Replacing Xiaomi’s voice assistant with Google Assistant: The Complete Guide

Voice assistants have become an integral part of modern smartphones, but not all Xiaomi users like the standard XiaoAI with its limited functionality in Russian. Many prefer Google Assistant for its advanced integration with Google services, better speech recognition and support for Russian-speaking teams. However, the manufacturer does not provide a direct option to replace the assistant in settings – this procedure has to be performed manually.

Google Assistant provides access to smart home management via Google Home, calendar, translator, and other ecosystem services. But it's important to understand that the process requires changes in system settings, which can lead to conflicts on some MIUI firmware. In this article, we'll look at all the current replacement methods, including official and alternative methods, and look at possible problems and solutions.

If you use a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone based on MIUI 12-14, you have two main ways: setup via the app menu or forced assigning the default assistant using ADB. The first method is easier, but does not work on all devices, the second one guarantees the result, but requires a connection to the computer. The choice depends on your model and firmware version.

Why users want to replace XiaoAI with Google Assistant

Xiaomi’s standard XiaoAI voice assistant is optimized for the Chinese market and has a number of limitations for Russian-speaking users. First, it does not recognize accents and dialects of the Russian language, often giving inaccurate results. Second, its functionality is limited to basic commands: calls, messages and managing some smartphone settings.

• 🌍 Integrate with Google Maps, Mail, and Drive by saying “Show me the route to work” or “Find me a letter from Ivan».
• 🏠 Manage Google Home, Nest and other compatible smart home gadgets.
• 🎵 Play music through YouTube Music, Spotify or Yandex Music by voice command.
• 📅 Create reminders, calendar events, and even book tables in restaurants through partner services.

Google Assistant also supports contextual dialogues, which allow you to ask clarifying questions without repeating key phrases, such as: “What’s the weather tomorrow?” → “What’s the weather in St. Petersburg?” → “And in the afternoon?” XiaoAI is not capable of such chains.

Another powerful argument is privacy, with many users not trusting Xiaomi to collect data, while Google, despite similar accusations, provides more transparent privacy settings, such as manually deleting all voice recordings or disabling them altogether.

Preparing a smartphone before replacing an assistant

Before you start setting up, make sure your device meets the minimum requirements:

• 📱 Version. MIUI: lower MIUI 12 (on older firmware, methods may not work).
• 🔄 Updates: All available security patches installed.
• 🌐 Internet: stable Wi-Fi or mobile network connection (to download Google components).
• 🔧 Developer rights: included (instruction below).

To activate Developer Mode, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap this 7 times in a row. After that, the main settings menu will have a new section for developers. Go there and turn on the USB Debugging option.

Enable the developer mode|Update MIUI last-minute|Install Google App from Play Market|Connect to a stable Internet|Make a backup copy of the data-->

It is also recommended to install the latest versions of Google apps:

1. Google (the main application with search and assistant).
2. Google Play Services (required for voice commands)
3. Google App (unless installed by default).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi devices with Chinese firmware (China) ROM) Google apps are missing out of the box, and you'll have to manually install them through the box. APK-Files that may disrupt the stability of the system.

Method 1: Assigning Google Assistant through App Settings

This is the simplest method that works on most global MIUI firmware, requiring no PC connection and can be executed in 2-3 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select the Default Apps.
3. Find the Voice Assistant (or Assist & Voice Input in English).
4. In the list of available assistants, select Google (app with the color G logo icon).
5. Confirm the selection and restart the device.

After the reboot, activate Google Assistant by pressing the Home button (on physical-button devices) or saying Okay, Google. If the assistant isn't responding, check the permissions for the Google app:

• 🔊 Settings → Annexes → Google → Permissions: Turn on the Microphone and Phone.
• 📱 Settings → System system → Gestures → Home button: Select Google Assistant for long-term pressing.

💡

If there is no “Voice Assistant” option in the default app list, try first running Google Assistant manually through the Google app search bar, and then repeat the steps.

Method 2: Forced assignment via ADB (for power users)

If the previous method didn’t work (for example, on China ROM or custom firmware), you’ll need to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer with ADB drivers installed and USB debugging enabled on your smartphone.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Platform Tools from the official Android website and unpack the archive.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB-cable (use the original cable for a stable connection).
3. Open the command prompt (CMD in Windows or Terminal in macOS/Linux) in the folder with Platform Tools.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device appears in the list, go further.
5. Follow the command to assign Google Assistant by default: adb shell pm grant com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox android.permission.BIND_ASSISTANT_SERVICE adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox/.googleapp.AssistActivity
6. Reboot your smartphone.

After the reboot, check the assistant with the command “OK, Google” or a long press on the Home button. If XiaoAI is still activated, repeat the commands or check for updates for Google apps.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI after updating the system of settings ADB You'll have to repeat the procedure again, and to avoid that, you can create a task in Tasker or another automatic scheduler to execute the instructions after you restart.

Solving common problems after replacing an assistant

Even after a successful replacement, users may experience problems, and consider typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the Google app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Google → Storage.
2. Click Clear Data and Clear Cache.
3. Reboot the device and reset the assistant.

💡

On devices with China ROM, you may need to completely reflash to the global version of MIUI for the stable operation of Google Assistant, due to the lack of Google services in Chinese builds.

XiaoAI and Google Assistant Comparison: Which is Best for Russian-speaking Users

To finally decide on the choice, we compare the key features of both assistants in the context of use in Russian:

• 🗣️ Speech recognition: Google Assistant understands accents and dialects better, whereas XiaoAI often requires clear pronunciation.
• 🌐 Integration with services: Google works with Gmail, Calendar, Maps and other services, and also supports third-party applications (for example, Yandex.Weather). XiaoAI is limited to the Xiaomi ecosystem.
• 🔒 Privacy: Google has tools to manage voice queries history, while Xiaomi does not provide such options for XiaoAI.
• 📱 Smartphone management: Both assistants can turn on/off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and volume control, but Google Assistant can run more complex chains of commands (e.g., “Put Bluetooth on and connect to the speaker»).
• 🎵 Multimedia: Google supports voice control of YouTube Music, Spotify and other services, while XiaoAI works only with Mi Music.

The only advantage of XiaoAI is deeper integration with Xiaomi’s branded devices, such as Yeelight smart bulbs or Mi Robot vacuum cleaners. If you don’t have one, the Google Assistant is a clear choice.

Alternative voice assistants for Xiaomi

If neither XiaoAI nor Google Assistant suits you, consider other options:

• 🤖 Alice from Yandex: Well optimized for Russian, knows how to manage a smart home through Yandex Station, but requires a separate application.
• 🍎 Siri (via Shortcuts): Suitable for iPhone owners, but Xiaomi only works through workarounds (e.g., HomePod or Apple) TV).
• 🤖 Bixby (for Samsung owners): You can install it through Xiaomi APK, But the functionality will be limited.
• 🔧 Custom solutions: For example, Automate or Tasker let you create your own voice commands, but require a deep knowledge of automation.

To install Alice, download the Yandex app from Play Market and activate the voice assistant in its settings. To run Alice at a long press of the button, use the ADB-team:

adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant ru.yandex.searchplugin/.assistant.AssistantActivity

⚠️ Warning: Alternative assistants may conflict with system services MIUI, Especially if they require Accessibility or Notification Access rights.

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing voice assistant with Xiaomi