Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusiveness of built-in Google services. Google Assistant can be activated accidentally when unlocking the device or during a conversation, which causes irritation among users who prefer full control over their gadget. It is impossible to remove the system application completely without root rights, but it can be effectively “put to sleep”.
The process of disabling requires several steps in succession in different sections of the menu. MIUI and the new HyperOS have their own features of integrating voice assistant, so it is important to check the settings of both the application itself and the phone's system functions, which will eliminate any automatic start options.
In this guide, we will look at all available methods of blocking the assistant, you will learn how to deny access to the lock screen, turn off reaction to phrases and stop background processes.
Disconnection through the settings of the application itself
The first and most obvious step is to reconfigure the inside of the Google app itself, and that's where the main switches that activate the voice assistant, by command or button, are located, and without that, the rest of the settings may not be fully effective.
You have to open the Google app on your desktop or menu, then go to the user profile by clicking on the avatar in the top corner, and select Settings. In the list that opens, look for the Google Assistant section, which contains all the interaction options.
Inside the settings menu, find the All Assistant Settings tab, and here you're interested in Access to the Assistant (or Hey Google and Voice Match), and that's where the main tumbler is, which disables the response to the "OK, Google" voice command and the power button hold call.
- 📱 Open the Google app and log in to your profile settings.
- 🔍 Go to the “Assistant” section and find the “All settings” tab».
- 🚫 Turn off the “Access to Ascent” or “Hey Google” switch».
⚠️ Note: After the access is disabled, the Assistant will no longer respond to voice commands, but may continue to work in the background for other system services.
It is also recommended to check the Popular Settings section inside the Assistant menu, which may contain the option “Results on the lock screen” and must be deactivated so that sensitive information does not appear when the assistant is accidentally activated in your pocket.
Setting up the power button and lock screens
One of the most annoying features in Xiaomi shells is the ability to call the Assistant with a long press on the power button.This setting is often turned on by default and interferes when the user just wants to turn off the screen or call the emergency call menu.
To change this behavior, go to the basic Settings of your smartphone. Search for settings by type the word “button” or find the Additional Features section (on some versions of MIUI this may be in the Advanced Settings section).
In the menu that opens, you'll see the Long Press option. The default option is Google Assistant. You need to change that to Nothing or the Shutdown Menu if you want to return the reboot menu call functionality with a long clamping.
Settings → Additional features → Include button → Long press → NothingAlso, check the lock screen settings. Go to Settings → Password & Security → Privacy on the lock screen. Make sure that widgets or quick actions are turned off there that can trigger voice search.
- ⚙️ Go to “Additional Features” in the settings menu.
- 🔘 Select the “On button” and change the action for long-term pressing.
- 🔒 Check the privacy settings on the lock screen.
⚠️ Warning: Changing the power button to Nothing will prevent you from quickly calling the shutdown menu with a long clamping unless you assign this action separately.
☑️ Checking the Assist's shutdown
Restriction of background work and permits
Even after the basic functions are disabled, the app can consume battery life and track location. To completely isolate the service, you need to limit its rights and background activity through the Android system settings.
Open your phone’s Settings and go to the Apps → All Apps section. Search in the Google list (usually a blue icon with the letter G). Click on it to open the app management page.
So here we're looking at permissions, go through the list and revoke all critical accesses, especially Microphone, Geoposition, and Contacts, and without access to the microphone, the voice assistant won't be able to hear you physically.
| Permission | Recommended status | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Banned | Turns off voice input. |
| Location | Banned | Blocks contextual clues |
| Contacts | Banned | Hiding names in search |
| Camera. | Banned | Blocks visual search |
Next, find AutoRun (if available in your version of MIUI) and disable it. Also, in Battery or Saving Charge within the app settings, select Restricted or No Limits (depending on OS version, the goal is to disable background work). In new versions of Android, select Limit for background activity.
- 🔋 Go to the battery settings of the Google app.
- 🛑 Set a limit on background activity.
- 🎙️ Revoke permission to use the microphone.
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Check the permission list periodically after major system updates, as Android can automatically restore rights for system services.
Removing updates and cleaning up data
If standard disablement methods don’t seem effective enough, you can try resetting the app to factory status, which will delete all the accumulated data, voice models and cache, returning the system version of the application, which often has stripped down functionality.
Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Google. At the bottom of the screen or in the menu (three dots in the corner), find the Remove Updates button. The system will alert you that the app will be returned to the original version.
Once confirmed, the phone may think a little bit. When the process is complete, the Assistant will be minimal, but be prepared for the fact that the first time you connect to Wi-Fi, the system can silently update the application back to the latest version.
Additionally, click Clear → Clear all data, which will remove your search history and personalization, which will also reduce the “intelligent” and intrusiveness of the service.
⚠️ Note: After removing updates, some search features in the system may not work correctly or require re-authorization in your Google account.
This method is a temporary solution, but it is effective for resetting erroneous settings that could have led to persistent false positives of the voice assistant.
What happens after the updates are removed?
Using ADB for Advanced Users
For those who are not afraid of the command line and want to achieve maximum results, there is a method of disabling the component through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to “freeze” specific system components responsible for the work of the Assistant, without deleting system files, which is safe for warranty.
You'll need a computer, USB-cable and on-line debugging USB To enable debugging, you need to press the build number 7 times in the About Phone section, then activate the Debugging item on the phone. USB on the Developer Menu.
Connect your phone to your PC and run a command to search for packages associated with Google Assistant, usually packages with names that contain assistant or googleassistant.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistantExecuting this command will completely disable the Assistant component for the current user, it will disappear from the application list and stop running. To return everything back, you use a command with a replacement of the disable-user with an enable command.
- 💻 Install the drivers. ADB Minimal ADB computer.
- 📱 Put the debugging on. USB developer-menu.
- ⌨️ Enter the disconnect command via the command line.
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ADB is the most effective way to completely shut down system components without obtaining root rights, but requires caution when typing commands.
Alternative voice assistants
After disabling the native solution from Google, users often have a need for voice control. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem allows you to replace the standard assistant with third-party counterparts that may be more convenient or better understand Russian.
On Xiaomi devices, a popular option is Yandex Alice. It is deeply integrated into the system through the Yandex app and can take over the functions of the main assistant. To do this, you need to install the application, log into the account and select Alice as the default assistant in the phone settings.
There are also dedicated launcher apps or utilities like MacroDroid that allow you to configure any voice command or button action without completely ignoring Google’s services, giving you the flexibility to customize automation scenarios.
The assistant is replaced via the Settings menu → Applications → Default Apps → Device Digital Assistant. Here you can select the third-party app installed.