Google’s voice assistant can be useful, but not all Xiaomi users like it constantly: It consumes battery life, collects data about your actions, and sometimes activates spontaneously — for example, when you accidentally press the power button or voice command. If you want to completely disable Google Assistant on your Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphone, this article will help you do it quickly and without consequences for the system.
We'll look at all the different methods we can use, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features for power users. It's important to understand that some methods require super-user rights and others work without them. Also note that newer versions of MIUI 14/13 may have slightly different interfaces, but the general logic of action remains the same. If you use POCO Launcher or custom firmware, some menu items may be moved.
Why does Google Assistant work for Xiaomi if you don’t use it?
Many users are surprised to find that Google Assistant is active by default even on “clean” Xiaomi devices.
- 📱 Pre-installation: Google requires Android device manufacturers to include their services in firmware. Xiaomi is no exception - the assistant is integrated into the system at the level of Google Play Services.
- 🔋 Background activity: Even if you’ve never run an assistant, it can work in the background, checking voice commands or updating data.
- 🔑 Power button connection: On many Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or X-ray) POCO X5) Holding the power button by default calls Google Assistant, not the shutdown menu.
- 📊 Data collection: The assistant analyzes your actions to personalize ads and recommendations, which is not something everyone likes from a privacy perspective.
Interesting fact: on some Xiaomi devices for the Chinese market (China ROM), Google Assistant is not at all - instead it uses its own Xiao AI. But on the global versions (Global ROM) and EEA ROM (for Europe), it is preinstalled necessarily.
Method 1: Disable via Google Settings (without root)
The easiest and safest method is to deactivate the assistant via Google menus, which is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including Redmi 10/11/12, POCO F4/F5, Mi 11/12/13 and others. The main condition is the availability of an up-to-date version of the Google application (update it to the Play Market if required).
Instructions:
- Open the Google app (the icon with the letter "G" on a color background).
- Slip on your profile (avatar in the upper right corner).
- Select Settings → Google Assistant.
- Scroll down and press General.
- Turn off the Google Assistant switch.
- Confirm the action in the window that appears.
After that, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands and hold the power button. However, background processes may continue to work - read the following ways to completely turn off.
☑️ Preparing to Disable Google Assistant
Method 2: Remove updates and disable via ADB (for advanced)
If the standard shutdown didn’t work, you can go further – remove updates for the Google app and block it from working through ADB. This method does not require root rights, but will require connecting the smartphone to the computer.
Important: Before you start, enable USB debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
Steps:
- Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable (original!).
- Download ADB Tools and unpack into any folder.
- Open the command prompt (Win + R → cmd) and go to the folder with ADB:
cd C:\platform-tools- Enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesIf the device is displayed, do:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxThis command will remove updates to Google Assistant and return it to the factory version, which is less intrusive.To block it from working completely, add:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox💡
If Google Assistant is activated again after you execute the commands, check the automatic app update in the Play Market.
Method 3: Reassign the power button (for MIUI 12/13/14)
One of the most annoying features is calling Google Assistant when holding the power button. On Xiaomi, this can be changed by reassigning the action to a standard off menu or another service (such as Xiao AI).
How to do this:
- Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Power button.
- Select Hold the power button.
- Instead of Google Assistant, install the Menu or Do Nothing.
On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for POCO), this item may be located elsewhere:
Settings → System and device → Gestures → Power buttonWhat to do if the "Power button" item is not in the settings?
Method 4: Disable via application settings (for MIUI 14)
The latest versions of MIUI 14 offer more flexibility in managing application background activity, allowing you to limit Google Assistant without removing it completely.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find Google (or Google Assistant separately) in the list.
- Slip the battery. → Limit background activity.
- Also turn off AutoRun and Secondary Start.
These actions will not remove the assistant, but will significantly reduce its impact on the autonomy of the device. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro after such settings, battery consumption in the background is reduced by 15-20%.
| Method of disconnection | Need root? | Difficulty | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through Google's settings | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐ (easily) | Disables voice calls, but not background processes |
| ADB-team | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road) | Complete shutdown, but requires PC |
| Reassignment of the power button | ❌ No. | ⭐ (easily) | Removes accidental launches |
| Background restriction in MIUI | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐ (easily) | Reduces battery load |
| Removal through root | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult) | Complete removal without possibility of recovery |
Method 5: Completely remove Google Assistant (from root only)
If you are willing to take drastic measures and have root rights, you can delete Google Assistant permanently, which is irreversible and can lead to instability of other Google services (such as Google Pay or YouTube).
For removal:
- Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
- Follow the path:
/system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox- Delete the GoogleQuickSearchBox folder or rename it (for example, in the GoogleQuickSearchBox_bak).
- Reset the device.
You can also remove via ADB root access:
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
rm -rf /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox
mount -o ro,remount /system
reboot💡
Removing Google Assistant via root may disrupt some of the features that Google Services depends on.Be sure to back up through TWRP before doing so!
⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi devices (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro) after deleting Google Assistant, voice search in Google Chrome and other apps may stop working.If it is critical to you, use methods without rooting.
What if Google Assistant is back after the update?
One of the most common problems is the automatic recovery of Google Assistant after updating MIUI or Google apps, which is because the system considers it a system component and restores it by default.
Decisions:
- 🔄 Turn off automatic updates for the Google app in the Play Market (Settings) → Auto-update → Not update automatically).
- 📵 Freeze the app with Titanium Backup (root required) or App Quarantine (rootless, but less secure).
- 🔧 Use Magisk modules such as Disable Flags or Universal. GMS Doze to block background activity.
- 📲 Install custom firmware without GApps (like LineageOS), but it’s a radical solution that only works for power users.
On Xiaomi with MIUI 14, you can also try to disable Google Play Services for a specific user via ADB:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.gms/.update.SystemUpdateActivity
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.gms/.update.SystemUpdateService⚠️ Note: Disabling Google Play Services may cause Google Play Market, Gmail, YouTube and other services to fail. Use this method only if you understand the risks!