Voice assistants on Xiaomi smartphones are both a convenient tool and a source of irritation for many users. Xiao AI (built-in assistant from Xiaomi), Google Assistant or Alice from Yandex can activate accidentally, eat battery power in the background or simply interfere with listening to music.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable voice assistants on Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices, including hidden MIUI settings, system limitations, and even radical methods for power users. The instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14, but most of the ways work on older versions as well. If you’re tired of the annoying voice that interrupts your actions, read on.
Why does the voice assistant on Xiaomi turn on on its own?
Before we go to shutdown, it's important to understand what exactly triggers the assistant.
- 🔘 Accidental button pressing – on many Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi) POCO X5) Pressing the Home button or Power activates the assistant.
- 🎤 Voice activation – phrases like “OK, Google” or “Hello, Xiao” AI» It can work even when talking to friends.
- 🔄 Auto-Start After Update – Some Updates MIUI Reset the settings and turn on the assistant again.
- 📱 Background processes – the assistant can work in the background, consuming battery and data.
If you notice that the assistant is activated without your involvement, first check if voice activation is enabled in the settings. Often the problem is solved by simply turning off this option, but in some cases, a deeper setup is required.
Method 1: Disable Xiao AI through standard MIUI settings
The easiest method is to disable the built-in Xiao AI assistant through the settings menu, which works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices with MIUI 12 and later.
Instructions:
- Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
- In the search box, type “Xiao AI” or “Voice Assistant”.
- Select the Xiao AI app (or Mi AI on some models).
- Click Disable (or Remove Updates if the Disable button is inactive).
- Confirm the action by clicking Disable the application.
If the Disable button is inactive, it means that the assistant is a system application and cannot be completely removed without the superuser rights (root), in which case move to the next method.
☑️ Preparations for Xiao shutdown AI
Method 2: Disabling Google Assistant (OK, Google)
Google Assistant is another annoying assistant that can be activated by voice or gesture, and it’s a little more difficult to turn off because it’s integrated into Google services.
To deactivate Google Assistant:
- Open the Google app (not to be confused with Google Play).
- In the lower right corner, click on the profile icon → Settings.
- Select Google Assistant.
- Go to the General Settings section.
- Turn off the Google Assistant switch.
- In the Voice Enter section, turn off the OK Google option.
If the assistant is activated after that, check the gesture settings:
- 👆 Go to Settings. → System system → Gestures → System navigation.
- 🔍 Make sure that gestures to call the assistant are turned off (for example, Holding the Home button»).
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If Google Assistant continues to work, try disabling it through Settings → Apps → Google → Notifications and disable all notifications from that app.
Method 3: Disabling voice activation through sound settings
Sometimes the voice assistant is activated not because of the app, but because of the microphone or sound settings. MIUI has hidden options that can affect the assistants' performance.
How to check and disable:
- Go to Settings. → Sound and vibration.
- Scroll down and find the Voice or Voice Control section.
- Disable all options related to: 🎙️ Voice activation 🔊 Background listening 📱 Quick launch of assistant
Settings → Additional → Special Opportunities
On some models (such as Xiaomi 13 or Redmi K60), these settings may be located elsewhere. If you do not find the right section, use the search by settings (the magnifying icon in the upper right corner).
What to do if the voice assistant turns on when connecting headphones?
Method 4: Radical Disconnection via ADB (for power users)
If standard methods don’t work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a tool for deep customization of Android, which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but allows you to completely block system applications, including Xiao AI and Google Assistant.
Instructions:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI until the notification “You are a developer” appears.
USB debugging
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Turn on the debugging switch over USB.
- Connect the phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell pm uninstall-k --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist adb shell pm uninstall-k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox The first command removes Xiao AI, the second Google Assistant.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can cause system instability if you type in the wrong commands. Back up the data before you run. MIUI The assistants may appear again - the procedure will have to be repeated.
Method 5: Completely remove system applications (root required)
If you're willing to go to extreme lengths and you have root rights, you can permanently remove the assistant apps, a method that's only suitable for power users, because doing the wrong thing can put your smartphone down.
Removal will require:
- 📱 Smartphone with unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk or other root solution.
- 💻 Root Explorer or Titanium Backup.
- 🔧 Backup of the system (required!).
Instructions:
- Open Root Explorer and go to /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/.
- Find and delete the following folders: MiuiVoiceAssist (Xiao AI), GoogleQuickSearchBox (Google Assistant), Velvet (another Google Assistant component)
Reset the device.
⚠️ Attention: Removing system applications may disrupt some features, such as search in settings or voice input in the keyboard. MIUI If you're not sure what you're doing, you can use the previous ways.
| Method of shutting down | Difficulty | You need a PC? | Need root? | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnection through MIUI settings | ⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | Medium (may not work on all models) |
| Disconnecting Google Assistant | ⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | High (but can be activated after the update) |
| Disabling voice activation | ⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | Low (for accidental positives only) |
| Disconnection through ADB | ⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | High (but temporary) |
| Removal through root | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ Yes (optional) | ✅ Yes. | Maximum (but risky) |
What to do if the voice assistant is still turned on?
If after all the manipulations the assistant continues to activate, check the following points:
- 🔄 Updates MIUI — After installing the new firmware version, the settings may reset.
- 📦 Third-party applications – some programs (e.g. Yandex or Siri emulators) can emulate an assistant call. → Annexes → Permits → Microphone.
- 🔧 Resetting settings - in extreme cases, you can make a reset to factory settings (don't forget about backup!).
- 🛠️ Custom firmware – if the problem is critical, consider installing an alternative firmware (like LineageOS) that doesn’t have built-in assistants.
If none of these methods worked, there may be a problem with the hardware button (e.g., a Home button or Power button stuck).
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On most Xiaomi devices, it is enough to disable Xiao AI through settings and deactivate Google Assistant in the Google app. Use ADB or root only if standard methods do not work.