How to disable voice assistant when calling on Android Xiaomi

Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones feature a host of smart features designed to make life easier, one of which is automatically triggering the voice assistant when you call in or hold the device to your ear. While the developers’ idea was to be easy to control, in practice it often leads to accidental activation, interruption of conversation or simply annoying users who prefer classic control.

The problem may be the Google Assistant, which responds to voice commands, or the MIUI/HyperOS branded shell, which has its own speech recognition algorithms built in, and understanding which service is causing the response is the first step to solving it, and in this article we will go into detail all possible scenarios and ways to eliminate them.

The need to disable this feature is often dictated by the fact that the phone is in a pocket or bag, where foreign sounds or movement of tissue can be perceived as an activation command, which not only interferes with, but can lead to random dial-up of contacts or sending incorrect messages, so the right setup of the system is the key to comfortable use of the device.

Differences between Google Assistant and Mi AI

Before you start setting up, it’s important to understand exactly what service is causing your smartphone’s unwanted behavior. The Android ecosystem that Xiaomi devices use can have two different assistants running simultaneously. The first is the standard Google Assistant built into the operating system. The second is Mi AI (or Xiao AI), which is a development of Xiaomi itself and is most often focused on the Chinese market, but is present in firmware.

Google Assistant is usually activated by the phrase "Ok Google" or long-press (long press) power button or home button. its response to the call can manifest as a pop-up with a suggestion of action if the appropriate screening function is enabled. Mi AI, in turn, can try to manage the call interface or offer its own options if the device has global firmware with localized services or the Chinese version.

It's easy to identify the culprit: pay attention to the logo that appears on the screen when you activate. If you see a color sphere or Google logo, you should look for the settings in your Google account. If the interface looks different or contains characters / Mi logo, the problem is in the system settings of the MIUI shell. The separation of these concepts is critical, because the ways they disconnect are completely different.

• 🔍 Google Assistant: Deeply integrated into Android, manages search, smart home and screen calls.
• 🤖 Mi AI: Xiaomi’s brand assistant, often duplicates Google’s features, but has its own settings in the system.
• ⚙️ System Call: A separate module of the Phone application, which can have its own voice control settings.

Disabling the response of Google Assistant to calls

The most common situation when a phone is calling or speaking, it is the Google feature, specifically Call Screening or voice activation, so to eliminate this, you need to go to the settings of the Google app itself, open the Google app on your smartphone, click on the profile avatar in the upper right corner, and select Settings.

In the menu that opens, look for the Google Assistant section, and we're looking at the Phone or Devices subsection, and the Hey Google and Voice Match tab, and that's where the voice-response switches are hidden, and if you turn off the Hey Google option, the phone will stop listening to the activation command, which will solve the problem of random switching on during a conversation.

Also worth paying attention to is the Personal Results feature. Sometimes the Assistant tries to analyze the context of the call and suggests actions based on your correspondence history or calendar. Disabling access to personal data in the Personalization section can reduce the frequency of unwanted interventions. Remember, completely disabling the Assistant will deprive you of the ability to use voice search and smart home management, so choose point settings.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling the “Hey Google” feature completely may affect other voice-related services, such as sending messages to messengers or setting an alarm clock with voice.

For users who want to keep the functionality but remove the response during a call, you can try to turn off the microphone for Google during an active call, although this is technically difficult to implement without third-party utilities. A simpler way is to prohibit activation from a locked screen, which is often the cause of the problem when the phone is lying face-up.

Setup of Mi AI system assistant in MIUI and HyperOS

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the intrusiveness of the built-in Mi AI assistant. In the global version of firmware, it can be hidden or work in the background, but in the Chinese versions or after installing certain updates, it becomes active. To control its behavior, you need to go to the system settings of the device.

The path to settings may vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS. It is usually located at: Settings → Advanced Settings → Language and input or directly in the Settings → Mi AI section. If you do not find this item, it may be that the service is not active in your region and the problem lies in another application.

Inside the Mi AI menu, you should look for options related to Voice Wake-up, you can turn off the response to wake-up phrases or adjust the sensitivity of the microphone, and you should also check the Scenarios or Automation section, where macros can be prescribed that trigger the assistant when you call, and removing or deactivating such scenarios will solve the problem.

Importantly, in some versions of HyperOS, Mi AI settings can be combined with Google’s settings into a single “Digital Assistant” interface, in which case control is done through a single panel, where you need to carefully monitor the switches so that you do not turn off the extra one. If the assistant continues to activate after all the manipulations, try clearing the Mi AI app cache through the “Applications” menu.

