How to Put Alice Instead of Google Assistant on Xiaomi: 3 Working Methods

Voice assistants have become an integral part of modern smartphones, but not all Xiaomi users are comfortable with Google Assistant as the main tool. Yandex Alice offers more adapted to the Russian audience functions: from managing a smart home to integrating with popular services like Yandex.Music or Navigator. However, replacing the standard assistant with MIUI is not an easy task: the system by default blocks alternative solutions, and some methods require unlocking the bootloader or root rights.

In this guide, we will discuss three proven ways to assign Alice as the default assistant, from simple (via MIUI settings) to advanced (using ADB).We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions of the firmware (MIUI 14/13/12) and smartphone models (Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.).

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI (In Settings → The telephone. MIUI 14 may not work on MIUI 12.
• 🔄 Availability of the latest updates for Yandex Alice (in Google Play).
• 🔓 The status of the bootloader (if you plan to use it) ADB). On blocked devices, some methods are not available.

Why is Alice better than Google Assistant for Xiaomi users?

The main advantage of Yandex Alice is deep integration with Russian services, for example, the assistant can:

• 🎵 Manage Yandex.Music voice (including playlists and radio stations).
• 🚗 Build routes in Yandex.Navigator taking into account traffic jams and cameras.
• 🏠 Control devices of Yandex Smart Home (lamps, sockets, speakers).
• 💬 Answer questions about the weather, exchange rates and news in Russian without accent.

By comparison, Google Assistant often responds in English, doesn’t support some local services, and relies on the stability of Google Services, which Xiaomi often turns off to save power, and Alice is better at recognizing Russian in noisy conditions – an important plus for owners of POCO X5 Pro or Redmi 12 with an active lifestyle.

There are, however, downsides:

• ⚠️ Alice is not able to control native functions. MIUI (For example, turn on Do Not Disturb mode or open Second Space).
• ⚠️ On some models (Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) after the assistant is replaced, the double press of the power button to call the voice stops working.

Method 1: Assign Alice via MIUI settings (no root)

This is the easiest way, but it does not work on all devices. Supported smartphones with MIUI 12.5+ and installed the latest version of the application Yandex (at least 23.10).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Yandex in the list and tap it.
3. Select the default Assistant (or Voice Assistant in older versions).
4. Turn on the switch next to Yandex Alice.

If the default Assistant is not:

• 🔹 Try calling Alice with your voice ("Hello Alice"), then click Make Main in the window that appears.
• 🔹 On some firmware (MIUI 13 for POCO F4) First you need to disable Google Assistant: Settings → Google → Settings for Google apps → Search, Assistant and Voice → Settings of Google Assistant → Shut down.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi 13/13 Pro with HyperOS, this method can work only after resetting the assistant settings in Settings. → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting application settings.

Method 2: Using ADB for forced replacement (advanced)

If the first method didn’t work, you’ll have to connect to your smartphone via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is Google’s official tool, but requires USB debugging and a computer to be enabled, and is suitable for MIUI 14/13 and most models, including the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ and Xiaomi 12T.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC, confirm your trust in the computer on the Xiaomi screen.
4. Download ADB Tools and unpack it into a folder.
5. Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) in this folder.
6. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
7. Follow the command for Alice's appointment: adb shell pm grant en.yandex.android.search android.permission.BIND_ASSISTANT_SERVICE Adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant ru.yandex.android.search/.assistant.YandexAssistantService

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 14.0.4 for Xiaomi 12 Lite after application ADB-The assistant is reset after the reboot, in which case only freezing the Google Assistant via Titanium Backup (requires root) will help).

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

After Alice is appointed, you can return Google Assistant with the adb shell pm enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox-->

Method 3: Installation via Magisk (for stitched devices)

If your Xiaomi has an unlocked bootloader and Magisk installed, you can use the Yandex Alice Enabler module. This method is guaranteed to work on all versions of MIUI, but requires:

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (instructions for Xiaomi here).
• 📱 Installed by Magisk (version 26.0)+).
• 🔧 Yandex Alice Enabler (you can download it) 4PDA or GitHub).

Step-by-step:

1. Download the file of the YandexAliceEnabler.zip module.
2. Open Magisk Manager and go to the Modules section.
3. Click Install from Storage → select the downloaded file.
4. Reset the device.
5. After downloading, open Settings → Applications → Yandex → Default Assistant and activate Alice.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔄 Alice remains the default assistant even after updates MIUI.
• 🛠️ No need to re-introduce ADB-team.
• 🔒 You can roll back changes in one click through Magisk.

Solving Typical Problems After Replacing an Assistant

Even after the successful installation of Alice, users are faced with bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If Xiaomi started to brake or overheat after replacing the assistant, check:

• 🔋 Is Alice not optimized in battery settings (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Yandex → No restrictions).
• 🗑️ Is the system cache clogged (clear through Settings) → Warehouse → Cleanup).

💡

On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14), replacing the assistant can cause an error of "Assistant service not available", in which case only a rollback to MIUI 14 or using a Magisk module will help.

Comparison of Alice and Google Assistant on Xiaomi: which one to choose?

To make a final decision, compare the key features of both assistants in the context of the Xiaomi ecosystem:

The choice depends on your priorities:

• 🇷🇺 If you actively use Yandex services and want maximum Russification, choose Alice.
• 🌍 If you want to integrate with Google (Gmail, Calendar, Translate) and manage settings MIUI — Stay on Google Assistant.
• 🔧 If you’re ready to experiment, try the hybrid option: assign Alice as the primary assistant, but leave Google Assistant for system commands (via Google Assistant). ADB You can configure different assistants for different voice commands).

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing assistant with Xiaomi