How to permanently disable voice assistant on Xiaomi Mi TV Box: 5 working ways

Why is the voice assistant on Xiaomi Mi TV Box annoying users?

The voice assistants in Xiaomi Mi TV Box smart consoles (including the S/4K/Pro/Ultra models) were originally conceived as a convenient content management tool. However, in practice, many owners face unsolicited microphone activations, advertising pop-ups from XiaoAI or Google Assistant, and slowing down due to background listening, especially for users who never use voice input but have to put up with constant assistant updates and resource consumption.

Compounding the problem, Xiaomi has hidden direct settings for disabling the assistant from the menu in the latest versions of MIUI TV firmware, now requiring a combination of actions from standard settings to editing system files. In this article, we will look at all the current methods, including those that work on consoles with firmware from 2023-2026.

It's important to understand that you can't completely remove a voice assistant without root rights, because it's integrated into the system, but you can turn it off at the interface level, block access to the microphone, and stop background processes. Below you'll find methods of varying complexity, from basic to advanced.

Method 1: Standard Shutdown via Settings (for MIUI TV)

This method is suitable for most Xiaomi Mi TV Box consoles with MIUI TV firmware version 1.6.0 and later. It does not remove the assistant completely, but removes it from the interface and disables voice control.

1. Open Settings (cog in the upper right corner of the main screen).
2. Go to Device and General Settings → Voice Assistant (or Accounts & Sync → XiaoAI/Google in older versions).
3. Turn off the switches: 🔊 Voice Control (Voice Control) 🎤 The “OK Google Detection” (Hey Google Detection) 📢 Notifications from XiaoAI (if any)

Save the changes and restart the console through Settings → About System → Reboot.

⚠️ Note: On some consoles (e.g., Mi) TV Box S 2nd Gen) after updating to MIUI TV 2.0, "Voice Assistant" may not be available. In this case, proceed to Method 2.

Method 2: Locking the microphone at the level of Android TV

If the standard shutdown doesn’t work, you can deny the assistant access to the microphone through the system settings of Android TV. This method is effective for consoles with Google Assistant, but requires accuracy.

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Application permissions.
2. Search Google or XiaoAI (could be called com.xiaomi.mitv.appstore).
3. Select the Microphone and set the value to Prohibit.
4. For security, also prohibit access to: 📍 Location (if any) 📱 Notifications 🔄 Auto-start.

Once the microphone is locked, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands, but its processes will still work in the background. ADB-team.

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If XiaoAI is not listed in the app list, try searching for it by the keyword "mitv" or "xiaomi." In Chinese firmware, the name may be in Chinese (e.g., ).

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

Using Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to disable the system components of the assistant that are not available through the GUI, this is the most radical way without root rights.

You will need to:

• 🖥️ Computer installed ADB
• 🔌 USB-cable
• ⚙️ Included debugging by USB prefixed

Steps:

1. Activate USB debugging: Go to Settings → System → Device Information. Press 7 times on the Build Number until the notification “You’re a developer” appears. Go back to Settings → Developer and enable USB debugging.
2. Connect the console to the PC and execute in the command line: adb connect [IP-prefix]:5555 adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.appstore (For Chinese firmware, instead of the second package, you may need com.xiaomi.mitv.xiaoai)
3. Reboot the console with the command: adb shell reboot

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This can cause a system to crash. Before you execute commands, back up your data through Settings. → System system → Backup. If Google Play is lost after the assistant is disabled, return the settings with the command:

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

Method 4: Resetting the prefix to factory settings

If previous methods didn't work, and the assistant continues to activate spontaneously, you can do a complete reset. This is a radical solution, but it is guaranteed to delete all the assistant settings (including cache and data).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the system → Resetting settings.
2. Choose Wipe All Data (Wipe All Data).
3. Confirm the action with a password (if installed) and wait for the process to be completed (5-10 minutes).
4. After the reboot, do not connect your Google/Xiaomi account during the initial setup phase, which will prevent the assistant from automatically activating.

⚠️ Warning: After resetting, the console will return to the factory firmware if you have previously updated it manually (for example, through the use of a new device). Update.zip), You may need to re-install the firmware. Do not use this method on consoles with an unlocked bootloader - this can lead to loss of root rights.

Method 5: Alternative firmware (for advanced)

If you're annoyed not only by voice assistants but also by other limitations of MIUI TV, consider installing custom firmware.The most popular options for Xiaomi Mi TV Box are:

• 📦 AOSP-based firmware (e.g. LineageOS for) TV) — Removing all Xiaomi proprietary services, including XiaoAI.
• 🛠️ Modified MIUI TV (community 4PDA) — Maintain the interface, but with the assistants disabled.
• 🔄 Firmware with Magisk – allows you to selectively disable system components through modules.

The process of installing custom firmware includes:

1. Unlock the bootloader (requires Xiaomi’s consent via the Mi Unlock Tool).
2. Install TWRP or other recovery.
3. Flash firmware via fastboot or recovery.

🔹 Advantages: full control over the system, no advertising and unnecessary services.

❌ Disadvantages: loss of warranty, risk of "bricking" consoles, possible problems with DRM (Netflix, Disney+ may not work in 4K).

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Installing custom firmware will void Xiaomi’s warranty and may disrupt Widevine L1 services (responsible for high-resolution content playback).

What if the assistant is still activated?

If after all the manipulations Google Assistant or XiaoAI continue to appear, check the following points:

1. App Auto Update: The Assistant could update in the background. Turn off automatic updates in Google Play → Settings → Auto-Update apps.
2. Hidden System Processes: Some versions of MIUI TV run the assistant via com.xiaomi.mitv.voiceassistant.service. It can only be disabled via ADB: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.voiceassistant
3. Physical shutdown of the microphone: In the consoles Mi TV Box 4S Max and the newer microphone are built into the remote. If it's activated spontaneously, try it: 🔋 Remove the batteries from the remote for 10 minutes (cache reset). 🔄 Reconnect the remote via Bluetooth. 🛠️ Disassemble the remote and solder off the microphone (last resort).

If the problem persists, check the console for viruses (for example, through Malwarebytes for Android TV) – some malware masquerades as system services and mimics the assistant’s work.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling voice assistant