Voice assistant Alice from Yandex has long overtaken Google Assistant in functionality for Russian-speaking users: it better understands accent, is integrated with Yandex.Maps, Music and even knows how to manage a Smart home from Xiaomi through Mi Home. However, by default on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is Google Assistant – it can not simply be removed or replaced through standard settings. In this article, we will discuss legal and informal ways to make Alice the main assistant on MIUI 13/14, including bypassing restrictions for models without root rights.
The problem is that Xiaomi blocks the replacement of the assistant at the firmware level: even if you install the Yandex app with Alice, the system will still run Google Assistant by voice (OK, Google) or by holding the Home button. We tested all the current methods on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO F5 – and highlighted working solutions for different versions of MIUI (including global and Chinese).
Why Alice is better than Google Assistant for Xiaomi users in Russia
Before we get to the setup, we'll figure out why. Google Assistant is optimized for the English-speaking market -- even with Russian, it often doesn't understand the context or gives answers in English.
- 🗣️ He is better at recognizing speech: he understands regional accents, jargon, and even some dialects (tested on records from 15 regions of Russia).
- 📍 Deep integration with Yandex.Maps: builds routes with traffic jams in real time, shows alternative paths and even warns about cameras.
- 🏠 Xiaomi Smart Home Management: Through Mi Home, Alice can enable Yeelight, adjust Xiaomi Air Purifier or run Automation scripts.
- 🎵 Music and podcasts: supports Yandex.Music, VK Music and even Spotify (via third-party plugins).
- 🛒 Purchases and services: orders food through Delivery Club, books a taxi to Yandex.Go and shows promotions in nearby stores.
In addition, Alice does not require a VPN to work in Russia (unlike Google Assistant, which can block some features), and her servers are physically located in the Russian Federation, which means less delays when processing requests.
Official method: customization of Alice through Yandex (without root rights)
If your Xiaomi smartphone runs MIUI 12.5+ (global or European), you can try the legal method without hacking the system. It is suitable for most models released after 2020 (Xiaomi 11/12/13, Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5, etc.).
Steps:
- Install the Yandex app with Alice from Google Play or the official website (if the Play Market is blocked).
- Launch the application and log in through your Yandex ID account.
- Activate voice assistant: Open Settings → Voice assistant. Click on "Set up Alice" and follow the instructions. Allow all requests for microphone, contacts and location.
Assign Alice as the default assistant
- Go to Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Voice input.
- Select “Yandex” instead of “Google”.
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm grant en.yandex.search android.permission.BIND_ASSISTANT_SERVICE This command gives Yandex a permission to work as a system assistant.
- Assign Alice by default: adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant ru.yandex.search/.assistant.AssistantActivity
- Reset the device.
- Save the task and activate it.
- Assign Alice by default via ADB (commands given above).
- Reset the device.
After that, Alice will start by voice ("Hello Alice") and by holding the Home button. It will also appear in the Settings menu → Apps → Default apps as the system assistant.
| Method | Root is required. | Works for MIUI China | Replaces "OK, Google." | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official settings | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ⭐Easy |
| ADB-team | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Partially. | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐Medium |
| Tasker | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐Medium |
| Removing Google Assistant + Magisk | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐⭐Hard |
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On MIUI China firmware, official methods often don’t work because of Xiaomi’s policy, in which case only removing Google Assistant via Magisk or using Tasker will help.
Setting up voice launch ("Hello Alice")
Even if you made Alice the default assistant, voice launch (Hi Alice) might not work, because MIUI blocks background microphone listening for third-party apps.
- Open Alice's settings: Launch Yandex. Go to Alice → Settings → Voice Assistant.
- Turn on “Voice Address” and record a sample of your voice (3-5 phrases).
- Allow auto-start and work in the background: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Yandex → Battery. Select “No Limits.” Enable “Auto-Start” and “Background Activity.”
Add Alice to Protected Apps
- In Settings → Battery and Performance → Secure applications add Yandex.
If the voice start is still not working:
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes background processes are blocked after the update MIUI.
- 🔊 Check the microphone: start the recorder and record the test file.
- 📱 Update the Yandex app to the latest version.
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If Alice does not respond to voice, try to turn off power saving for the Yandex application in the MIUI settings. To do this, go to Settings → Battery → Energy Saving Mode → Applications and add Yandex to exceptions.
Resolving common problems
When replacing the assistant, users often encounter errors, and we have collected the most common problems and ways to solve them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Alice does not start by holding the Home button. | Systemic limitations of MIUI | Use it. ADB-Teams or Tasker (see above) |
| Voice Launch (Hi Alice) is not working | Blocking background activity | Allow auto-start and turn off power saving for Yandex |
| Google Assistant is rebooted after the restart | Resetting default settings | Repeat the command adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant |
| Alice doesn't run Xiaomi's Smart Home | There is no integration with Mi Home | Connect your Xiaomi account in Alice’s settings (Smart Home → Add Devices) |
| Yandex App leaves at launch | Conflict with Google Play Services | Update Google Play Services or roll it back to version 22.18.13 |
If none of the methods worked, check:
- 📱 Version MIUI: on MIUI 12.0 and below some functions may not work.
- 🔄 Region of the device: if the smartphone is purchased for China, it may be necessary to change the region to Russia through the Internet ADB: adb shell settings put global region RU
- 🔒 Antiviruses: Avast, Dr.Web and others can block Alice's background activity.
Comparison of Alice and Google Assistant on Xiaomi: Which is better?
To finally decide whether to change the assistant, compare their capabilities on Xiaomi devices:
| Function | Alice (Yandex) | Google Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition of Russian Speech | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (optimized for Russia) | ⭐⭐⭐ (frequent accent errors) |
| Integration with Yandex.Maps | ✅ Full (congestion, cameras, offline maps) | ❌ Only through Google Maps. |
| Xiaomi Smart Home Management | ✅ Through Mi Home (manual setup) | ❌ There is no direct integration |
| Music and podcasts | ✅ Yandex.Music, VK Music, Spotify (plugin) | ✅ YouTube Music, Spotify (but required) VPN) |
| Voice Launch (OK Google / Hello Alice) | ⚠️ It only works after settings (see above) | ✅ It works out of the box» |
| Offline mode. | ❌ Minimum functionality | ✅ Basic commands (timer, alarm clock) |
| Confidentiality | ✅ Servers in Russia, data is not transferred abroad | ❌ Data is processed in the United States/EU |
As you can see from the table, Alice wins by most parameters for Russian-speaking users. The only drawback is the difficulty of setting up on Xiaomi. If you are interested in offline commands or integration with Google services (Gmail, Calendar), you should leave Google Assistant.
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Alice is better suited for Russia thanks to localization, integration with Yandex.Maps and Xiaomi Smart Home. Google Assistant wins offline and work with Google services.