How to make Alice the main voice assistant on Xiaomi: disable Google and set up Yandex

Voice assistants have become an integral part of modern smartphones, but not all Xiaomi users are comfortable with the standard Google Assistant. Russian owners of devices on MIUI much more practical to use Alice from Yandex - she better understands Russian speech, is integrated with local services (taxis, delivery, weather) and does not require a VPN to work. However, the manufacturer by default does not give the opportunity to simply replace the assistant: you will have to dig into the settings, and sometimes resort to workarounds.

In this article, you’ll find current ways to make Alice the primary voice assistant on any Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone, from official methods for newer MIUI versions to alternative solutions for older models. We’ll learn how to disable Google Assistant, configure Alice’s call by button or voice, and even integrate her into the system deeper than the default. Importantly, the procedure differs depending on the firmware version and device model, so read each section carefully.

Before you start, check two key points: 1 You have the Yandex app installed with Alice (version at least 23.12). 2 Your smartphone runs on MIUI 12 or later (older versions will require additional steps).

If at least one of the conditions is not met, some functions may not work properly.

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

At first glance, it may seem that the difference between assistants is minimal - both know how to set alarm clocks, search for information on the Internet and manage a smart home.

• 🗣️ Better understanding of Russian: Alice is trained in local dialects, jargon, and even understands some grammatical errors, whereas Google often requires perfectly clear wording.
• 📍 Integration with Russian services: taxi order (Yandex Go, Citimobil), food delivery (Delivery Club, Yandex Food), payment of fines and utilities - all this is available directly from voice request.
• 🎵 Music and podcasts without VPN: Alice connects to Yandex Music and Yandex Podcasts without having to bypass the block, unlike YouTube Music or Google Podcasts.
• 🏠 Smart home in Russian: the management of devices Yandex Station, Redmond, Rubetkin and other local brands is more stable than through Google Home.

Alice is also better adapted to work with MIUI: she opens system applications correctly (Camera, Gallery, Settings), while Google Assistant is sometimes confused in Chinese shells.

Smartphone Preparation: What to Do Before Replacing an Assistant

Before you start setting up, make sure your device is ready for changes, and skipping these steps can cause voice control to crash or even system application conflicts.

First, upgrade to the latest version of Yandex via Google Play or APKMirror (if the store is not available). The minimum required version is 23.12.5, but it is better to install the latest version. You can check the current version in Settings → Applications → Yandex → Version.

Second, clear the cache and data of Google Assistant to avoid conflict when switching.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Google (or Google Assistant) and select it.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.

It is also recommended to disable the auto-update of Google Assistant so that it does not overwrite the settings after replacing.You can do this in Google Play: find the app, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and uncheck the Auto Update.

Update the Yandex application to the latest version

Clear cache and Google Assistant data

Disable Google Assistant Auto Update in Play Market

Check the MIUI version (must be at least 12)

Backup of important data (in case of failure)-->

Method 1: Official replacement via MIUI settings (for new versions)

Starting with MIUI 14 (and partly in MIUI 13), Xiaomi has added the default voice assistant option, which is the easiest and doesn’t require any additional manipulation, but doesn’t work on all models.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Applications by default.
2. Scroll down and find Voice Assistant (or Assist & Voice Input in English).
3. In the list of available assistants, select Yandex (if there is none, update the application or reinstall it).
4. Confirm the selection and restart the device.

After the reboot, check out Alice's work:

• Press the Home button (or say “OK Yandex” if the voice call is enabled).
• Try giving a command, such as “Alice, turn on the flashlight” or “Set the alarm for 7 a.m..”

If Alice does not respond to a voice call, check the permissions for Yandex: Settings → Applications → Yandex → Permissions and turn on the Microphone, Auto Run and Display on top of other applications.

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If the MIUI settings do not include Voice Assistant, try changing the device region to Russia: Settings → Additional → Region. After changing the region, restart your smartphone.

