How to Install Alice as the Default Voice Assistant on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Voice assistants have become an integral part of modern smartphones, but not all Xiaomi users are comfortable with the standard Google Assistant. Russian device owners often prefer Alice from Yandex - it better understands Russian speech, is integrated with local services and offers advanced features for the smart home. However, the manufacturer does not provide an easy way to change the assistant by default: in the settings of MIUI there is no direct option for this.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to make Alice the primary voice assistant on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from official methods to bypassing system restrictions. You’ll learn which models support a root-free replacement, how to set up Alice’s launch at a long push of a button, and what to do if the assistant doesn’t respond after a shift. All instructions are tested on MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 (Android 12-14) and take into account the latest Xiaomi security policy updates.

Why Alice is better than Google Assistant for Xiaomi users in Russia

Before we proceed to the setup, let’s understand what are the advantages of Yandex Alice for owners of Xiaomi smartphones:

• 🗣️ Better understanding of Russian: Alice is trained in large amounts of Russian speech and better recognizes accents, dialects and colloquial turns than Google Assistant.
• 🏠 Deep integration with a smart home: Supports Yandex Station, Yandex Smart Home and most Russian IoT devices (unlike Google, which is limited in working with local gadgets).
• 🚗 Adaptation to Russian realities: Can book a taxi through Yandex Go, show the schedule of public transport in Russian cities and work with Yandex Maps, which are more accurate than Google Maps for Russia.
• 🎵 Music and podcasts without restrictions: Free access to Yandex Music and Yandex Podcasts (in Google Assistant many functions are blocked for Russia).

In addition, Alice does not require a VPN connection for full-time operation – all servers are located in Russia, which guarantees a stable response speed and protection of personal data in accordance with local legislation. For Xiaomi users who actively use voice search, navigation or smart home management, switching to Alice can significantly improve the experience of interacting with a smartphone.

Official way: customize Alice through the Voice Assistant in MIUI

Starting with MIUI 12.5 (Android 11+), Xiaomi has added limited support for changing the default voice assistant, but with a number of caveats.This method does not work on all models and may require additional actions.

1. Install the latest version of Yandex with Alice from Google Play or AppGallery (for models without Google services).
2. Open Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Voice Assistant.
3. In the list of available assistants, select Yandex (if the option is active).
4. Reboot your smartphone so that the changes take effect.

If the option "Voice Assistant" in the settings is not, then your model Xiaomi does not support the official change of assistant, in this case you will have to use alternative methods (described below).It is also worth considering that even after changing the default assistant, Google Assistant can start on the power button - this is a limitation MIUI, which is bypassed through ADB or third-party utilities.

Change of Assistant through ADB (for experienced users)

If the official method did not work, you can force Alice to be assigned as the default assistant via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), this method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic knowledge of working with the command line, but gives a guaranteed result on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models.

You'll need:

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Smartphone with enabled debugging USB (Path: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to activate the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect the smartphone to the computer and confirm the debugging permission on the device screen.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Follow the command to appoint Alice as the default assistant: adb shell pm grant ru.yandex.searchplugin android.permission.BIND_ASSISTANT_SERVICE adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant ru.yandex.searchplugin/.assistant.AssistantActivity
5. Reboot your smartphone.

After the reboot, check Alice's work by pressing the Home button (on models with a physical button) or saying "OK, Yandex." If the assistant doesn't start, try repeating the commands or checking if the settings have reset after the MIUI update.

Setting Alice's launch on the power button (long press)

Even if you managed to change the default assistant, MIUI can ignore these settings when you start the voice assistant via a long press on the power button. To reassign this feature, you will need to use a third-party Button Mapper application or similar utilities.

Instructions for Button Mapper:

1. Download Button Mapper from Google Play.
2. Grant the application the rights Special features (in the security settings).
3. Select the Power button → Long press.
4. As an action, specify Launch the application and select Yandex.
5. Save the settings and test.

Note: on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13T), MIUI blocks hardware button reassignment, in which case only unlocking the bootloader and installing custom firmware will help – but this voids the warranty and requires technical skills.

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If Button Mapper doesn’t work, try an alternative, the Bixby Button Remapper app (despite the name, it supports other buttons as well).

Solving common problems when changing assistants

When replacing Google Assistant with Alice, Xiaomi users often encounter common mistakes, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, check if Alice is blocked by antivirus or battery optimizer. In MIUI settings, add Yandex to exceptions (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization). Also make sure that the smartphone has the latest version of MIUI installed - old firmware may not have the necessary APIs for third-party assistants.

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On Xiaomi models with a MediaTek chip (such as the Redmi Note 11), changing assistants through ADB may not work due to manufacturer restrictions, in which case only root or custom firmware will help.

Alternative methods: widgets and fast commands

If you can't change the default assistant, you can set up quick access to Alice via widgets or voice commands, which don't replace the system assistant, but make Alice more convenient:

• 📱 Alice widget on the home screen: Add the Yandex widget with the voice search button. To do this, pinch the empty space on the home screen → Widgets → Find Yandex and drag it to the screen.
• 🔊 Voice command “OK, Yandex”: Activate this function in the settings of the Yandex application (Settings) → Alice. → Now Alice will respond to her voice without unlocking the screen.
• ⚡ Quick gestures: B MIUI You can set Alice to double-task on the screen or swipe. → Additionally. → Gestures.
• 🔄 Automation with MacroDroid: Create a macro that will open Alice in a certain action (like shaking your phone).

These methods do not replace the system assistant, but allow you to quickly call Alice without having to open the application manually. For example, a widget on the home screen speeds up access to voice search by 30-40% compared to running through the application menu.

Security and Privacy: What You Need to Know

When changing voice assistants, it is important to consider privacy and data access issues, and Alice, like Google Assistant, requires permission to use the microphone, location and other sensitive features.

• 📍 Voice query history: In Alice settings (Settings) → Alice. → Request history) can be enabled or disabled to save records.

Also remember that Xiaomi can collect data about the use of voice assistant through MIUI Analytics. To disable this feature, go to Settings → About Phone → Send Review → Disable. This will not affect Alice’s work, but will reduce the amount of telemetry transmitted.

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If you use Alice to manage a smart home, create a separate user in Yandex ID with limited rights - this will increase the security of your main account.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up Alice on Xiaomi