How to permanently disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi Redmi Note: a step-by-step guide

Google’s voice assistant may be useful, but not all Xiaomi Redmi Note users need it. Constant notifications, random activations via the Home button or side key, and hidden data collection about your queries are all annoying and eat up battery power. Unfortunately, MIUI doesn’t offer an obvious way to remove the Assistant completely, but there are several workarounds.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible disabling methods, from basic settings to deep changes to the system (including ADB and Google Play services).Special attention will be paid to the Redmi Note 10/11/12 models and MIUI 14/15 firmware, where the assistant’s algorithms have changed. If you want to not just hide the icon, but completely stop it, read on.

It’s worth noting that once you’re turned off, you’ll lose access to some features, like quick smart home control via voice or automatic reminders, but for most users, that’s a small price to pay for increased privacy and performance.

πŸ“Š Why do you want to disable Google Assistant?
Interfering with random activations
Collecting extra data
Eating up the battery charge
I don't use voice assistants.
Another option

1. Basic disconnection via Android settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in options, which is suitable for most Redmi Note models (including the Note 8 Pro, Note 9T, Note 11 Pro+) and does not require superuser rights, but does not remove the assistant completely, only limits its activity.

Open the Google app (not to be confused with the Google Play Store!) and follow the following steps:

  • πŸ“± Go to profile (icon in the upper right corner) β†’ Settings β†’ Google Assistant.
  • πŸ”„ In the General section, select Google Assistant and turn off the slider at the top of the screen.
  • πŸ—£οΈ In the Voice Input menu, deactivate the Hey Google option (this will turn off response to voice commands).
  • πŸ“± Back to Settings β†’ Annexes β†’ All apps, search Google and click Stop (forced stop).

After that, the Assistant will stop activating in voice and by holding the Home button for a long time, but it will still be in the background, consuming resources. To check if the Assistant is disabled, try saying, "OK, Google," the system should not respond.

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If the Assistant is activated again after the reboot after the shutdown, clear the Google app cache in the settings (Settings β†’ Apps β†’ Google β†’ Memory β†’ Clear the cache).

2. Disconnect via MIUI settings (for firmware 12-15)

Xiaomi has added its own assistant management options in the latest versions of MIUI. This allows you to disable the Assistant call through hardware buttons, which is especially true for the Redmi Note 10 Pro and later, where the side key is used by default.

Follow the instructions:

  • βš™οΈ Open the Settings. β†’ Special facilities β†’ Home button (or Side button, depending on the model).
  • πŸ”˜ In the Long Click section, select Do Nothing or Open the Power Menu.
  • πŸ” Back to Settings β†’ Annexes β†’ Application management β†’ Autostart and disable Autostart for Google.
  • πŸ“΅ B Settings β†’ Battery and performance β†’ Battery management set for Google Limited mode.

These actions will not remove the Assistant, but will minimize its impact on the system, for example, it will stop starting when the screen is locked or buttons are accidentally pressed.

Long pressing of Home/side button does not call assistant |

Voice command "OK, Google" doesn't work |

Google App Doesn't Hang in the Background Processes (check in Task Manager)|

Auto-Running for Google is disabled in MIUI-->

3. Complete disabling via ADB (for power users)

If you need to permanently remove your Assistant without recovery (for example, due to corporate policies or paranoia about surveillance), the only reliable way to disable it is to disable it via Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method works for all Redmi Notes with MIUI Android One, but requires a PC connection.

You'll need:

  • πŸ–₯️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
  • πŸ“± Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) β†’ The phone. β†’ Version. MIUI β†’ 7 times press to unlock the developer mode, then Settings β†’ Additionally. β†’ For developers β†’ Debugging by USB).
  • πŸ”Œ USB-cable (preferably original).

Next, run commands in the terminal (cmd for Windows or Terminal for macOS/Linux):

adb shell


pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox




pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant

Once you restart, the Assistant will be completely deactivated and its icon will disappear from the menu.

pm install-existing --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
What if the ADB can’t see the device?
If the adb device command does not show your Redmi Note, check: 1. Are Xiaomi drivers installed (download Mi PC Suite). 2. Is File Transfer (MTP) enabled when connecting via USB. 3. Is debugging allowed on the phone (a request will appear when you first connect). 4. Try another cable or USB port. If the problem persists, reinstall the platform-tools and try again.

4. Disable data collection and personalization

Even if you disabled the Assistant, Google can continue to collect data about your activities through other services, and to completely stop this, you must manually deny access to key permissions.

