How to make Alice the default voice assistant on Xiaomi: all ways

Voice assistants have long been an integral part of modern smartphones, but owners of Xiaomi devices often face the problem of how to replace the standard Google Assistant with a domestic Alice from Yandex. Despite the fact that MIUI was originally optimized for Google services, there are several working methods to make Alice the default assistant – from official settings to workarounds for advanced users.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to install Alice on Xiaomi, including models based on MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS. You will learn what restrictions the system imposes, how to circumvent them without root rights, and how Alice compares favorably with Google Assistant for Russian-speaking users.

Why is Alice better than Google Assistant on Xiaomi?

Before we get to the setup, it’s worth understanding why you should change the standard assistant at all.

• 🗣️ Better understanding of Russian: Alice is optimized for regional dialects, jargon and specific queries (e.g. search for Russian stores or services).
• 📍 Local services: integration with Yandex.Maps, Taxi, Music, Weather and other services, which are often more accurate than Google in Russian realities.
• 🔒 Privacy: Data is processed on servers in Russia, which for some users is more important than voice transfer abroad.
• 🎵 Entertainment features: Alice knows how to tell jokes, play voice games and supports more Russian podcasts.

Also, Alice is better at offline commands (such as managing music or an alarm clock without the internet), whereas Google Assistant often requires a network connection even for basic tasks. However, there are also downsides: Alice is worse at English-language queries and does not support some of the smart home features available through Google Home.

Official way: customizing Alice through MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI settings, but it doesn't work on all models. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Install the Yandex app with Alice from Google Play or the official website.
2. Open Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Voice Assistant.
3. Select Yandex (if the option is active) from the list. Some firmwares may not have this option, so move on to alternative methods.
4. Launch Alice with a long press on the Home button or a voice command “OK, Yandex”.

If the settings don’t include Voice Assistant, your version of MIUI doesn’t support it, as is the case with HyperOS or global firmware (e.g. Redmi Note 12 for the European market), which would require one of the workarounds described below.

Install the latest version of Yandex application|Check for the "Voice Assistant" item in the settings|Disable Google Assistant in settings (if possible)|Configure permissions for Yandex (microphone, location)-->

Alternative method: use of gestures and buttons

If the system doesn’t allow you to choose Alice as your default assistant, you can reassign the call through gestures or extra buttons, which works on most Xiaomi devices, including POCO and Black Shark.

Instructions:

1. Install the Button Mapper app from Google Play (special features permission required).
2. Launch the app and select Add the button → Long press Home (or other unused button).
3. As an action, select Launch the application → Yandex.
4. Save the settings and test: Now a long press on the button will open Alice.

For HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), this method may not work due to the limitations of the new shell, so try using Tasker or MacroDroid to create an automatic rule:

Event: Voice team "OK, Yandex"


Action: Launch the application → Yandex

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If Button Mapper doesn’t recognize clicks, try turning on the “Use Special Features” option in its settings and restarting your phone.

For advanced: changing settings through ADB

If you're ready to work with the Android debugging bridge (ADB), you can manually prescribe Alice as the default assistant, which requires a PC connection and basic command line knowledge, but gives 100% results on most firmware.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB-Drivers and open the command line in the folder with the platform-tools.
4. Execute the commands: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox pm grant ru.yandex.searchplugin android.permission.BIND_ASSISTANT_SERVICE settings put secure assistant ru.yandex.searchplugin/.voiceassistant.AssistantActivity settings put secure voice_interaction_service ru.yandex.searchplugin/.voiceassistant.VoiceInteractionService
5. Reboot the phone. Alice must now start by default.

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI To avoid this, back up with the adb pull command. /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db And re-establish it after updates.

Comparison of Alice and Google Assistant on Xiaomi: feature table

To make a final decision, we compare the key features of both assistants on Xiaomi devices:

A critical nuance for Xiaomi: Google Assistant is more integrated into MIUI/HyperOS, so some system commands (e.g., energy saving management or Do Not Disturb mode) may not work through Alice. If these are the features that matter to you, you will either have to put up with Google or use both assistants in parallel.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you set up Alice on Xiaomi, users often encounter common mistakes, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🔇 Alice doesn't respond to voice: Check the microphone permissions in Settings → Annexes → Yandex → Permissions. If the problem persists, reinstall the app.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI Resetting settings: Use ADB for re-binding (see above) or roll back the firmware to a stable version.
• 📱 HyperOS does not have a voice assistant: This bug is known for Xiaomi 13T/14. The solution is to use the Button Mapper or Tasker.
• 🔌 Alice does not work in the background: Disable battery optimization for Yandex in Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note) 11 Pro+) after the change of assistant ADB If you want to return the function, you can use the command: adb shell settings delete secure. swipe_up_to_switch_apps

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

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If none of the methods worked, check the region of your Mi Account. On China-based (CN) devices, the change of assistant can be blocked at the system level, in which case only flashing to the global or European version of MIUI will help.