How to permanently disable voice assistant on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Why users want to get rid of the voice assistant on Xiaomi

Voice assistants like the Google Assistant or Xiaomi’s Xiao AI are marketed as useful tools for managing the device. However, in practice, many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones face a number of problems: the assistant activates accidentally when talking, consumes battery power in the background, collects data about location and habits, and sometimes even interferes with the operation of other applications, especially in models with a physical assistant button (for example, Xiaomi Mi 10 or Redmi Note 11 Pro+), where random taps lead to the voice response even in your pocket.

According to a survey of MIUI users, more than 60 percent of respondents turn off their voice assistant in the first months of using the device, ranging from privacy (data collection by China or Google) to the banal discomfort of constant false positives. In addition, on budget models like the Redmi 9A or POCO M3, the assistant can noticeably slow down the system, taking up up to 150-200 MB of RAM. In this article, we will examine all the current ways of disconnection, from standard settings to deep system changes.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in options, which is suitable for most MIUI 12-14 devices and does not require superuser rights, and it is important to note that the path to settings may vary slightly on different models, but the general logic remains.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings app (cog icon on the home screen).
• 🔍 Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
• 🔎 In the search bar, type Google or Xiao AI (Depending on which assistant is installed).
• ⚙️ Select the Assistant app, then click Disable (if the button is inactive, first tap Stop).
• 🔒 Confirm the action in the window that appears.

Some devices (e.g., Xiaomi 12T or POCO F4) may require additional shutdown in Settings → System → Gestures and buttons → Assistant button. Here you can completely deactivate the physical button, if any.

⚠️ Note: On devices with Google Mobile Services (GMS) Disabling Google Assistant completely may cause errors in other Google services (e.g. Google Pay or YouTube) and it is recommended to use method 3 (limitation of rights).

Method 2: Remove via ADB (for power users)

If the standard shutdown does not work or the assistant continues to activate, you can resort to the use of the ADB-This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and basic knowledge of working with Android Debug Bridge.

Step-by-step:

1. 💻 Install. ADB Tools on PC and enable Debugging on USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
2. 🔌 Connect the device to your computer and type in the command line: Adb devices Make sure your smartphone appears in the list.
3. 📛 To disable Google Assistant, do: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox For Xiao AI Use adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist
4. 🔄 Reset the device.

After these commands are executed, the assistant application will be removed for the current user (without deleting system files). To return it back, you just need to reinstall the APK or reset the settings.

Method 3: Restriction of rights and background activity

If you don’t want to completely remove the assistant (for example, due to the dependence of other applications), you can limit its rights and prohibit it from working in the background, which will reduce battery consumption and reduce the number of accidental positives.

How to do this:

• 🛡️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find Google or Xiao AI and pick him out.
• 📵 In the Permissions section, disable access to: 🎤 Microphone. 📍 Location 📱 Telephone (for calls) 📁 Warehouse
• 🔄 In the Battery section, select Limit background activity.
• 🚫 In Notifications, turn off all alerts from the assistant.

On devices with MIUI 14 and Android 13+, after the microphone is limited, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands, but will retain basic functionality (for example, opening by gesture).

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If the assistant is activated after the permission restriction, check the settings of the Google App (the “Google” app), which may include the option “OK, Google” or “Hey Google”, which you need to disable separately.

Method 4: Disable via Google Settings (for Google Assistant)

On devices with Google Mobile Services (most global versions of Xiaomi), Google Assistant is managed separately from system settings. To completely deactivate it, you will need to go to the settings of your Google account.

Step-by-step:

1. 📱 Open the Google app (the colored "G" icon").
2. 👤 Slip to the profile avatar in the upper right corner and select Settings → Google Assistant.
3. 🔊 Go to the Voice Assistant section and turn off the Google Assistant slider.
4. 🎤 In the Voice Input section, disable the options OK Google and Voice Control.
5. 🔄 Reset the device.

After that, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands, but will remain in the system as an application. To remove it completely, use method 2 (ADB).

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU or custom) ROM) Google Assistant settings can be hidden, in which case only the removal of the user's ADB root-access.

Method 5: Complete removal with root rights (for advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures and have root access, you can remove the assistant at the system file level, which is irreversible and requires caution - wrong actions can lead to a bootloop.

Instructions:

1. 📱 Install a file manager with root support, such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer.
2. 🔍 Go to the folder. /system/priv-app/ (Xiao AI) or /system/app/ (for Google Assistant).
3. 🗑️ Find and delete the following folders: 📁 Velvet (Google Assistant) 📁 GoogleQuickSearchBox 📁 VoiceAssist (Xiao AI)

🔄 Reset the device.

Once system files are deleted, the assistant will disappear from the application menu and all related services will stop working, but this method can disrupt the stability of the system, especially on firmware with a modified kernel.

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Before deleting system files, make sure to back up via TWRP or other recovery, which will allow you to restore the device in the event of a failure.

What to do if the assistant is activated anyway

If the voice assistant continues to work after all the manipulations, the problem may lie in one of the following factors:

• 🔄 Cache systems: Clear cache in recovery (Wipe) → Cache).
• 📲 Updates MIUI: After the firmware update, the settings may reset.
• 🎵 Third-party apps: Some programs (such as Nova Launcher or Tasker) may conflict with the Assistant settings.
• 🔊 Hardware button: On models with a physical assistant button (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11), it can be reassigned via Settings → Buttons and gestures.

If the problem persists, try resetting to factory settings (don’t forget to make a backup beforehand). In extreme cases, flashing to custom ROM without preinstalled assistants (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience) can help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling voice assistant