How to disable Assistant on Xiaomi: step-by-step methods

Owning a modern Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone involves actively interacting with voice assistants that are built into the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. Often users are faced with a situation where Google Assistant or Mi AI are activated accidentally when you remove the device from your pocket or press the power button. This is not only annoying, but also consumes battery power in the background.

Disabling these features requires careful attention, as settings are scattered across different parts of the system. Depending on the firmware version and the region of use, the algorithm of actions may vary slightly. In this article, we will discuss in detail all ways to deactivate voice services so that you can fully control your gadget.

Keep in mind that complete removal of system components is impossible without root rights, but functional locking can be done by regular means. We will consider settings for both global versions of firmware and for Chinese models, where Xiao AI is often preinstalled.

Disabling Google Assistant in Android

Most Xiaomi smartphones in the global market run Android, where the main voice assistant is a product from Google. To turn it off, you need to log into the settings of the application itself, not just restrict it in the system. Open the phone's settings menu and find the section responsible for the applications or directly for Google.

After you go to Google, select “Settings for Google Apps” and “Search, Assistant, and Ruok” section, which is where the main switches for responding to voice commands and the call button are hidden. Click on “Google Assistant” to see the list of available management options.

In the list that opens, look for Google Assistant and turn the slider to Turn Off, which will completely shut down the service and it will stop responding to OK Google or a long push of a button, and the system can request confirmation of the action, warning you of loss of functionality, which you have to agree to.

It is worth noting that after this procedure, the Assistant widget may disappear from the main screen and the call button will cease to respond. However, in some versions of the MIUI shells, the power button assignment is still set, check if the assistant is assigned to hold the lock key for a long time, and if necessary, change this setting in the "Additional" or "Special" section.

Settings of voice assistant in MIUI and HyperOS

MIUI shells and the new HyperOS have their own system integrations that can duplicate Google's features. Often users confuse system search with voice assistant. To remove unnecessary elements, go to Settings and select Home Screen, where you can turn off Search in Cards or change the search engine to another, less intrusive one.

Special attention should be paid to the section "Passwords and security", in some versions of the firmware there is an item "Voice unlock" or "Voice control", which can activate the assistant functions when unlocked, make sure that all ticks associated with voice activation are removed, which will not only improve the convenience, but also the security of your data.

If you have a Chinese or global version of a smartphone with Mi AI services installed, the process may be different. These devices often have a separate "Mi AI" app that has its own access rights, and you can find it on the list of all apps, click on it and select "Disable" or "Remove Updates" if the system does not allow you to do it directly.

So after a major update to HyperOS, it makes sense to check the "Special Opportunities" section again, and there may be a new "Voice Control" item that requires a re-disabling.

Control via power button and hot keys

One of the most common causes of user irritation is activation of the assistant when calling someone or accidentally pressing the power button. In modern versions of MIUI, this feature is put into a separate menu. Go to Settings → Additional → Buttons and gestures (the path can vary depending on the model).

Find the option “Start Google Assistant with the power button pressed” or similar. Put the switch in an inactive state. Now prolonged hold of the button will either turn off the phone or call the action menu (turn off / restart), but not start voice search. This is especially true for the Redmi Note and Poco models.

Also check the gesture settings. Under "Management» → «Gestures and touch buttons" can be activated when the assistant is triggered by a finger from the bottom corner of the screen. If you use gesture navigation, this feature may interfere.

For users who sometimes need a quick call, but not through the power button, there is an alternative: you can use a widget on the desktop or a shortcut in the Tools folder, which will allow you to call the assistant only when you really need it, eliminating accidental positives in your pocket.

Limitation of background activity and permissions

If a complete shutdown is not possible or desirable, you can restrict the application rights, this will prevent it from running in the background and accessing the microphone without your knowledge. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps and search the list of Google or Google Assistant.

From the app menu, select Permissions, and you need to find the Microphone category and select the Prohibit option, without access to the microphone, the voice assistant will not physically be able to hear the activation command, and it is also recommended to disable geolocation and contacts if you are not using them in automation scenarios.

Then go to Battery or Energy Saving within the app settings. Select No Limits mode (so that the system doesn't kill the process if you rarely need it) or Vice versa, Hard Limitation, if you want to minimize its impact on the system.

⚠️ Note: Disabling the microphone for Google Assistant may disrupt the Voice Input feature in the Gboard keyboard and other applications that use this system component.

Another effective method is to clean up the data. In the same app menu, click Memory and select Clear, which will reset all personalized settings and history, making the assistant a blank slate, which sometimes solves problems with its incorrect behavior.

Comparison of methods of disconnecting assistants

The choice of method depends on how radically you want to interfere with the system. Complete disabling through the Google settings gives the best result for the global versions, while the restriction of rights is useful for temporary solving of problems.

As you can see from the table, standard shutdown is the most balanced option, it doesn't require the use of a computer or break other functions of the system, but if you want maximum privacy, you should consider deeper methods.

For advanced users, it is possible to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that hides packet names from the system, making them invisible to the user, but this requires connecting to a computer and entering special commands, which can be risky for inexperienced users.

Solving problems with accidental activation

Even after the basic functions are disabled, users sometimes encounter phantom launches, which may be due to a faulty touchscreen or button sticking. If the screen responds to touches in your pocket ("pocket set"), turn on the "Advertent Press Protection" function in the "Block and Protection" section.

Often the cause is a case that presses the side buttons. Take off the security accessory and see if the problem has gone away. If the assistant turns on on its own, try rebooting the device. In rare cases, resetting to factory settings helps, but this is an extreme measure that requires backup data.

Check out third-party launchers, too. Some of them may have voice search features built in that conflict with system ones. Try switching temporarily to the standard MIUI Launcher to diagnose the source of the problem.

⚠️ Note: If the phone is heating up and the assistant is turning on cyclically, this may indicate a malware virus».

In some cases, it helps to update all system components through the Google Play store. Go to App and Device Management and update all available Google services. This eliminates bugs that cause incorrect behavior.

💡

Use Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode to completely block the assistant’s active activities at night, even if it’s not completely disabled.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

Complete deactivation via Google’s settings and untethering the power button is the most reliable way to get rid of random launches on Xiaomi.