How to disable the assistant on the phone Xiaomi Mi 9

Modern smartphones, including the flagship Xiaomi Mi 9, come with a host of smart features designed to make it easier to interact with the device. However, for many users, built-in voice assistants like the Google Assistant or Mi AI are becoming more of an annoyance than a useful tool. Random activations in your pocket, unwanted pop-ups when you press buttons and constant background listening to the microphone are just some of the reasons why you want to completely remove this feature.

The deactivation process isn’t always obvious, as developers often hide the appropriate switches in the back of the system menus or spread the settings in different sections. Mi 9 owners need to consider the specifics of the MIUI shell, which may differ from pure Android. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at all possible ways to disable voice control so that you can regain full control of your gadget.

It is important to understand that the complete removal of system components may require advanced rights, but in most cases, it is enough to fine-tune the privacy settings. We will look at both standard methods through the settings menu and more advanced options for power users, which will allow you to choose the most suitable and secure way to solve the problem.

Differences between Google Assistant and Mi AI

Before you start setting up, you need to clearly understand what service you want to disable. On Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphones, especially in global versions, there are often two types of assistants preinstalled. Google Assistant is a standard service from the search giant, deeply integrated into the Android operating system. It answers search queries, manages a smart home and launches applications with voice.

The second option is a proprietary development by Xiaomi, known as Mi AI or Mi Voice, which is tailored to the brand ecosystem and is often activated through brand gestures or long-term clicks on the power button. In some regions, such as China, Mi AI is the main one, while in Europe, Google products are the priority.

⚠️ Note: Disabling Google Assistant may affect the “Ok Google” function and voice input in the search bar, but will not affect other applications.

Users often confuse these services by trying to disable one when the other is activated. To effectively manage the device, it is recommended to analyze which assistant is causing you inconvenience. Below is a comparison table that helps identify the source of voice commands.

Disable Google Assistant through system settings

The most common scenario is to deactivate Google’s standard assistant, which is done directly through the Google app, which is system on the Xiaomi Mi 9. The process requires no root rights and takes only a couple of minutes. Open the Google app on your device first or go to the phone’s general settings.

In the app interface, find the section that handles personalization and voice control. The path may vary depending on the version of the MIUI shell, but the logic remains the same. You'll need to find the Google Assistant item in the service list, and that's where all the key switches are concentrated.

• 📱 Open the Google app and click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
• ⚙️ Select Settings from the drop-down menu and then go to the Google Assistant section.
• 🔍 Find the category All Assistant settings and scroll to the bottom of the list.
• 🚫 Click on Google Assistant and switch the main switch to off position.

Once you do this, the voice assistant will stop responding to voice commands and swipes. However, if you use gesture navigation, it is worth checking if the assistant is assigned to swipe from the corner of the screen. This setting is located in the System Navigation section and requires special attention to completely disable the function.

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If the assistant still pops up after turning off, check if the “Transport” mode is activated in Google settings, which can force the assistant to run when connecting to the car’s Bluetooth.

Deactivation of Mi AI and power button management

Owners of Xiaomi Mi 9 often face a situation where when you press the power button for a long time instead of the power-off menu, the voice assistant is called. By default, in the MIUI shell, this feature can be configured to start Mi AI or Google Assistant. To return the standard behavior of the button, you need to change the corresponding parameter in the system.

Go to your smartphone's settings menu and find the section that handles the extras. It can be called Advanced Settings or just Additionals on different versions of the firmware. Inside this menu, look for the item associated with the power button, and here you can reassign the action with a long press.

Select the option of Nothing or Power Off to prevent accidental voice services from starting, especially for those who are used to quickly locking the screen or like to keep their finger on the button, and it is also worth checking the alarm settings, since some versions of MIUI suggest "voice response" when the alarm goes off, which is also part of the assistant's functionality.

Configure activation by the phrase "Ok Google"

Even if the main assistant interface is disabled, the voice-detection feature of the phrase "Ok Google" can continue to work in the background, consuming microphone and battery resources. For owners of the Xiaomi Mi 9 with its powerful, but not infinite battery, this is an important aspect of optimization.

You need to find the Hey Google and Voice Match section, and this is where the voice recognition switch is located, and even if the assistant is technically turned off, it can still be active, and you should remove the Hey Google box completely, so that the phone doesn't listen to the surrounding sounds.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Voice Match also deaktiviruet the voice unlock feature if you've used it before. Make sure you have an alternative protection method set up, such as, PIN-finger-print.

Also, check the permissions for the Google app. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps → Google → Permissions. Make sure that access to the microphone is configured according to your preferences, although a complete ban can disrupt voice input in search. The best option is to set up access "Only when using the app."

Removing updates and rolling back system components

In rare cases, a standard disabling of the settings does not produce the desired result, especially if the MIUI system has been upgraded to a version where the assistant functions are integrated too deeply, in such situations, you can try to remove updates to the Google app itself or the Google App component, returning it to the factory version.

To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Google App in the list. From the App Management menu that opens, select the Remove Updates option. The system will alert you that the app will return to the original version and some features may stop working correctly.

After rolling back, repeat the assistant disablement procedure described in the previous sections. On older versions of the software, switches often work more correctly and do not have hidden bugs characteristic of new builds. However, it is worth considering that after a restart, the phone may automatically try to update the system components again.

Advanced Methods: ADB and Complete Removal

For power users who want to get rid of the assistant and free up system resources, there is a method of using the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) toolkit, which allows you to delete or freeze the system packets responsible for the work of voice assistants, without obtaining superuser rights (Root).

Before starting the procedure, you need to enable USB debugging. Go to Settings → About Phone and press 7 times on MIUI Version to activate the developer menu. Then, in Additional settings, turn on USB Debugging. Connect the phone to your computer and follow the command to search for packages associated with the assistant.

adb shell pm list packages | grep google

Once you find the package that is responsible for the assistant (often com.google.android.apps.googleassistant), you can use the command to delete it for the current user. This will not remove the file physically from the partition, but will make it invisible and inactive to the operating system, which is equivalent to a complete deletion.

• 💻 Connect Xiaomi Mi 9 to a PC with installed ADB.
• 📟 Enter the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant
• 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
• ✅ Make sure that the assistant is no longer called in any way.

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Using ADB is the most radical, but also the most effective way to (cardinally) remove an assistant, but it requires caution and basic technical knowledge.

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