How to permanently disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi: hidden settings and radical methods

Google Assistant on Xiaomi smartphones is often activated by accident – just press the Home button or say “OK, Google.” For many users, this feature becomes a source of annoyance: it eats up battery power, collects data about location and habits, and also prevents quick access to other functions. This is especially true for owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi on MIUI 12-14, where Google services are integrated deeper than in “pure” Android.

In this article, we will look at all the possible ways to disable Google Assistant, from standard settings to radical methods using ADB and disabling system applications. You will learn how to remove the assistant from the Home button, the search bar, and completely stop it from working in the background. Importantly, some methods require developer rights or unlock the bootloader, we will explain in detail when it is necessary and how to minimize risks.

Why Google Assistant works for Xiaomi, even if you didn’t turn it on

On Xiaomi smartphones, Google Assistant is activated by default due to:

• 📱 Requirements of Google Mobile Services (GMS). Without this package, the device is not certified to work with the Play Market and key applications.
• 🔍 Search bar integrations. Even if you don't use voice input, the assistant analyzes queries to "personalize".
• 🎤 Hardware button.On most Xiaomi models, the default Home clamping calls the Assistant, not the menu of recent apps.
• 🔄 Background processes: com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox starts automatically and consumes up to 150-200 MB of RAM even in standby mode.

The manufacturer does not provide an obvious option to completely remove the assistant, as it would violate the license agreement with Google. However, there are workarounds - from partial shutdown to deep modification of the system, we will discuss them in the next step by degree of complexity.

Method 1: Disable via Google Settings (without root)

The easiest method is to deactivate the basic assistant features in the Google menu, which won’t remove the app completely, but will stop most of its activity:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the letter "G" on a color background).
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Select Google Assistant → go to General section.
4. Turn off the sliders: 🔕 Google Assistant (Main Switch) 🎤 Voice input and OK Google 📱 Personalized results

Settings

The device

Screen locking assistant

After this, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands and the pressing of the Home button. However, the background processes (com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox) will continue to work. To stop them, move to the next method.

💡

If the Assistant is activated again after the shutdown, check for Google app updates in the Play Market.Sometimes resets occur after an automatic update.

Method 2: Removal of Overlay and Auto-Run Rights

Google Assistant can be activated voluntarily due to overlay rights (masking on top of other applications) and autostart (start at system start).

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top corner → Special access.
3. Select Overlay Rights, search for Google and Google Assistant – disable sliders.
4. Return to Special Access → Auto Launch and do the same.
5. For full effect, go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management and set the Google mode to Limit Background Activity.

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging over USB.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the ADB folder and execute: Adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
3. Enter the commands in turn: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox adb shell pm hide com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
4. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: These commands will not remove the application completely, but will make it invisible to the system and the user:

adb shell pm install-existing com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

Method 4: Reassign the Home button to other activities

If you need to not disable the Assistant completely, but simply change the action of the Home button, use the gesture settings in MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode.
2. Select Navigation Gestures → Navigation buttons (if you use a classic bar).
3. Slip on Additional settings (the gear icon next to the buttons).
4. Press the Home button and select one of the actions: 🔄 Recent annexes (recommended) 🔍 Google Search (without calling an Assistant) 🚫 Shut down.

On models with gesture navigation (for example, Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12), the path will be different: Settings → Display → Navigation gestures → Additional settings → Click from the bottom down the center.

💡

Reassigning the Home button is the only way to completely remove a Google Assistant call without ADB or root rights.

Method 5: Remove via Magisk (root required)

For users with an unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk, a radical method is available - the complete removal of the com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox package.

Warning:

⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications can lead to unstable work MIUI, errors in Google services and problems with updates. TWRP beforehand.

Instructions:

1. Install Magisk and the App Systemizer module (available in the Magisk repository).
2. Open Magisk → Modules → Install App Systemizer and restart your phone.
3. Launch App Systemizer, search the listing at com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox and select Delete for all users.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

💡

If neither method worked, check for duplicate apps (like Google App and Google Go). ADB.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions