How to permanently disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: from simple to complex

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro with its powerful MediaTek Helio G90T processor and MIUI shell remains a popular choice among users, but the built-in Google Assistant is not popular with everyone.Some find it intrusive, some worry about collecting data, and some just prevent random activations through the Home button or voice. In this article, we will examine all possible ways to disconnect from standard settings to hidden MIUI features and even radical measures for advanced users.

It's important to understand that the Redmi Note 8 Pro runs on Android 9/10/11 (depending on the firmware version), and the methods of disabling may differ. We tested the instructions on MIUI 12.5, 13 and 14 - all of which are valid for 2026. If you use custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), some of the methods may not work - we will warn you about this separately.

Before you start, check:

📱 Version MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI
🔄 Updates: sometimes bugs with the Assistant are fixed in new builds
🔒 Administrator rights: some methods will require unlocking the bootloader

📊 Why do you want to disable Google Assistant?

Interfering with random activations

Security and privacy

I don't use voice assistants.

Savings in battery charge

Another option

1. Standard shutdown via Google Settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in Android options, which is suitable for those who want to remove voice activation and notifications, but do not plan to completely uninstall the application (this requires root).

Instructions:

Open the Google app (the icon with the letter "G" on a color background).
Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner → Settings.
Select Google Assistant → go to General section.
Turn off the sliders: 🎤 Voice Assistant (disables activation by saying "OK, Google") 📱 Assistant at locking (so that it does not work on the locked screen) 🔄 Personalization (limits the collection of data about your requests)

⚠️ Note: This method does not remove the Assistant completely - it will remain in the system and can be activated when you hold the Home button long.

Is voice activation disabled ("OK, Google") | Notifications from Assistant removed | Icon missing in notification panel | Not working when holding the Home--> button

2. uncoupling Google Assistant from the Home button

By default, on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, holding the Home button (or gesture if you use navigation without buttons) for a long time calls the Assistant.

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

Go to Settings → Additional settings → Home button (or Gestures if you use navigation without buttons).
Choose an action for a long press:

Method 2: Through ADB (for Advanced)

If your MIUI version does not have a reassignment option, use the command:

adb shell pm write com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher

This command will replace the Assistant with a standard launcher when holding Home.

adb shell pm write com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

💡

If the Home button stops working after you shut it down, reboot your phone, which solves the problem 90 percent of the time.

3. Complete removal of Google Assistant (root required)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can completely uninstall the Assistant app, which requires root rights or an unlocked bootloader. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro with a locked bootloader, this method won't work, you first need to unlock it through the Mi Unlock Tool.

Step-by-step:

Install Root Explorer or Titanium Backup from Google Play.
Give the application root access.
Go to /system/priv-app/Velvet (or /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox in newer versions).
Delete the entire folder or rename it to Velvet.bak.
Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: After removal, the assistant may stop working:

🔍 Google Voice Search (but text will remain)
📅 Some Google Calendar and Gmail features (reminders, quick answers)
🎵 Voice music management (e.g. YouTube Music)

If you need these features, it’s best to use the methods from the first two sections.

What if Google services stopped working after deleting?

Restore the Velvet folder from a backup or reinstall Google Assistant via APKMirror. Also check if /system permissions have been lost – they can be restored via the chmod 755 /system/priv-app/Velvet command in ADB or root terminal.

4. Disconnect via MIUI settings (hidden options)

Xiaomi often hides additional settings in MIUI, and disabling Assistant is no exception. This method works without root, but requires care.

Algorithm of action:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
In the search, type in Google and select the Google app (not Google Play Services!).
Tap Permits and turn off: 🎤 Microphone (to prevent the Assistant from listening to voice commands) 📍 Location (limits geo-dependent functions) 📱 Display over other windows (remove pop-up prompts)

Stop it.

Additionally, background activity can be limited:

In the same Google app menu, select Battery.
Set Background Limitation or Sleep Mode (depending on the MIUI version).

Method	Root is required.	Removes the Assistant completely.	Impact on other Google services
Standard settings of Google	❌ No.	❌ No (only disable functions)	⚠️ Minimum (voice search may break)
Reassigning the Home button	❌ No.	❌ No.	✅ No influence.
Removal through root	✅ Yes.	✅ Completely.	⚠️ Significant (see section 3)
Restriction of permits in MIUI	❌ No.	❌ No (partial)	⚠️ Moderate (geolocation may break)

5. Alternative ways: Disconnection via ADB and Debloater

If standard methods don't work, you can use deblotting tools -- deleting pre-installed applications -- which is less risky than root, but requires a PC connection.

