Google Assistant on Xiaomi Mi smartphones is often activated by accident — just press the Home button or say “OK, Google.” For many users, this is an annoying factor: the assistant eats battery power, collects data about the location and habits, and its pop-ups interfere with games or watching videos. Fortunately, on Xiaomi devices there are several ways to disable Google Assistant — from standard settings to deep system edits through ADB.
In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods, including hidden MIUI options that are not obvious even to advanced users. It’s important to understand that completely removing the assistant without root rights is impossible (it’s sewn into Google services), but it can be deactivated so deeply that it will stop bothering you, and we’ll also explain how to disable individual functions – for example, voice launch or notifications, if you only need a partial lock.
Note: instructions are suitable for all modern Xiaomi Mi models (including Mi 11/12/13, Mi Mix), Redmi and POCO based on MIUI 12/13/14 and Android 10–14. For older versions (Android 9 and below), some points may differ.
1. Standard shutdown via Android settings
The easiest way is to use the built-in options, which does not remove Google Assistant completely, but blocks its basic features:
- Open Google Settings: Go to Settings → Google → Account and Services → Google Assistant.
- Disable voice start: In Settings → Voice input, deactivate the option OK Google. This will prevent the voice assistant from activating.
- Remove buttons from the menu: In Settings → Apps → All apps → Google select Notifications and disable all switches associated with the Assistant.
⚠️ Note: This method does not remove Google Assistant background processes.It will still consume up to 5-15 MB of RAM and be updated periodically through the Play Market.
Voice Launch (OK Google) is not working|The assistant does not open when holding the Home button.|Notifications from the assistant disabled|Background data for Google is limited-->
2. Block through MIUI settings (hidden options)
MIUI has its own tools for managing system applications that are not always obvious.
Method 1: Disconnection through "Autostart"
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun.
- Find Google in the list and disable all permissions (automation, background activity, push notifications).
- Rebooting the smartphone.
Method 2: Restriction of rights through "Battery and performance"
- 🔋 Going to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery management.
- 📱 Selecting Applications → Google → Limit background activity.
- 🔄 Enable the option to Limit Autostart and Prohibit Background Data.
💡 Useful tip: After this manipulation, Google Assistant will stop running spontaneously, but will retain the ability to manually call through the search bar. ADB further.
What if Google Assistant is still running?
3. Complete disabling via ADB (no root)
For those willing to go further, there is a way to completely deactivate Google Assistant via ADB (Android Debug Bridge).This doesn't require root rights, but will require connecting your smartphone to a PC.
Step-by-step:
- Turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and tapai 7 times to activate Developer Mode. Then to Settings → Additional → For developers, enable USB debugging.
- Connect to a PC: Install ADB Tools on your computer, connect your smartphone over USB and enter it in the terminal: adb devices Should appear your device. If not, install Xiaomi USB Drivers.
- Disable Google Assistant: Execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall-k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox This command does not remove the application completely, but only hides it for the current user (without consequences for the system).
⚠️ Note: After that, Google Assistant will disappear from the menu, but some features (such as voice search in Chrome) may work through other Google components.
adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1Then repeat the removal command.-->
4. Delete via Magisk (for root users)
If you have root installed on your Xiaomi Mi (e.g., via Magisk), you can remove Google Assistant at the system level, which is irreversible and can lead to instability of other Google services (e.g., Play Market).
Instructions:
- 📱 Install Root Explorer or any file manager with root access.
- 🔍 Crossing the path: /system/priv-app/Velvet or /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox
- 🗑️ We delete the entire folder or rename it (for example, in Velvet.bak).
- 🔄 Reboot the device.
⚠️ Note: After this update, Google via Play Market may break the system.We recommend blocking updates to the Google app through the Aurora Store or disabling auto updates in Play Market settings.
Yes, with Magisk|Yes, with another recaveri|No, but planning |No and not planning-->
5. Disconnection via MIUI Hidden Settings (for advanced)
MIUI has hidden settings that allow you to manage system components without root, one of which is Activity Launcher, which helps you disable unnecessary services.
How it works:
- Install Activity Launcher from Play Market.
- Open the application and enter Google in search.
- Finding activity with names: 🔍 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox... 🎤 VoiceInteractionService 📱 AssistantSettings
Disable
🔹 Key takeaway: This method allows you to disable specific Assistant features (such as voice input only) without affecting other Google services.
6. Google Assistant Alternatives on Xiaomi
If you have disabled Google Assistant but want to keep the voice assistant functional, consider alternatives:
| Assistant | Advantages | Deficiencies | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| XiaoAI (built into MIUI) | Optimized for Xiaomi, supports gestures and voice commands in Chinese/English | Limited Features Outside China Collecting Data for Xiaomi | Included in Settings → XiaoAI |
| Alice (Yandex) | Understands Russian well, is integrated with Yandex services (Music, Maps, Weather) | It requires a separate app that is less versatile than Google. | Play Market |
| Bixby (Samsung) | Supports routine tasks (alarm clocks, notes), works offline | Poorly optimized for Xiaomi, it can slow down | Play Market |
| Assistant.ai | Private Assistant without Data Collection, Open Source | Limited functionality, requires customization | Official website |
💡 Tip: If you only need voice activation for music or calls, try Tasker + AutoVoice plugin. This will allow you to create custom voice commands without a full assistant.
Frequent problems and solutions
Even after Google is disabled, the Assistant can show itself, and here are the typical situations and their solutions:
- 🔄 Assistant starts when holding the Home button: This is a gesture MIUI. Open the Settings. → Additionally. → Home button and select another action (e.g. Recent Apps).
- 🎤 Voice Search in Chrome Continues to Work: In Chrome Settings (Settings) → Voice search: Turn off the option OK Google.
- 📱 After updating MIUI Assistant back: This is due to resetting settings.Repeat steps from Section 2 (block through) MIUI) or use ADB again.
⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global) after disabling the Assistant, the search bar on the home screen may disappear. To return it, install Google Search from the Play Market and add the widget manually.