How to completely disable the voice assistant on Xiaomi: Google and MIUI Assistant

Why Xiaomi Assistant is Interfering with Users and When to Turn It Off

The voice assistants on Xiaomi smartphones are both a useful tool and a source of irritation for many users. On the one hand, the Google Assistant and the built-in MIUI Assistant speed up routine tasks, from setting an alarm clock to managing a smart home. On the other hand, they consume battery life, collect data about your actions and often trigger accidentally, interrupting music or games.

A particularly pressing problem for owners of Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 Pro or Xiaomi 13T models, where the assistant can be activated when the Home or Side key is accidentally pressed. According to Counterpoint Research (2023), 68% of MIUI users experience false voice assistant positives at least once a month. And if you use a smartphone in Do Not Disturb or while streaming, the sudden appearance of the assistant can ruin the experience.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to disable assistants on Xiaomi, from standard MIUI settings to hidden commands for power users. We will separately focus on the nuances for different versions of firmware (MIUI 14/15) and smartphone models, where the process may be different.

What Assistant is Installed on Your Xiaomi: Determining Before Disabling

Before you start to shut down, it is important to understand which assistant is activated on your device, and up to three types of assistants can be installed on Xiaomi smartphones:

• 🤖 Google Assistant is a standard Google Assistant integrated into Android, activated by a voice command “OK, Google” or by long pressing the Home button (on older models).
• 📱 MIUI Assistant – a brand assistant from Xiaomi, which appeared in the MIUI 12.5. works through the assistant call button in the side menu or gesture.
• 🎤 Xiaomi Voice Search is a simplified version for the markets of China and India, which can conflict with Google Assistant.

To determine which assistant is installed:

1. Press the Home button (or swipe diagonally from the corner of the screen on new models without physical buttons).
2. If you have a Google logo, you have Google Assistant.
3. If you open a menu with quick actions (alarm clock, flashlight, calculator) – it is MIUI Assistant.

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global for Europe) have both assistants activated by default, leading to conflicts, and it is recommended to disable one of them, usually MIUI Assistant, as it duplicates Google’s features and is less functional.

Method 1: Disable Google Assistant through Android Settings

If your Xiaomi is activated by Google Assistant, it can be disabled by standard Android tools.This method works on all models with Android 10 and later, including Redmi 10C, POCO F4 and Xiaomi 12 Lite.

Instructions:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the letter “G” on a color background).
2. In the upper right corner, tap on your profile avatar.
3. Select Settings → Google Assistant.
4. Scroll down to the General Block and click Google Assistant.
5. Turn off the Google Assistant switch (it will turn gray).

Once disabled, the voice command OK, Google will stop working, but some features (like screen search) may remain active.

1. Go back to the Google Assistant Settings.
2. Select All settings → Voice control.
3. Turn off the access option from the locked screen.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (for example, MIUI 13 for POCO M4 Pro) after disabling Google Assistant, the voice search function in the Chrome browser may disappear. To return it, you will have to manually enable the Web and applications option. → Voice search in Google settings.

Method 2: Deactivate MIUI Assistant in System Settings

MIUI Assistant is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi that often gets in the way of users because of the awkward location of the call button.It is harder to turn it off than Google Assistant, as the option is hidden deep in the menu.

The following is the MIUI 14/15 step-by-step instruction:

1. Go to Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Select Physical buttons (or buttons and gestures on new versions).
3. Find the Assistant Call button option (could be called Quick Assistant Start).
4. Turn off the switch or select No Action in the list of available features.

If you don’t have this item on your menu, try an alternative route:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, enter Assistant.
3. Select the MIUI Assistant app (robot icon).
4. Click Disable or Remove Updates (if the button is active).

⚠️ Note: Some Chinese Firmware (MIUI China) MIUI Assistant can cause navigation gestures to fail. If the Back or Home swipes are missing after deactivation, return the settings to the factory or update the firmware to the global version.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods do not work (for example, on custom firmware or MIUI for China), you can use the ADB command. This method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic knowledge of working with the terminal.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Win + R → cmd) and type:

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

This command removes Google Assistant completely for the current user. If you want to turn off only voice activation, use:

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

To deactivate MIUI Assistant, the command is suitable:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They can cause the system to malfunction if you type it incorrectly. MIUI 15 shutdown MIUI Assistant through ADB Blocks access to the Quick Commands feature in the notification panel. Before experimenting, back up through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.

Method 4: Using third-party applications to block the assistant

If you don't want to go through the settings or use ADB, you can use third-party utilities, which block the assistant call at the system level without removing it completely.

Top.-3 switch-off:

• 🛡️ MacroDroid allows you to create a rule that intercepts the press of the assistant button and ignores it. MIUI Assistant.
• 🔧 Button Mapper – Reassigns physical buttons, including disabling Google Assistant call.
• 🚫 App Quarantine Freezes Unnecessary System Applications, Including Assistants.

Example of settings in MacroDroid:

1. Create a new macro with the trigger button pressed → Assistant button.
2. As an action, select Cancel the event.
3. Save the macro and activate it.

The advantage of this method is reversibility: you can return the assistant function at any time by deleting the rule or defrosting the application. However, note that some utilities require root rights to work fully on MIUI.

💡

If the assistant still works after installing a third-party application, add it to the list of "Ignore battery optimization" (Settings → Applications → Permissions → Auto Run).

What to do if the assistant is turned on after the MIUI update

One of the most common problems is automatically turning on the assistant after a firmware update, which is because Xiaomi resets some system application settings when it upgrades to a major (for example, when switching from MIUI 14 to MIUI 15).

How to prevent re-activation:

• 🔄 After the update, check the Google Assistant settings and MIUI Assistant - they could have dropped off.
• 📥 If you use ADB, Re-execute the disabling commands (they are reset when you update).
• 🔒 Set a password for settings (Settings) → System system → Additionally. → Protecting settings to prevent accidental changes.

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12S Ultra), a notification of “recommended features” appears after the update, including an offer to enable an assistant, so that this notification does not appear:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Notifications Management.
2. Find the MIUI System or Google app.
3. Turn off notifications such as Recommendations or Tips.

💡

If the assistant settings have disappeared after the update, check the firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. In beta versions (MIUI Beta), the assistant functions may work unstable - consider rolling back to a stable build.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling assistant on Xiaomi