Method 1: Through ADB (without root)

Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times on version, then go back to Additional settings → For developers).
Connect the phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox This will disable the Assistant for the current user.
To return back: adb shell pm enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

Method 2: Universal Android Debloater (GUI-tool)

Download Universal Android Debloater (powered by Windows/Linux/Mac).
Connect Redmi Note 8 Pro to USB with debugging enabled.
In the program interface, find the packages: com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox (the main package of the Assistant) com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher (if you want to remove the launcher)

Uninstall

Disable

💡

Disabling through ADB is reversible — you can always return the Assistant back with the pm enable command.

6. Post-Switchoff Problems and Solutions

Even after successfully disabling the Assistant, you may experience side effects, and here are the most common ways to correct them:

Problem 1: The Home button is not working properly or is not working properly.

⚠️ Warning: If the Home button does not respond after reassigning, reset your gesture settings: Go to Settings → Additional settings → Gestures. Select Reset gesture settings (or Restore by default). Reboot your phone. If that doesn't work, return the standard action for the Home button via ADB (see section 2).

Problem 2: Voice commands in other apps (e.g. YouTube or Google Maps) have stopped working.

⚠️ Note: This is due to the disabling of microphone permissions for Google. To return functionality: Go to Settings → Annexes → Google → Permissions. Turn the Microphone back on (but leave the Voice Assistant in the Assistant settings disabled.

Problem 3: After removing the Assistant through root, apps from Google Play stopped updating.

⚠️ Attention: This is due to damage to Google Play Services.Solution: Install the latest version of Google Play Services manually with APKMirror. Clear the cache and data of the Google Play Store in Settings → Apps. Reboot the phone.

7 How to Check If the Assistant Is Really Disabled

To make sure that Google Assistant is no longer active, do a few checks:

Test 1: Voice activation

Say it loudly, “OK Google” or “Hey Google.”
If the phone doesn’t respond, the first stage is passed.

Test 2: Home button

Hold the Home button for a long time (or make a gesture if you use navigation without buttons).
If the Assistant interface does not appear, the second stage is passed.

Test 3: Background processes

Open Settings → Applications → Google → Battery
Check that there is no activity from Google Assistant in the Battery Use section.
Or use it. ADB-command: adb shell dumpsys package com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox The output must be disabled or stopped.

Test 4: Notifications

Check the notification bar – there should be no prompts from the Assistant (for example, “Remind me about...” or “Weather today”).
Go to Settings → Notifications → Latest notifications and make sure there are no Google entries marked Assistant.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling Google Assistant

🔍 Can I turn off the assistant without rooting and ADB?

Yes, the first two methods in the article (standard settings and Home button reassignment) work without root and ADB. They will not remove the Assistant completely, but will remove its basic functions.

📱 Will other Google services work after the Assistant is removed?

Most services (Gmail, Maps, Play Store) will remain functional, but may be missing: Voice search in Google (text search will work); some features of Google Photos (for example, voice commands for photo search); Quick answers in Gmail and Calendar. If these features are critical, use methods without completely removing them.

⚙️ Why does the Assistant reappear after the update? MIUI?

For major MIUI updates (e.g. 12.5 to 13), some system applications, including Google Assistant, can recover. To avoid this: Before updating, back up your settings via Settings → Additional → Backup. After updating, repeat the disabling procedure (see Section 1 or 2). If you used ADB or root, apply the commands again.

🔒 Can I turn off the Assistant on a locked screen?

Yes, for this: Open the Google app → Settings → Google Assistant → General. Turn off the Assistant slider when you lock. Also check the lock settings: Settings → Lock and Protection → Notifications on the lock screen and remove the tick from Google.

🛠️ What to do if after removing the Assistant the phone began to brake?

This is unlikely, but if there was an error when you delete system files: Try clearing the cache in Recovery (click Power). + Volume up when turned on, select Wipe Cache. If it doesn't work, restore deleted files from backup (if you did backup through a backup). TWRP). In extreme cases, reset settings: Settings → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge. ⚠️ Warning: Resetting will delete all data from the phone, including photos and apps!