How to permanently disable the voice assistant on the TV Xiaomi Mi TV 4A

Xiaomi Mi TV 4A comes with built-in voice assistants like Google Assistant and Xiaomi’s branded XiaoAI, designed to make it easier to manage the device, but not everyone is comfortable with it, some facing spontaneous activation of the assistant while watching movies, others are concerned about collecting voice data, and others simply do not need extra “feature” that takes up the system resources.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable voice assistants on the Mi TV 4A, from standard settings to technical methods through ADB and changing system files. You will learn how to remove assistants completely or simply block their activation, and what to do if after updating the firmware settings reset. The instructions are relevant for all versions of the Mi TV 4A (including the 2018-2023 models) based on Android TV and PatchWall.

Why can the voice assistant interfere?

At first glance, voice control seems convenient: just say a command and the TV will execute it without having to search for a remote control. However, in practice, users of the Xiaomi Mi TV 4A often face the following problems:

• 🎤 False positives: the assistant is activated from random sounds (speech in the film, loud music, children's laughter).
• 🔍 Data collection: Google and Xiaomi can record voice commands to improve services (even if you didn’t explicitly agree to it).
• 🐢 System Slowdown: Background processes of assistants consume up to 10-15% CPU 200-300 MB of RAM, which is critical for budget models Mi TV 4A from 1-1.5 GB of RAM.
• 📺 Intrusive prompts: The system constantly suggests “trying voice search” even if you’ve never used it.

The problem is particularly acute for owners of TVs with the firmware PatchWall, Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, where the XiaoAI voice assistant is integrated deeper than the Google Assistant and can automatically turn on when connecting to the Internet after an update, while in some regions (for example, in Russia), XiaoAI is unstable due to geolocation restrictions.

Method 1: Disconnection through standard settings

The easiest method is to deactivate the assistants in the TV menu, which is suitable for most users and does not require technical skills, but keep in mind that after updating the firmware settings may reset.

Instructions for Google Assistant:

1. Open Settings (cog on the home screen or the Settings button on the remote).
2. Go to Device → Voice (or Device Preferences → Google → Voice in English).
3. Select Google Assistant and move the slider to the off position.
4. In the window that appears, confirm the disconnection by clicking Disconnect.

Instructions for XiaoAI (if installed):

1. Press the voice search button on the remote (microphone) for 3-5 seconds.
2. In the menu that opens, select XiaoAI Settings.
3. Go to Permissions Management and turn off all sliders (including Voice Activation and Personalization).
4. Return to the main XiaoAI menu and select Exit from your account (if your Xiaomi account is linked).

Google Assistant disabled in device settings|

Disabled XiaoAI via the microphone menu on the remote |

Microphone access permissions for both assistants removed |

No response to voice commands (OK, Google) / Little AI")-->

If the assistants continue to activate after these actions, the cause may be:

• 🔄 Cash Systems: Clean it in Settings → Annexes → All applications → Google/XiaoAI → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📱 Remote with microphone button: some Xiaomi remote models have a separate assistant call button that works when accidentally pressed.
• 🔊 External microphone: If a sound bar or webcam with a microphone is connected to the TV, the assistant can activate from them.

Method 2: Disconnecting through Application Permissions

Even if you disabled the assistants in the settings, their system processes can continue to work in the background, and to completely block access to the microphone and other functions, you need to manually revoke permissions.

For this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Search the list of Google (or Google Play Services) and select it.
3. Open the permissions section and turn it off: 🎤 Microphone 📍 Location (if not used) 📁 Warehouse (optional)

XiaoAI

After that, the system will request confirmation when assistants try to access the microphone, but this method does not guarantee a complete shutdown: some features (for example, voice search on YouTube) may continue to work through other system services.

💡

If XiaoAI is not listed in the application list but the assistant is still activated, check for firmware updates. In some versions of PatchWall, this application is hidden and managed through the com.xiaomi.mitv.assistant system services.