Follow the following steps:

  • πŸ“Š Open the Settings. β†’ Google β†’ Managing a Google Account β†’ Data and personalization.
  • πŸ” Find the Activity section in web search and applications and turn it off.
  • πŸ—£οΈ In the Voice and Audio section, delete the history and disable the saving of new records.
  • πŸ“± Back to Settings β†’ Annexes β†’ Google β†’ Permits and Prohibit Access to: πŸ“ Location, 🎀 Microphone, πŸ“‚ Warehouse, πŸ“ž Telephone (for calls).

These actions will not remove the Assistant, but will prevent it from collecting information about you. Please note that some features of Google Maps, YouTube and other services may not work properly.

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Disabling data collection does not interfere with the work of the Assistant, but makes it useless – without access to the microphone and location, it will not be able to perform basic tasks.

5. Alternative methods: disabling via Xposed or custom firmware

For users willing to take drastic measures, there are two other options:

  1. Installation of the Xposed module (requires root): DisableFlags or App Settings module allows you to completely block the Assistant at the system level.
  2. Switching to custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience without Google services) is a drastic solution, but it requires unlocking the bootloader and can take away warranty.

Both methods are not recommended for beginners, as they carry risks:

  • ⚠️ Loss of warranty (when unlocking the bootloader).
  • ⚠️ Possible brick (turning the phone into a β€œbrick”) in case of firmware error.
  • ⚠️ Some features are not stable (e.g. Google Pay will no longer work without Google services).

If you do decide to do so, follow the official instructions for your Redmi Note model on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums.

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Before you run your firmware, make a full backup via TWRP or MIUI Backup. Save backups to your PC - they can save your data if you crash.

6.What if the Assistant is turned on after the update?

One of the most annoying behaviors of MIUI is to automatically turn on the Assistant after a system update, which is because Google Play Services restores the standard settings to prevent it from happening:

  • πŸ”„ After each update MIUI Repeat the steps from the first section (disable in Google settings).
  • πŸ“΅ Install App Ops (requires) ADB) And stop Google from changing system settings.
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Use Blokada or NetGuard to block internet access to the googleapis.com and assistant.google.com domains.

If the problem is repeated too often, consider turning off automatic MIUI updates:

  1. Go to Settings β†’ About the phone β†’ System update.
  2. Click on the three dots in the top corner and select Update Settings.
  3. Turn off the option of Automatic download via Wi-Fi.
List of domains to block in NetGuard
To completely β€œmuffle” the Assistant, add the following addresses to the blacklist: assistant.google.com googleapis.com clients4.google.com android.clients.google.com This may disrupt other Google services, but is guaranteed to stop the background activity of the Assistant.

Comparison of methods of disabling the Assistant

To find the best way to do this, check out the table below, and we have evaluated the effectiveness, complexity and side effects of each method:

MethodEfficiencyDifficultyPC/root requiredSide effects
Android settings⭐⭐ (partial)⭐ (simple)❌ No.Assistant stays in the background
MIUI settings⭐⭐ (partial)⭐ (simple)❌ No.Does not block voice commands
ADB-team⭐⭐⭐⭐ (full-fledged)⭐⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road)βœ… Yes.It may break down after updates.
Custom firmware⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (full-fledged)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult)βœ… Yes.Loss of warranty, risk of brick
Domain locking⭐⭐⭐ (high-end)⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road)❌ No.Breaking other Google services

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For most users, a combined approach is optimal: disabling in settings + blocking background activity via ADB or NetGuard, which strikes a balance between efficiency and security.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling the Assistant

❓ Can I remove the assistant completely without rooting?
No, you can’t completely uninstall a system application without superuser rights, but you can disable it for the current user via ADB (see Section 3), which will have a similar effect.
❓ Why does the assistant appear again after the shutdown?
This is due to automatic resetting by Google Play services. To prevent this: Turn off Google Auto Update in the Play Store; disable background activity for Google Play Services in battery settings; Use App Ops to block Google's rights to change system settings.
❓ Does disabling the Assistant affect the work of other Google apps?
Some functions may stop working: πŸ“ Google Maps: Losing voice input and traffic notifications. 🎡 YouTube Music: Can't be controlled by voice. πŸ“… Google Calendar: Voice reminders will stop working, but basic functions (search, mail, drive) will remain available.
❓ How to get an assistant back if you need one?
If you have disabled it through settings: Launch Google App. Go to Settings β†’ Google Assistant and turn on the slider. If you have used ADB, follow the command: pm install-existing --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
❓ Are there any alternatives to Google Assistant for Xiaomi?
Yes, you can use it: πŸ€– Alice from Yandex (well integrated with the MIUI). πŸ“± Bixby (if installed through the APK, but requires adjustment). πŸ€– Assistant.ai or Siri (through third-party launchers), however, they won't work with Redmi Note hardware buttons without additional settings.