How to disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi Mi8: Full instructions

Xiaomi Mi8 smartphones, despite their age, remain popular due to excellent performance, but the standard shell MIUI in conjunction with Google services often imposes features that are not convenient for all users. One of these features is the Google Assistant, which is activated by default when you press the power button or home button, which can be annoying with frequent accidental presses in your pocket or bag. Device owners often face the need to reconfigure the behavior of physical keys to avoid unwanted launch of the voice assistant at the wrong time.

The deactivation process is not a trivial on/off switch, as Google integrates its services deeply into the Android operating system. On the Xiaomi Mi8, the situation is complicated by the presence of its own Mi Voice ecosystem, which can conflict or duplicate the functionality of the Western counterpart. To fully control the device, the user will need to go through several levels of settings, ranging from the parameters of the Google application itself to the system settings of the navigation buttons.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for limiting the activity of the voice assistant, including hidden settings and use of the device. ADB-It is important to understand that the complete removal of the system component can affect the operation of other services, so we will focus on safe methods of disabling that will not disrupt the stability of your Xiaomi. Mi8. Follow the instructions consistently to achieve the desired result without losing the functionality of the smartphone.

Settings within the Google app

The first and most logical step is to limit the functions of the assistant itself through its internal menu. While this does not disable the call button completely, it allows you to prevent voice response and access to personal data, which significantly reduces the intrusiveness of the service. Open the Google app on your Xiaomi Mi8 and go to the user profile located in the upper right corner of the screen.

In the menu that opens, select Settings, and then look for Google Assistant, and we're looking for the All Assist settings tab, or just Assistant, and that's where the key switches that control how the program behaves are located.

• 📴 Turn off the Hey Google slider so your phone stops responding to voice greetings, saving you battery power.
• 🔒 In the Personal Data section, limit the Assistant’s access to location history and search queries to enhance privacy.
• 🔇 Find the option "Voice output" and select "Only in hands-free mode" so that the Assistant does not voice answers when connected headphones.

Then you go down the settings menu to the phone section, and there's a critical switch that's often overlooked, and it's responsible for calling the Assistant through the power button or swipe from the corner of the screen, and if you want to minimize Google's interference with your smartphone, you need to deactivate that feature.

⚠️ Note: After updating the Google app, some settings may reset to factory values. Check this section periodically, especially after major system updates MIUI.

Don’t ignore the “Plans” or “Routines” section of the Assistant’s settings. Often users don’t realize that default automatic scripts can trigger the voice assistant at certain times of the day or when you connect to a Wi-Fi network. Deactivating all active routines will help make the system’s behavior more predictable and quiet.

Reassign the power button to Xiaomi Mi8

On Xiaomi Mi8 smartphones, depending on the firmware version (Global or China), there is the option to reassign the action of long-term lock button clamping. By default in many regions, this action is called by Google Assistant, but the MIUI shell allows you to change this behavior to call the off menu or another application.

To change the settings, go to the main Settings menu of your device. Find the “Additional” or “Extended Settings” section, which usually hides the button management options. In newer versions of MIUI, this item may be simply called “Buttons” or located inside the “Special Opportunities” section.

Settings → Additional → Buttons → Pressing and holding the “Power” button

In the menu that opens, you'll see a list of actions available. The standard option is Google Assistant. You need to choose an alternative, such as "Switch Menu" or "No Action." Selecting "Switch Menu" will bring back the classic Android behavior, when a long pressing of the power button suggests rebooting or turning off the phone.

If your region or firmware version has a reassignment option blocked or missing, this may be due to Google's regional restrictions, in which case the system requires the use of its assistant for long pressing. However, even without changing the action of the button, you can prevent the Assistant from starting by disabling it in the system settings, as discussed in the next section.

Disconnection through Android system settings

Deep operating system setup allows you to manage your default applications, including choosing a digital assistant. On the Xiaomi Mi8, this method is one of the most effective, as it affects the system level of component interaction. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.

In the top right corner of the screen, click on the three-dot menu and select "Default Apps." In the list that opens, look for "Digital Assistant" or "Digital Assistant App." The default option is "Google." Click on this option to see the options available.

If there is a No or Miss option on the list of available assistants, select it. This action will completely break the connection between the Assistant button and the Google app. However, some Android builds may not have this option, in which case you can try to clear the data of the Google app, but this is a temporary measure, since the settings will return when you update.

⚠️ Note: When choosing the “No” option as a digital assistant, the voice search functions through the button may stop working completely, including Google searches.

Also worth checking is the Accessibility section, which is often where the Google Assistant's permissions to listen to the screen and control the device are hidden. Search the Google or Google Assistant list and make sure the Use Service switch is in the Off position, which will prevent the assistant from working even if it is accidentally started.

Use Mi Voice instead of Google Assistant

Owners of the Xiaomi Mi8 have a unique alternative, the built-in voice assistant Mi Voice (or Xiao AI in Chinese versions), although its support for Russian may be limited compared to Google, it allows you to redirect physical buttons to yourself, thereby ousting a competitor from the system.

To activate, go to Settings → Mi Voice (or Xiao AI). If the app is not installed, it can be found in the GetApps store or Mi Store. Once you have set up the system, it will prompt you to make Mi Voice the primary assistant. Consenting to this offer will automatically change the settings in the Default Apps section that we have previously considered.

• 🗣️ Mi Voice is better integrated into the shell MIUI It can execute system commands not available to Google.
• 🚀 Mi Voice is often faster and with less processor power.
• 🛡️ Using a native assistant reduces reliance on Google servers and improves privacy.

If you don't plan on using voice control at all, setting up Mi Voice is still useful as a stub. By assigning it to the power button, you eliminate the accidental launch of Google Assistant, and you can not adjust the Mi Voice itself to the voice response, using only as a software buffer.

Advanced Methods: ADB and Hidden Flags

For users who aren’t afraid of the command line, there’s a more radical way to manage Google services: Using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool allows you to hide or forcefully stop system components without obtaining root rights. This is especially true for the Xiaomi Mi8 if standard methods fail.

First, you need to turn on USB debugging in the Developer menu, and then you can put the phone on your computer and you can command to turn off the voice control component, and that won't delete the app, but it will make it invisible to the system.

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

This command disables the main Google Search app, which is the Assistant's carrier. If you want to be more selective and only touch the Assistant, you can use the command for a specific service to disable, but the com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox is the main carrier of the functionality.

💡

Before execution ADB-commands create a complete backup of data. Disabling system components can lead to unstable operation of the launcher or search bar.

To get it back, you use a command to replace disable-user with enable. This approach gives you maximum control, but requires caution. On the Xiaomi Mi8 with its powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, such operations are fast, but the risk of software conflicts always remains.

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