Method 3: Using ADB to Deep Shut Down

For advanced users willing to work with the command line, there is a more radical method – disabling assistants via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which will block system components that are not available in the standard interface.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with drivers installed ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 🔌 USB-cable to connect TV to PC (or wireless Wi-Fi connection).
• ⚙️ Included debugging by USB on the TV (Settings) → On TV. → Build Number – Press 7 times, then return to Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the TV to your computer and confirm the debugging permission on the TV screen.
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device must be displayed with a serial number.)

1. To disable Google Assistant, do:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant

1. To disable XiaoAI (if installed):

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.assistant


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.voiceassistant

1. Reboot the TV with the command:

adb shell reboot

These commands don't delete applications, they just block them from running for the current user. To get it back, replace disable-user with enable.

Warning: improper use of ADB can cause a TV to malfunction. Do not disable system components whose names you do not know. For example, pm disable-user com.android.systemui will disable the Android TV interface.

Method 4: Remove via Root Access (for Advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can completely delete assistant files by getting a Root-right, a method only suitable for users with experience with Android devices, as the wrong actions can "brick" the TV.

To get Root on Xiaomi Mi TV 4A you will need:

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account).
2. Install custom recovery (e.g. TWRP for Android TV).
3. Switch Magisk to manage Root rights.

After receiving the Root, perform at ADB Shell or the terminal:

su


mount -o rw,remount /system




rm -rf /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox




rm -rf /system/priv-app/PrebuiltGmsCore




rm -rf /system/app/XiaoAI




rm -rf /data/data/com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox




rm -rf /data/data/com.xiaomi.mitv.assistant




mount -o ro,remount /system




reboot

Attention: this method:

• ⚠️ Violates Xiaomi’s Guarantee.
• ⚠️ This may result in loss of functionality (for example, some apps from Google Play will not work).
• ⚠️ Requires firmware recovery via Fastboot in case of failure.

💡

Removing system applications through Root is irreversible without flashing. If you plan to sell a TV, it is better to use methods without Root (ADB or resetting).

Method 5: Resetting to factory settings

If all previous methods didn't work, or if you want to reset the TV before selling, do a full reset, which will delete all data, including the assistant settings, but also erase:

• 📁 Installed applications (except pre-loaded ones).
• 🔑 Google and Xiaomi accounts.
• ⚙️ Individual settings of image, sound, network.

How to reset Mi TV 4A:

1. Open Settings → Device → Reset (or Settings → Device Preferences → Reset).
2. Select Factory Data Reset (Factory Data Reset).
3. Confirm the action by entering PIN-code (if installed).
4. Wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🚫 Don't connect the account. Google/Xiaomi At the initial setup stage (skip this step).
• 🔕 Turn off voice assistants in settings (see Method 1).
• 🔄 Do not update your firmware immediately – check the TV without assistants.

Note: some PatchWall firmware automatically installs XiaoAI when you first connect to the Internet after reset, and to avoid this, disconnect the TV from the network before reset (take off the Ethernet cable or turn off Wi-Fi).

What if the assistant is activated after the update?

Xiaomi regularly releases updates for the Mi TV 4A, and sometimes they automatically restore disabled features, including voice assistants.

1. Turn off automatic update: Go to Settings → About TV → System Update. Turn off the slider Automatic Update Download.

Block updates for specific applications

• In Settings → Apps, find Google Play Services and XiaoAI.
• Open Additional → Auto Update and select Do Not Update.
• Use alternative firmware: There are custom firmware for Mi TV 4A (like LineageOS for Android TV) that removes all of Google and Xiaomi’s components, but requires unlocking the bootloader and Fastboot experience.

Note that in YouTube, voice search works through Google Assistant, so turning it off completely (see Method 1) will also block this feature.

Through ADB over the network

• Activate Wi-Fi debugging in the developer settings and connect to the TV from your computer (see Method 3).

If the remote is lost and there is no access to the settings, only a reset to the factory settings through the hardware buttons (usually a Power + Menu clamping for 10 seconds) remains.