How to permanently disable Google Assistant on Xiaomi Mi 9T: 5 proven ways

The Xiaomi Mi 9T (aka Redmi K20 in some regions) is one of the brand’s most popular smartphones, but its owners often encounter the intrusive Google Assistant. The voice assistant not only consumes battery power in the background, but can also accidentally activate when you press side buttons or even during a conversation. In this article, we will examine all possible ways to turn it off, from standard settings to hidden MIUI functions and ADB commands.

The Mi 9T features not only Google Assistant, but Xiaomi’s XiaoAI brand assistant, which can conflict with each other, leading to double resource consumption, and we’ll show you how to deactivate both if you don’t need them, and we’ll also show you what hidden features MIUI 12/13/14 can do to limit background activity of non-rooted assistants.

Important: some methods require you to connect to a PC or activate a developer mode. If you've never worked with ADB, don't worry, we'll give you step-by-step instructions with pictures, and for those who just want to turn off random positives, basic settings will suffice.

Why Google Assistant is in the way of Xiaomi Mi 9T

On the Mi 9T Google Assistant can manifest itself in different ways:

• 🔊 Spontaneous activation when holding the Home button or Power (even if you haven’t set it up).
• 📱 Background activity that eats up to 5-7% battery charge overnight.
• 🗣️ False positives for “OK Google” while watching videos or talking.
• 📶 Data transfer in the background, which increases the consumption of mobile traffic.

The problem is compounded by the fact that Xiaomi often overrides standard Android gestures. For example, on some versions of MIUI, holding the Power button by default causes not the turn off menu, but the Google Assistant. This is not a bug, but a feature - so the manufacturer tries to integrate Google services deeper into the system.

Another thing is, even if you turn off the assistant through the settings, it can be activated again after you update MIUI or reset to factory settings, so it's important to know how to lock it at the system level.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI options, which is suitable for those who do not want to dig into system files or connect a smartphone to a PC, but note that this method does not disable the Google Assistant completely, but only limits its launch.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type in Google and select the Google Assistant app (or just Google).
3. Click Disable (if the button is active) or Stop.
4. Go to Permissions and disable access to Microphone, Contacts and Notifications.
5. Return to the main settings of the application and select Storage → Clear data and Clear cache.

After that, the assistant will stop working on voice commands, but can still activate when holding the buttons.

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Buttons and gestures → Holding the power button.
• 🔄 Select the action Menu instead of Voice Assistant.

Automatic update of the Google application is disabled|Cleared data and cache|Permits checked (microphone, contacts)|Changed button settings|Rebooted smartphone-->

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI 14, "Disable" may be inactive, which means that the Google app is system-based and cannot be deactivated in the standard way.

Method 2: Deactivate through Google Settings (for accounts)

If you use a Google account on your Mi 9T, the assistant can be linked to your profile, in which case it needs to be disabled not only at the smartphone level, but also in your account settings.

Do the following:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the letter "G" on a color background).
2. In the lower right corner, click on the profile icon → Settings → Google Assistant.
3. Scroll down to General Settings and select Google Assistant (first item).
4. Turn off the Google Assistant slider and confirm the action.

We further recommend:

• 🔍 In the same menu, go to Voice Match and turn off the option OK Google.
• 📱 In the Devices section, remove your Xiaomi Mi 9T from the list of trusted gadgets for voice control.

⚠️ Note: If you use other Google services (such as Google Photos or Gmail), disabling the assistant via your account may affect their work, for example, notifications of new emails with voice prompts will stop coming.

Method 3: Using ADB to completely shut down (no root)

If standard methods fail, you can block Google Assistant at the system level using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which does not require superuser rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to the computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Platform Tools (the official tool from Google).
2. On your smartphone, activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. 7 times click on the MIUI Version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.

Settings

Additionally.

For developers

USB debugging

Mi 9T

Platform Tools

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, you can continue.

Google Assistant

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

This command removes the application only for the current user, without affecting system files.

Once you have completed the command, restart your smartphone and the assistant will be completely deactivated, including:

• 🚫 Voice activation on OK, Google".
• 🚫 Activation when holding buttons.
• 🚫 Background data synchronization.

💡

If you run the Adb device command, your Xiaomi Mi 9T It is not displayed, try to switch the mode. USB-connection to "File transfer" (MTP) notice-curtain.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (Especially Chinese commands, the team may not work because of manufacturer restrictions:

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

Method 4: Disconnect via MIUI Hidden Settings (Hidden Menu)

Xiaomi hides some settings from ordinary users, but they can be accessed through special codes or apps. One way to disable Google Assistant is to use the hidden MIUI menu.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##846444## This will open the MIUI Hidden Settings menu.
2. Go to the Assistant Settings section.
3. Find the Disable Google Assistant option and activate it.
4. Save the changes and restart the smartphone.

If the code doesn’t work (it may be blocked on some versions of MIUI), use an alternative method:

• 📱 Install the app MIUI Hidden Settings from Google Play.
• 🔧 Open it and provide access to Special Opportunities (needed for work).
• 🔍 Go to the Assistant section and disable all options related to Google Assistant.

⚠️ Warning: Changing hidden settings can lead to unstable system operation. If after disconnecting the assistant, lags or errors begin, return the settings to the original state or perform a factory reset.

Method 5: Complete removal via TWRP (for advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures and have a custom TWRP recap, you can completely remove Google Assistant from the system, which is only suitable for advanced users, since it requires unlocking the bootloader and installing TWRP.

Step-by-step:

1. Download TWRP for Xiaomi Mi 9T and install it via fastboot.
2. Make a full backup of the current firmware in TWRP (in case of errors).
3. Download the debloat-script file for MIUI (or create your own list to delete).
4. Boot into TWRP, connect your smartphone to your PC and transfer the script to internal memory.
5. In TWRP, select Advanced → File Manager and manually delete folders: /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox/ /system/app/GoogleQuickSearchBox/
6. Reboot your smartphone.

After that, Google Assistant will be removed without the possibility of recovery through standard methods.

• ⚠️ Risk of "bricking" of the smartphone with errors in TWRP.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI The assistant can come back.
• 📱 Some features (like Google Search) will stop working.

💡

TWRP removal is the most radical method, but it gives you a 100% guarantee of shutdown, only use it if other methods have not worked and you are prepared for the consequences.

Additional Optimization Tips

Even after disabling Google Assistant, the Xiaomi Mi 9T may still have resource-consuming background processes, with a few recommendations for full optimization:

• 🔋 Turn off Autostart: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Google → Auto-start and deactivate it.
• 📵 Limit Mobile Data: In the same Google app settings, select Mobile Data and turn off background transmission.
• 🔄 Freeze through MIUI Optimization: Install the application MIUI Optimization and Freeze Unnecessary Google Services.
• 🛡️ Use Greenify: This app will help to suspend background activity of Google Play Services, which often launch assistants.

If you want to get rid of Google services completely, consider installing custom firmware without GApps (like LineageOS).However, this will require unlocking the bootloader and may deprive you of some features (like Google Pay).

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling Google Assistant