How to permanently disable Google on Xiaomi Redmi Note: from voice to notifications

Google Assistant with the activation phrase “OK Google” can be useful, but not all users of Xiaomi Redmi Note like it when a smartphone suddenly “listens” to surrounding conversations or reacts to random sounds. Especially annoying is the background activity of the assistant, which drains the battery and sends data to Google servers – even when you are not using it.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable OK Google on Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphones (relevant to Note 8/9/10/11/12 and MIUI 12-14 firmware).You’ll learn how to remove voice activation, prevent the assistant from running from a locked screen, stop background synchronization, and even completely deactivate Google Assistant — if you don’t need one at all.

Why does Google work on Xiaomi Redmi Note, even if you don’t use it?

Many Redmi Note owners wonder why the assistant activates on its own, even though they have never set up voice control.

• 🔄 Automatic activation when you set up. When you first turn on your smartphone, the system suggests setting up Google Assistant — and if you missed this step, some features (like listening to the microphone) may remain enabled by default.
• 📱 Updates MIUI. After updating the firmware, the assistant's settings are sometimes reset, and it starts "listening" to background sounds again.
• 🔋 Background optimization: Google Assistant refers to system applications that MIUI It does not block completely, even if you have manually disabled it.
• 🎤 Microphone sensitivity: Some Redmi Note models (like the Note 10 Pro or Note 11) have a microphone that is too sensitive to sounds like "OK Google».

In addition, the assistant can be activated when you connect your headphones or when you use voice-controlled apps (such as Google Maps or YouTube). Even if you do not pronounce the key phrase, the system can perceive other sounds as a command.

Method 1: Disabling voice activation “OK Google” in Google settings

The easiest way is to remove the response to a voice command through the Google Assistant menu, which does not remove the assistant completely, but prevents it from spontaneously launching.

Instructions:

1. Open the Google app (the icon with the colored letter “G”).
2. Slip on your profile (icon in the upper right corner) → select Settings.
3. Go to the Google Assistant section → General.
4. Press OK Google and voice input.
5. Turn off the slider OK Google (should turn grey).

After that, the smartphone will no longer respond to the voice command, but the background activity of the assistant may persist — read about this in the next section.

Voice activation turned off in Google settings|The microphone doesn’t respond to the phrase “OK Google»|The assistant does not start from a locked screen.|Background activity of Google application is minimized-->

Method 2: Prohibit Google Assistant from the background

Even after Google voice activation is disabled, the Assistant can continue to consume battery and traffic by syncing data in the background, and to avoid this, you need to limit its activity through the MIUI settings.

Do the following:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Search the Google list (not to be confused with Google Play Services!) and tap it.
3. Select Permissions → Turn off the microphone (this will prevent listening).
4. Go back and press Battery → select Limit background activity.
5. In the AutoRun section, disable the AutoRun permission.

These actions will not remove the assistant, but will significantly reduce its impact on smartphone autonomy. If you want to completely deactivate Google Assistant, read the next section.

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Once background activity is limited, check to see if other Google features (such as voice search in the browser or Google Maps) have stopped working.

Method 3: Completely disabling Google Assistant via ADB (for advanced)

If you want to permanently remove Google Assistant from your Xiaomi Redmi Note, you can use the ADB command. This method requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and basic knowledge of working with the console.

Warning: Disabling the system application may cause some features to work unstable (such as voice search on Google Chrome or YouTube).

Instructions:

1. Turn on the Developer Mode on your smartphone: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect the Redmi Note to your computer via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
4. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
5. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with ADB and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear – if not, check the drivers.)

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

Once you have completed the Google command, the Assistant will be completely disabled for your user (but not removed from the device).

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

Method 4: Turning off OK Google on a locked screen

By default, Google Assistant can start even when the Redmi Note screen is locked, which is not only annoying, but also creates a security risk - anyone can activate the assistant and access some of the smartphone's features.

To remove this opportunity:

1. Open Google Assistant (hold the Home button or say “OK Google”).
2. Slip on the profile icon → Settings.
3. Select an Assistant. → Locked phone.
4. Turn off the slider Allow access from the locked screen.

Now, the assistant won't respond to voice commands when the screen is off, a technique that's especially useful if you often leave your smartphone unattended.

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Disabling access from a locked screen does not prevent you from using Google Assistant after unlocking, and you can still run it manually or by voice when the phone is unlocked.

Method 5: Using third-party apps to lock the microphone

If you don’t want to dig into settings or use ADB, you can use third-party utilities that block access to the microphone for specific applications, such as App Ops or Bouncer.

How it works:

• 🔇 App Ops app allows you to disable microphone permission for Google Assistant without root rights.
• 🛡️ Bouncer temporarily blocks permissions until you manually unlock them.
• 📱 Some launchers (like Nova Launcher) allow you to remove voice activation from the interface.

The downside of this method is that apps need to be given special permissions, which may not be secure. Use only proven utilities from Google Play.

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Before installing third-party apps to lock the microphone, check reviews and rankings on Google Play. Some utilities may contain ads or collect data.

What if Google is still working?

If after all the manipulations the assistant continues to activate, check the following points:

If nothing helps, try resetting the Google Assistant settings:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Google.
2. Press Warehouse. → Delete the data.
3. After that, the assistant will return to the factory settings, and you can configure it again.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shutting down OK Google on Xiaomi Redmi Note