Voice assistants on Xiaomi smartphones can be useful, but not all users like their constant activity: unexpected activations from random clicks, background battery consumption or just a desire to keep privacy — the reasons for disabling Google Assistant or XiaoAI are many. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to deactivate voice assistants on devices with MIUI different versions, including hidden settings and radical methods for power users.
The feature of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is that they often have two voice assistants installed at once: the branded XiaoAI (from Xiaomi) and Google Assistant. Their settings are scattered on different menus, and some options are hidden from the user, we will show how to disable each of them individually or completely remove their impact on the device.
Why voice assistant can interfere with the smartphone
Even in the background, voice assistants are consuming the device's resources, and here are the main challenges that users face:
- 🔋 Battery consumption: Continuous listening to the microphone and sound analysis increase power consumption by 5-15% (depending on the model).
- 📱 Accidental positives: The assistant can activate from noise, music, or even in the pocket, interrupting current tasks.
- 🔒 Privacy: Voice data can be transferred to Google or Xiaomi servers for analysis (even if you don’t actively use the assistant).
- 🚫 Conflicts with other applications: For example, XiaoAI can block gestures in games or interfere with the work of Shazam, Yandex.Alice.
According to tests from XDA Developers, on Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 13/14, Google Assistant consumes an average of up to 200 MB of RAM in the background, even if it is not used.
Method 1: Disabling Google Assistant through Settings
This is the easiest and most secure method that is suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices on MIUI 12-14. The instructions are relevant for all models that support Google services (for example, Mi 11, Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X4 Pro).
- Open the Google app (the icon with the color letter "G").
- In the lower right corner, tap the profile icon → Settings.
- Choose Google Assistant → General.
- Scroll down and click Google Assistant (first item).
- Turn off the Google Assistant switch and confirm the action.
After that, the assistant will stop responding to the voice command “OK, Google” and to hold the Home button. However, some functions (such as screen search) may remain active.
Make sure the “OK, Google” command doesn’t work.|
Check that holding the Home button does not call the assistant |
Go to Settings → Apps → Google and clear the cache |
Reboot your smartphone to apply changes-->
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI for Redmi (e.g. Redmi) 9A) Google Assistant may not be on the menu, in which case use Method 3 (disable via ADB).
Method 2: Deactivation of XiaoAI (brand assistant Xiaomi)
XiaoAI is Xiaomi’s own voice assistant that is integrated into MIUI firmware.It requires different actions than Google Assistant.This method works on all Xiaomi devices, including the Mi 10T, Redmi Note 11 and others.
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 In the search bar, enter XiaoAI (or Voice Assistant on Russian firmware).
- 🔘 Tap on the app. → Disable (if the button is inactive, first click Stop).
- 🗑️ For complete removal (on some firmware): Remove updates → Clear the cache.
If there is no Disable button, it means that XiaoAI is a system application and can only be removed using ADB (see Method 3).
| Smartphone model | Ability to disable XiaoAI | Whether ADB is required |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Mi 11/12 | Yes (via settings) | No. |
| Redmi Note 10/11 | Partially (cache cleaning only) | Yes. |
| POCO F3/F4 | Yes (total shutdown) | No. |
| Xiaomi Mi A3 (Android One) | No (Google Assistant only) | No. |
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If you lose the ability to use voice search in the standard Camera app after disabling XiaoAI, install alternative software, such as Google Lens.
Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)
If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a deep-tuning tool that can remove any system applications, including Google Assistant and XiaoAI, but requires a PC connection.
Warning: Incorrect ADB commands may disrupt your smartphone, and we recommend backing up your data before you start.
- Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. tap MIUI Version 7 times. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.
Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
adb devices(The name of your device should be displayed).
Google Assistant
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxXiaoAI
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist⚠️ Note: After these commands are executed, the applications will be removed only for the current user. When you reset the settings or update the firmware, they can return.
What if the ADB can’t see the device?
Method 4: Use of third-party utilities (without root)
If you don't want to work with ADB, you can use specialized applications to manage system components, and one of the most reliable is Package Disabler (available on Google Play).
The application allows you to “freeze” system services without completely removing them, which is safer than ADB commands. However, you need to provide permissions through ADB (once).
- Install Package Disabler from Google Play.
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm grant com.ospolice.packagedisablerpro android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
- Open the app and find the list: com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox (Google Assistant) com.miui.voiceassist (XiaoAI)
Disable
The advantage of this method is that if necessary, you can quickly return the assistants without resorting to resetting the settings.
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Using the Package Disabler does not require root rights, but after the MIUI update, you may need to repeat the procedure.
Method 5: Complete removal with TWRP (for advanced)
If you're willing to take drastic measures and have customized TWRP recaps installed, you can completely remove voice assistant files from the system partition, a method that's suitable for users who already have experience with firmware.
Warning: Incorrect actions in TWRP can lead to a brick device, and use this method only if you understand the risks.
- Download your smartphone to TWRP (usually by squeezing Power + Volume Up).
- Select Advanced → File Manager.
- Go to /system/priv-app/ and delete: Velvet (Daddy with Google Assistant) VoiceAssist (Folder with XiaoAI)
/system/app/
GoogleQuickSearchBox
TWRP
Wipe → Dalvik/ART Cache
Reset the device.
After this procedure, the voice assistants will be removed at the system level, but the next MIUI update via OTA may return, and to avoid this, it is recommended to disable automatic updates or use custom firmware (for example, LineageOS).
What to do if the voice assistant is activated
Sometimes even after the shutdown, the assistants keep going, and here are the most common reasons and solutions.
- 🔄 Cash not cleared: Go to Settings → Apps, find Google and XiaoAI, then click Clear Cache and Stop.
- 📱 Activation gesture: On some models (e.g, POCO X3) Holding the Home or Power button may call the assistant. → Buttons and gestures.
- 🔊 Voice activation in other apps: Check the settings of Google Search, Yandex.Alice or Siri (if you use it).
- 🔄 Update MIUI: After the firmware update, some settings are reset. Repeat the shutdown procedure.
If the problem persists, try using the Activity Launcher app (from Google Play) to find hidden assistant settings. Type in Assistant or Voice search and manually disable all related services.