabled).
• 🔍 Try asking a simple query, such as, "What is the weather forecast today?"
• 📱 Make sure that the assistant responds to other users’ voices (if the Personal Performance option is enabled).

Tip: If the assistant doesn’t respond to voice from the screen off, check the settings in Settings → Display → Lock screen → Voice assistant and turn on the “OK Google” option.

5. Solving typical problems

Even after setting up OK properly, Google can be unstable, and let’s look at some of the most common errors and how to fix them:

If the problem persists, try resetting the assistant settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Google → Storage.
2. Slip "Clear Cache" and "Reset Settings."
3. Reboot your smartphone and reset OK Google from scratch.

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If the assistant stopped working after the MIUI update, try rolling back the version of the Google app to the previous one via APKMirror. Often new versions contain custom firmware bugs.

6. Additional settings for experienced users

For those who want to customize the work of OK Google, there are advanced options available:

• 🔧 Change Assistant Voice: In the Google Assistant settings, you can choose male or female voice, as well as speech speed.
• 📍 Geolocation setting: Enable Location History in your Google account to help the assistant answer questions about routes and nearby establishments more accurately.
• 🔄 Smart Home Integration: Connect Xiaomi Mi Home devices to Google Home to control their voice (e.g., “OK Google, turn off the living room lights”).
• 📊 Activity analysis: In the “Your Statistics” section, you can see which commands you use most and optimize them.

To automate routine tasks, use Google Assistant Routines, for example, you can set up a Good Morning command that will:

• Turn on the alarm.
• Run the news playback.
• Open the calendar for the day.
• Turn on the Yeelight smart lamp.

To create a routine:

1. Open Google Assistant and tap on the avatar.
2. Select the → Routines to create a routine.
3. Set a voice command and add actions.

💡

The routines in Google Assistant only work when you have an active Internet connection, and if you have an offline smartphone, you won't execute commands.

7.OK Google Alternatives for Xiaomi

If OK Google doesn’t work on your Xiaomi model, consider alternative voice assistants:

To set Alice up:

1. Download the Yandex app from the Play Market.
2. Register or log in to your account.
3. Activate the voice assistant in the application settings.
4. Allow access to the microphone and auto-start (similar to OK Google setting).

Note: For Alice to work fully on Xiaomi, you may need to disable battery optimization for the Yandex app.

FAQ: Frequent questions about OK Google on Xiaomi