Google voice input on Xiaomi smartphones can be useful, but not everyone likes it when the system constantly “hears” or suggests using a microphone instead of a keyboard. Especially annoying is the automatically appearing microphone icon on Gboard (keyboard from Google) or the accidental operation of the “OK, Google” command in your pocket. Fortunately, you can turn off these functions in several ways, both partially and completely.
In this article, we’ll break down 5 working methods, including hidden MIUI settings, disabling microphone resolution, removing Google App updates, and even radical solution through ADB. The instructions are relevant for all modern Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO models (including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5, etc.).
We warn you beforehand that some methods require developer rights or root access, and if you're not ready to experiment, use the first two methods, which are safe and reversible.
1. Disable voice input on the Gboard keyboard
The most prominent voice feature is the microphone icon on the Gboard keyboard, which appears next to the space and can be tapped by accident, and can be removed directly from the keyboard settings:
- Open any field to enter text (for example, in Messages or Notes).
- Touch the gear badge (⚙️) on the keyboard to open the Gboard settings.
- Go to the Voice Typing section.
- Turn off the voice switch (Voice Typing).
After that, the microphone icon will disappear from the keyboard, and if it still appears, check if you have an alternative theme installed for Gboard, as some themes return the microphone button back.
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If you use a Xiaomi keyboard (instead of Gboard), voice input is turned off in the keyboard settings along the way: Settings → Additional → Keyboard Management → Voice input
Important: This only disables the visual button on the keyboard, but does not block the Google voice assistant itself.
2. How to remove the "OK, Google" command
The phrase "OK, Google" activates the voice assistant even from a locked screen to turn it off:
- Open the Google app (the icon with the letter G on the home screen).
- Tap your profile (icon in the upper right corner) → Settings.
- Choose the Google Assistant (Voice Assistant).
- Go to Settings. → Voice control (Voice Match).
- Turn off the switches: 🔊 Okay, Google (Hey Google) 🔒 Unlock with Voice Match (Unlock with Voice Match)
After that, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands. However, Google can continue to collect data about voice queries in the background - to block this completely, move to the next section.
3. Completely shutting down the microphone for Google (permissions)
If you want to block Google from accessing the microphone at the system level, do the following:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the Google app (not to be confused with Google Play Services!).
- Select Permissions → Microphone.
- Set the value of Prohibit.
This method completely blocks all of Google’s voice functions, including voice search, assistant and voice input in any application, but some features (like WhatsApp voice calls) will continue to work because they use different permissions.
⚠️ Note: When the microphone is turned off, Google will stop using voice commands in Google Maps (e.g., “OK, Google, build a route home”). If it’s critical, use the methods in the following sections.
Permission for Google App Prohibited|The microphone icon disappeared from the keyboard|The “OK, Google” command is not working.|Voice search in the browser is disabled-->
4.Removal of Google App Updates (for power users)
Google’s app (with voice assistant) is often updated through the Play Market, returning disabled features, and to avoid this, you can roll it back to the factory version:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Google.
- Press three points (⋮) top-right → Remove updates.
- Confirm the action.
- (Optional) In the Play Market, turn off automatic updates for the Google app.
This will bring the app back to the version that was installed out of the box on your Xiaomi, minus the method: after the next update through the Play Market, all settings will reset. To avoid this, you can block the updates through ADB (more about this in the next section).
| Method | What's off? | Reversibility | Requires root/ADB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gboard blackout | Microphone icon on the keyboard | Yes. | No. |
| Shutting down "OK, Google" | Voice activation of assistant | Yes. | No. |
| Banning the microphone for Google | All of Google's voice functions | Yes. | No. |
| Removing Google App Updates | Return to the factory version of the assistant | Yes. | No. |
| Disconnection through ADB | Complete blocking of Google App updates | Yes (via ADB) | Yes. |
5. Radical method: Disconnection via ADB (no root)
If you are ready for more complex manipulations, you can permanently block Google App updates through the Internet. ADB (Android Debug Bridge. It doesn't require root rights, but it will require a computer and a computer. USB-cable.
Instructions:
- Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version until the “You’re a Developer” notification appears.
Settings → Additional → For Developers
USB debugging
Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
ADB Tools
adb.exe
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxThis command removes updates for the Google App only for the current user (without removing the system app).
After that, Google will stop updating and the voice assistant will work in limited mode (or not at all, depending on the version of MIUI).
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi firmware (especially Chinese) the team may not work due to manufacturer restrictions, in which case only root rights or custom firmware will help.
What if the ADB does not recognize the device?
Additional privacy settings
Even after voice input is disabled, Google may continue to collect data about your queries to minimize this:
- 📱 Delete your voice search history: Go to My Google Activity. Select Filter by date and product → Voice and audio. Delete all recordings or disable history saving.
- 🔍 Turn off ad personalization: In Google Settings (app or web) go to Google Account Management → Data and personalization → Advertising settings. Turn off personalized advertising.
- 🛡️ Use alternative apps: Replace Gboard with a voice-free keyboard (such as Microsoft SwiftKey or AnySoftKeyboard). Install an alternative launcher (such as Nova Launcher) to remove the Google Discover widget.
These measures won’t shut down voice input completely, but they will significantly reduce the amount of data you collect. If you’re concerned about privacy, consider using custom firmware without Google services (like LineageOS or GrapheneOS).
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Disabling voice input does not affect the basic functions of the smartphone (calls, messages, camera), however, some applications (such as Google Maps or YouTube) may lose some of the functionality associated with voice.