Managing the function "Respond to voice" in the phone application

Special attention should be paid to the voice response feature, which is built directly into the Dialer app, which allows you to answer an incoming call by simply saying "Hello" or "Apply." While it's convenient when hands are busy, frequent false positives can be very annoying, and the settings for this feature are inside the call app itself.

To get to the settings, open the Phone app (green handset). Click on the three dots in the upper right corner (or menu button) and select Settings. In the list of options, look for Voice Answer or Voice Control. Depending on the version of the call (Google Phone or Mi Dialer), the name may vary slightly.

Inside this menu, you'll see a switch that activates this function, which you need to turn off. You can also have a sensitivity setting or a choice of specific phrases to activate. If you use a standard Google call, the path can look like Settings → Voice-controlled Answers.

• 📞 Google Phone: Settings → Voice-controlled responses → Turn it off.
• 📱 Mi Dialer: Settings → Advanced settings → Voice control → Shut down.
• 🎧 Headsets: Separately check the settings of connected Bluetooth headsets, they may have their priority.

It is worth considering that some Xiaomi models with Chinese firmware (CN ROM) can be installed modified versions of the call with advanced AI functions. In such cases, disabling may require installing a global version of the Phone application from the GetApps store or Google Play, which will replace the system call with a more standard and clear in management.

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If you use headphones a lot, check their separate settings menu in the Bluetooth section.Some headsets models have their own voice response feature that works regardless of the phone's settings.

The problem with the proximity sensor and pocket mode

Often users confuse the activation of the voice assistant with the response of the proximity sensor. If during a conversation the screen lights up, changes brightness or there are extra buttons, it may not be the voice assistant, but the sensor is incorrectly working. The proximity sensor is located at the top of the screen, next to the speaker, and its task is to extinguish the screen when you hold the phone to your ear.

Xiaomi and Redmi devices often use a virtual proximity sensor that uses AI algorithms. It analyzes the front camera image and accelerometer data. If a low-quality protective film is glued on the screen to cover the sensor area, or if dust has accumulated in the dynamics, the phone can "think" it is in your pocket and turn on the Pocket Set mode or activate voice control to save energy.

To diagnose the problem, you can use the engineering menu. Dial ##6484## in the phone app (it doesn't work on all models and versions of the software). In the test menu that opens, select "Proximity sensor." When you close the top of the screen with your hand, watch the readings: they should change from 5.0 (far) to 0.0 (close). If the readings jump or don't change, calibration is required.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use thick or magnetic cases that overlap the top of the screen, guaranteed to cause proximity sensor malfunctions and false activations of various functions, including voice control.

If calibration through the engineering menu doesn't work, try software resetting the sensor. To do this, turn off the phone, then turn it on by holding a certain combination of buttons (depending on the model, often it's the volume button "minus"). However, this method is risky and recommended only for advanced users. A safer way is to contact a service center to clean the sensor if the problem is physical.

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False activation of functions during a conversation in 80% of cases is caused by contamination of the proximity sensor or poor quality protective film, not a software failure of the voice assistant.

Using ADB to Deactivate Services Deeply

For advanced users who want to get rid of intrusive functions and are not afraid to work with code, there is a method to disable system components via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to remove or freeze the system applications responsible for voice control, even if they are not disabled in the settings.

Before starting the procedure, you need to activate the developer mode on your smartphone. → About the phone and 7 times quickly click on the build number (MIUI Version. Then in the menu "Extended settings" →"For developers, turn on the debugging USB. Connect your phone to your computer, install drivers ADB and execute the command to check the connection: adb devices.

To disable Google Assistant, you can use the following command, which will hide the assistant app for the current user:

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

If your goal is to disable Mi AI, the command will look different depending on the PackageName of a particular service (usually containing miassistant or xiaoai).Be careful: disabling system components can lead to unstable work of other applications. For example, without the Google QuickSearch package, the search widget on the desktop may stop working.

• 💻 PC Required: Computer with platform set installed SDK Platform-Tools.
• 🔌 Cable: Original USB-stable-connection.
• ⚠️ Risks: Incorrectly disabling system packages may require resetting the phone to factory settings.

To get it back, use the adb shell pm enable command. This is a "nuclear" option and is recommended only if the standard settings have failed and you know exactly which package is causing the conflict. For most users, the settings described in the previous sections are sufficient.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)