How to permanently disable the on-screen assistant on Xiaomi: the full guide

The screen assistant on Xiaomi smartphones is a floating button that appears on the screen by default and duplicates the functions of navigation gestures or hardware buttons. For many users, it becomes a source of irritation: random taps, occupied space on the display, and sometimes interface freezes. This is especially true for owners of Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Mi 11 models, where the assistant is activated automatically after MIUI 14/15 updates.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can disable the on-screen assistant, from standard settings to hidden commands for power users, how to remove it forever, why it can reappear after a reboot, and what to do if the button doesn't disappear even after you reset, and also uncover a secret method of disabling through ADB, which works even on locked bootloaders.

What is Xiaomi’s on-screen assistant and why you should turn it off

The screen assistant (or Floating Button) is a virtual button that Xiaomi wants to make navigating the system easier, and it appears as a semi-transparent circle at the edge of the screen and contains:

• 🔙 The back button duplicates the swipe gesture on the right
• 🏠 "Home - Returns to the main screen
• 📄 "Recent" - opens the menu of multitasking
• ⚙️ Additional features – quick access to screenshots, screen recordings, etc.

On paper, it sounds convenient, but in practice, users face problems:

• 🎯 Accidental clicks during games or watching videos (especially on the Internet) POCO F4 curved)
• 🖼️ Overlapping of interface elements in apps (such as buttons in Instagram or TikTok)
• 🔄 Spontaneous activation after updates or resetting settings
• 🐢 Slowing down animations on weak devices (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3)

According to a survey of Xiaomi owners, 68% of users turn off the assistant in the first 3 days after buying a smartphone, while 22% do not know how to do it correctly and simply hide the button, which does not solve the problem completely.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The simplest method, which works on all versions of MIUI (12 to 15) and does not require superuser rights, is suitable for models Redmi Note 11/12, POCO X3/X4, Mi 10/11 and newer.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Special Features section (some firmwares call it Additional Features).
3. Select Screen Assistant (or Floating Button in older versions).
4. Move the slider to the off position.
5. Confirm the action by pressing OK in the window that appears.

If the option Screen Assistant is not in the Special Opportunities menu, try an alternative path:

Settings → System → Gestures → Floating button

An important nuance: on some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 for Redmi Note 10 Pro) after turning off the button may appear again in 1-2 days.This is due to background synchronization of settings Xiaomi Cloud. To prevent this, follow the additional step:

Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Synchronization → Disable “System Settings”

Method 2: Remove via gesture settings (for MIUI 13-15)

In newer versions of firmware, the on-screen assistant is closely linked to the navigation system, so if the standard shutdown didn't work, try changing the type of control:

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Display.
2. Select Full Screen Display (or System Navigation in MIUI 15).
3. Activate Gestures (if you have buttons) or Full-screen gestures.
4. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a warning that says, "Screen assistant will be disabled." Press OK.

This method is guaranteed to remove the button, but it has a side effect: if you're used to hardware buttons, you'll have to relearn gestures, but the assistant won't come back even after the updates.

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If the on-screen assistant still appears after changing navigation, try restarting the smartphone in safe mode (hold the power button → “Reboot Safe Mode”). 80% of the time this solves the problem.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If the assistant persists, you'll have to use USB debugging, which works on all Xiaomi models, including the POCO F5, Redmi K60, and even a locked bootloader.

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 📱 Cable USB (preferably original)
• 🛠️ Utility. ADB (Download from the official Android website)

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times)
2. Activate USB Debugging: Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB
3. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in the device.
4. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
5. Enter the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.accessibility

What this team does:

• Removes the com.miui.accessibility package, which is responsible for the screen assistant.
• The --user 0 flag means that the changes are only applicable to the current user (does not require root).
• The -k flag saves the cache to avoid errors.

Warning: After this method, some features of special features (such as TalkBack or Screen Enlargement) may not work properly.

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

This command does not remove the packet, but only disables it.

Method 4: Resetting settings (if nothing helps)

In rare cases, the on-screen assistant is rendered "unkillable" by failures in MIUI Optimization, the system process that governs the interface, often after failed updates or manual interference with system files, and the only radical way is to reset to factory settings.

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Save important data (photos, contacts, SMS) on your PC or in the cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to Erase All Data (not to be confused with Network Settings Reset!).
4. Enter the password from the Mi Account if required.
5. Wait until it is completed (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔄 Do not restore settings from backup – this can return the assistant.
• 📱 Disable the assistant immediately after the first setting (the item will appear in the Startup Wizard).
• 🔒 Stop Automatic Updating MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-update.

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Resetting is a last resort, and 95% of the time, 1-3s help. If the assistant comes back after the reset, the problem is the firmware (you need to reflash the device).

Method 5: Manually delete system files (root only)

If you have superuser rights (root), you can delete the assistant files manually, which is suitable for custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience) or rooted MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Cross the path: /system/priv-app/Accessibility
3. Delete the Accessibility folder or files inside it: Accessibility.apk Accessibility.odex (if any)

Reset the device.

Warning: Incorrect deletion of system files can lead to bootloop.Before doing this, back up via TWRP or OrangeFox.

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If the phone doesn't start after you delete the files, boot to TWRP and restore the /system partition backup. If you don't have a backup, you'll have to refashion the device.

Why the on-screen assistant appears again and how to prevent it

Many users complain that the assistant returns after:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI (minor)
• 📱 Resetting the device
• 🔧 Resetting settings to factory
• 🌐 Sign in to Mi Account (synchronization of settings)

Causes and solutions:

If the assistant only returns after updates, try to roll back to the previous version of MIUI:

1. Download the necessary firmware from the official website.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the memory.
3. Press Volume Up + Power to Enter Recovery.
4. Select Install update.zip.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you turn off the on-screen assistant, users often make critical errors that lead to even bigger problems.

⚠️ Warning: Never delete com.miui.accessibility via Titanium Backup or other non-root application managers, which will result in loss of special features (e.g. TalkBack for the visually impaired) and may block access to system settings.

Other common mistakes:

• 🚫 Using Forced Stop in the application settings helps temporarily, but after 1-2 hours, the assistant starts again.
• 🚫 Delete via pm uninstall without flag --user 0. This can damage systemic dependencies.
• 🚫 Disabling MiuiAccessibilityService via AppOps will lead to the collapse of system applications.

If you have a handymanipulation with your assistant:

• 🔄 The phone is stuck on the loading. → Download to Fastboot and reflash the device via the Mi Flash Tool.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions