How to change the voice assistant on Xiaomi Android smartphone

Voice assistants have become an integral part of modern smartphones, making it easier to perform everyday tasks from setting an alarm clock to managing a smart home. Xiaomi device owners are often faced with the question of whether it is possible to replace the standard Xiao assistant. AI The answer is yes, but the process has nuances depending on the smartphone model and firmware version. MIUI.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways to change your voice assistant to Xiaomi, including official settings, third-party apps, and hidden firmware features. AI, install the default alternative assistant and even set up different assistants to run by voice or gesture, with particular attention to solutions for devices without Google services and models with global / Chinese firmware.

Before we make any changes, it is important to understand that not all methods are universal. MIUI) You may need to unlock the bootloader or install custom firmware, and we will mark these cases separately so that you can assess the risks and complexity of the procedure.

Also remember that after changing assistant, some Xiaomi features (such as Mi Home voice control) may not work properly. At the end of the article, you will find a comparative table of capabilities of different assistants and answers to frequent questions on setting up.

Why users want to change voice assistant to Xiaomi

Xiao's standard assistant AI Xiaomi has a number of restrictions that push users to look for alternatives, firstly, it does not support Russian on most models (except for global versions for Russia). Secondly, its functionality is significantly inferior to Google Assistant or Yandex Alice in terms of integration with international services.

Among other reasons:

• 🔍 Limited Teamset – Xiao AI It does not recognize complex queries and cannot work with many third-party applications.
• 🌍 Regional restrictions – on Chinese firmware, the assistant works only with Chinese services (WeChat, Baidu, etc.).
• 🛡️ Privacy issues – many users don’t trust Chinese servers to process voice data.
• 🔄 Uncomfortable interface – no visual feedback when voice commands (unlike Google Assistant animations).

Besides, Xiao. AI This is often automatically activated when you keep the Home button for long periods of time, which annoys users who prefer other assistants, and this behavior can be changed, but not on all models.

Interesting fact: on devices with global firmware MIUI Europe (MIUI EU) Google Assistant can be installed by default, but it can still be replaced with Alice or another assistant.

Official ways to change voice assistant

On most Xiaomi smartphones with global or European firmware (MIUI Global/EU) You can replace the assistant with standard settings, which does not require superuser rights (root) and is suitable for Redmi Note models. 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 others.

Step 1: Installation of an alternative assistant

• 📱 Download the application from Google Play: Google Assistant (usually preinstalled) Yandex Alice (official app) Samsung Bixby (requires a Samsung account) Amazon Alexa (to manage a smart home)
• 🔧 Launch the application and perform the initial setup (give all necessary permissions).

Step 2: Assigning a Default Assistant

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select the Default Apps.
3. Scroll to Voice Assistant (or Assist & Voice Input in English).
4. Select the desired application from the list (for example, Google or Yandex).

Step 3: Set up the start button

To open the assistant when holding the Home button:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Home button (or Home button).
2. Select the Voice Assistant action and specify the desired application.

⚠️ Attention.

On Chinese firmware (MIUI China may not have a voice assistant in the settings, which requires Google Play Services or a global firmware upgrade. K50 Gaming) have protection from changing standard applications – they need root.

Replacement of Assistant on Chinese Firmware (without Google)

Devices with the Chinese version MIUI (for example, Xiaomi 12S Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro) do not have Google services pre-installed, making it difficult to install Google Assistant:

Method 1: Install Google Play Services manually

• 📲 Download the archive from Google Apps (GApps) for your Android version from OpenGApps (choose pico or nano).
• 🔧 Set through a custom Recovery (TWRP) or using the Local Installer app (requires an unlocked bootloader).
• 🔄 Once installed, restart your device and set up Google Assistant via Google Play.

Method 2: Use of Alice Yandex

If Google Services is not installed, the alternative will be Yandex Alice:

1. Download. APK-Yandex file from the official website (bypass the locks through the VPN, if necessary).
2. Install the file by allowing installation from unknown sources (Settings → Security → Unknown sources).
3. Launch the application and perform authorization.
4. Assign Alice as the default assistant (see the instructions in the previous section).

Method 3. ADB-change-off

For advanced users, there is a way to change the assistant through ADB:

adb shell cmd role set-holder-and-default android.app.role.ASSISTANT com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

This command assigns Google Assistant (com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox) as the default assistant. For Alice Yandex, use the ru.yandex.searchplugin package.

⚠️ Attention.

Use of the ADB And custom firmware can lead to loss of warranty and unstable operation of the device. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Comparison of the capabilities of voice assistants on Xiaomi

To choose the best assistant, compare their key features on Xiaomi devices. Below is a table with the main criteria:

The table shows that Google Assistant and Yandex Alice offer the most functionality for Russian-speaking users. AI It is less than most parameters, but can be useful for managing the Xiaomi ecosystem (e.g. Mi Band or Mi Robot Vacuum).

Tip: If you use a smart home based on Mi Home, install both assistants – Xiao AI To manage Xiaomi devices, and Google Assistant or Alice for other tasks.

💡

In some models (for example, POCO F4) You can set up different gesture assistants, like swiping up from the corner of the screen for Alice, and holding the Home button for Google Assistant.

Xiao shutdown AI Removing unnecessary services

If you have decided to completely abandon Xiao AI, It can be disabled or even removed (on some firmware) and this will free up system resources and prevent accidental launches.

Method 1. Disconnection through settings

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Xiao. AI (or Mi AI) in the list and open its settings.
3. Click Disable (or Disable)
4. Confirm the action – this will remove all updates and stop background processes.

Method 2. Removal through ADB (PC)

To completely remove the system application:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist

This team removes Xiao AI For the current user, the recovery will require a reset.

Method 3: Freeze with Titanium Backup (root)

If you have root rights:

• Install Titanium Backup from Google Play.
• Find Xiao. AI listing.
• Choose Freeze (Freeze) to be used.

⚠️ Attention.

Removing system applications can lead to unstable firmware, especially on Chinese versions. MIUI. If Xiao is removed AI Errors appear (e.g., search in settings does not work), restore the application via adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.voiceassist.

Setting up voice launch assistants

To activate the assistant by voice command (for example, "OK, Google" or "Alice"), you need to configure the appropriate options in its application.

Google Assistant:

• 🎤 Open the Google app and go to Settings → Voice search → Voice assistant.
• 🔊 Turn on the option OK Google and get a voice model training (repeat the phrase 3 times).
• 📱 Allow access to the microphone and enable the Unlock Phone option if you want to use the assistant on a locked screen.

Yandex Alice:

• 📱 Launch the Yandex app and go to Alice → Settings.
• 🎤 Enable Voice Launch and set up the trigger phrase (default "Alice").
• 🔋 Activate the option to Work in the background so that Alice responds even when the application is closed.

Xiao AI (if it stays in the system):

• 🔊 Go to Settings. → Xiao's voice assistant AI.
• 🎤 Enable Voice Awakening and select a phrase (e.g., "Xiao") AI" or"").
• ⚠️ On Chinese firmware, this may require a Mi Account with a Chinese phone number tied to it.

💡 Helpful tip: If the assistant doesn't respond to voice commands, check out:

• 🔇 Permissions to use the microphone (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Microphone).
• 📵 Do Not Disturb – It Can Block Voice Launch.
• 🔋 Battery Optimization – Add the Assistant App to the List with No Limitations.

💡

For maximum accuracy, record the voice model in a quiet room and repeat the phrases clearly, which is especially important for Yandex Alice, who adapts to your voice.

Solving problems when changing voice assistant

When changing the standard assistant, users often encounter errors, and consider the most common problems and their solutions:

1. "Voice assistant" is not in the settings

Reason: Chinese firmware or outdated version MIUI.

Decision:

• 🔄 Update your firmware to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🌍 Install global firmware (MIUI Global) via Mi Flash Tool (requires unlocked bootloader).
• 🛠️ Use it. ADB-Teams for the compulsory appointment of an assistant (see section above).

2. Assistant does not run on the Home button

Cause: Conflict with other apps or gesture settings.

Decision:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Home button and reset settings.
• 📱 Check if the button is assigned to another action in the Second Space settings (if the function is enabled).
• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes resetting temporary settings helps.

3.Voice launch is not working

Reason: Lack of permissions or battery optimization.

Decision:

• 🔊 Check the permissions for the microphone in Settings → Confidentiality → Application authorizations.
• 🔋 Add the assistant app to exclude battery optimization (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 📶 Make sure you have mobile internet or Wi-Fi enabled – many assistants require a voice-activated connection.

4.The assistant opens but fails to execute commands

Reason: Regional restrictions or lack of updates.

Decision:

• 🌍 Check the region of the account Google/Yandex – it should be the same as your country.
• 🔄 Update the Assistant app via Google Play or official website.
• 📱 Reset the application settings (Settings) → Annexes → [Name of the assistant] → Warehouse → Clear the data).

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing voice assistant