How to permanently disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi Mi 10: 5 working methods

Why Xiaomi Mi 10 users want to get rid of Google Assistant

Google’s default voice assistant is integrated into the MIUI firmware on the Xiaomi Mi 10, but not all owners actively use it. The main reasons for turning it off are constant consumption of ~10-15% of battery power in the background, random activation when you press side buttons, and collection of location and search queries. A particularly pressing problem for users who prefer alternative assistants like Alice from Yandex or Bixby (when using Samsung devices in parallel).

It is important to understand: Mi 10 was released with a pre-installed version of Android 10 (MIUI 11) and supported updates to Android 13 (MIUI 14). The methods of disabling the Assistant vary depending on the firmware version - somewhere it is enough to turn off permissions, and in some cases you will need to manually remove system APKs through ADB. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, including hidden MIUI settings, which Xiaomi does not advertise.

Before you start, check your firmware version: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If you have MIUI 12.5 or newer, the method of disabling through Special Opportunities may not work – an alternative approach will be required.

Method 1: Standard Shutdown via Google Settings

The easiest way, which works on most Xiaomi Mi 10 devices with Android 11/12 (MIUI 12-14), is not to remove the Assistant completely, but to block its background activity and voice activation:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the letter "G" on the home screen).
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) 🎤 Voiceover "OK, Google" 📱 Lockdown assistant

Settings

Annexes

Google

Permits

Microphone.

Camera

Auto-start.

⚠️ Note: After these actions, the Assistant will no longer be activated by voice, but its system processes (com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox) will remain in memory.

Is voiceover "OK, Google" disabled |No Assistant icon in the search bar |Whether Assistant is activated when holding the Home button |Whether all background processes in Recent Apps are closed

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Method 2: Disconnection through "Special Opportunities" (for MIUI 11-12.5)

This is a good way to use older versions of the firmware, where Assistant is tied to a long press on the Home or Power button. In the newer MIUI versions, Xiaomi has removed this option from the interface, but on the Mi 10 with MIUI 11-12.5 it still works:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Systems.
2. Find the Home button or the Power button gesture (depending on version).
3. Choose Disable or Do Nothing instead of Google Assistant.
4. Save the changes and restart the phone.

🔍 Why it matters: Even if you disable Assistant in Google's settings (Method 1), it can continue to run when you hold the hardware buttons.

Standard settings of Google|Special facilities|ADB-team|Removal through TWRP|I've tried nothing.-->

Method 3: Blocking through ADB (without root)

If the first two methods didn’t work and you don’t have root rights, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which does not require unlocking the bootloader, but you will need a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and Platform Tools package.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode) → Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers → Turn on USB Debugging.
2. Connect the Mi 10 to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with the platform-tools and type:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

⚠️ Note: This command does not remove the Assistant completely, but only blocks it for the current user. After resetting settings or updating the firmware, you may need to repeat the procedure. If you see a DeleteFailedInternal error, try an alternative command:

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

Method 4: Remove system APKs (root or TWRP required)

Google Assistant will require root rights or custom recovery (TWRP) to be completely removed, a method that is suitable for power users, as improper actions can lead to a bootloop ( looped reboot).

Instructions for TWRP:

1. Download the official TWRP for Xiaomi Mi 10 (umi model) and run it through fastboot.
2. Boot to TWRP (hold Power + Volume up when turned on).
3. Go to Advanced. → File Manager and delete the following files: 📁 /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox 📁 /system/app/HotwordEnrollment 📄 /system/etc/permissions/com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.xml

Wipe → Dalvik / ART Cache

⚠️ Note: After deleting these files, they may stop working:

• 🔍 Search bar on the home screen (Google widget)
• 📱 Some features of Google Feed (news feed when swiping left)
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization with Google account

If these are critical, use Method 3 (ADB).

💡

Before removing system files, make a backup through TWRP! Save a copy of the folder. /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox on SD-It'll help you recover the Assistant if you need one.

Method 5: Alternative – Replacement with another assistant

If you don’t need Google Assistant but want to keep the voice control functionality, consider the alternatives:

🔹 How to Tie an Alternative Assistant to the Buttons:

1. Install the Button Mapper app from the Play Market.
2. Grant it the rights to Special Features and Overlay over other applications.
3. Set a long tap on Home or Power to run the selected assistant (e.g., en.yandex.alice for Alice).

💡

Replacing Google Assistant with an alternative does not require root rights and is reversible.You can always return the standard assistant via the Button Mapper settings.

Possible problems and solutions

When you disable or delete Google Assistant on Xiaomi Mi 10, the following errors may occur:

• 🔄 "Google stopped, appears after removing the system APK. Solution: Install the update for Google Play Services manually via APKMirror.
• 📱 Search in Launcher does not work - if you have deleted GoogleQuickSearchBox, the search bar on the home screen will disappear.Solution: Use an alternative launcher (e.g. Nova Launcher).
• 🔋 Battery consumption has increased, paradoxically, after the Assistant has been turned off, some users notice an increase in consumption. Reason: The system may be trying to restore remote services. Solution: Freeze processes via Greenify or Brevent.
• 🔊 Voice search in the browser doesn't work - Chrome and other browsers use the Assistant's components for speech recognition.Solution: Set an extension for voice input (e.g. SpeechLogger).

⚠️ If after manipulation with the Assistant the phone stopped booting (bootloop), try it:

1. Boot in Safe Mode (hold Power → long tap on Turn Off → Reboot in Safe Mode).
2. If it doesn’t work, run the firmware through Fastboot (the instructions for the Mi 10 are here).

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling Google Assistant