Method 2: Replace with ADB (for older versions of MIUI or if the official method doesn't work)

If your smartphone is working on MIUI 12 or older version, or if the settings simply do not allow you to choose an assistant, you will have to use ADB-This method requires a computer connection, but it works on 90% of Xiaomi devices.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers (you can download on the official website).
• 🔧 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 📥 Utility. ADB (Download Platform Tools from Google).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer via USB and select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is displayed – you can continue.
4. Follow the command to appoint Alice as the default assistant: adb shell pm grant ru.yandex.search android.permission.BIND_ASSIST_SERVICE
5. Then type adb shell cmd assistant set-default-assistant ru.yandex.search/.voiceassistant.AssistActivity
6. Reboot your smartphone.

After the reboot, Alice should become the default assistant. Check this by pressing the Home button or saying, "OK, Yandex." If nothing works, try repeating the commands or checking if the permissions for the Yandex application have reset.

Method 3: Using third-party launchers (for deep integration)

If you don’t just need to replace your voice assistant, but make Alice part of the interface (for example, swipe up from the dock bar), you can use third-party launchers, a method that is suitable for users who are willing to sacrifice the standard MIUI Launcher for advanced features.

The best launchers for Alice integration:

After the launcher is installed:

1. Assign it to the default launcher (the system will ask about it when you first start).
2. Find in the launcher settings the section Voice assistant or Gestures.
3. Attach Alice's call to a desired gesture (e.g. swipe up from the dock bar or double-click on the Home button).
4. In some launchers (like Nova), you can even add Alice’s widget to the home screen for quick access.

The downside of this method is that when you return to the standard MIUI launcher, the settings will reset, and some functions (for example, voice calling for a key phrase) can work unstable if the launcher is not optimized for MIUI.

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The launchers allow not only to replace the voice assistant, but also to completely customize the Xiaomi interface, adding features that are not in the standard shell.

Setting up Alice's voice call (OK, Yandex)

By default, Alice responds to the phrase "OK, Yandex", but you need to set the permissions and voice training correctly. If the assistant does not answer a voice call, follow this instruction:

Step 1: Turn on the microphone continuously:

1. Open the Yandex app and go to Alice → Settings (cogs) → Voice assistant.
2. Activate the switch "OK, Yandex".
3. Take a brief voice training (say the phrase 3 times).

Step 2: Set up autostart and work in the background:

• Go to Phone Settings → Applications → Yandex → Autostart and turn it on.
• In the same menu, find Permissions → Additional → Display on top of other apps and allow.
• In Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management, select the “No Limits” mode for Yandex.

Step 3: Optimize your voice recognition:

• 🎤 In Alice’s settings, turn on “Noisy Recognition” (helps if the smartphone lies far away or indoors loudly).
• 🔊 Turn off "Energy Saving for the microphone" in the battery settings.
• 📶 Make sure you have a stable internet connection (Alice requires a network connection to handle voice commands).

If Alice is still unresponsive to her voice, check if an antivirus or an optimizer (such as Xiaomi’s Security or Clean Master) is blocking her.

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To make Alice respond faster to a voice call, add her widget to the main screen. For this, long pressing in the free space of the screen → Widgets → Yandex → Alice Widget.

Solving problems: Alice is out of work or conflicting with MIUI

Even after you set it up properly, you can have failures, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

Problem 1: Alice opens but doesn’t execute commands (e.g., doesn’t turn on a flashlight or open apps).

⚠️ Attention! This means that Yandex does not have the rights to manage system functions. → Annexes → Yandex → Permissions and manually turn on all switches, especially "Changing System Settings" and "Run in the background".

Problem 2: After the smartphone is rebooted, Google Assistant opens again.

• This is due to the default assistant settings reset. Go to Settings → Applications → Default Apps → Voice Assistant and select Yandex again.
• If the problem is repeated, use it. ADB-The command from Method 2 – it fixes the choice at the system level.

Problem 3: Alice doesn't hear voice commands when the screen is off.

⚠️ Attention! MIUI You've got the default on the microphone listening in sleep mode. To fix this, go to Settings. → Battery → Sleep mode and add Yandex to the list of applications that can work in the background without restrictions.

Problem 4: Google Assistant is a conflict (both assistants are trying to open at the same time).

• Turn off Google Assistant completely: go to Google App, go to Settings → Google Assistant → General → Disable Google Assistant.
• Clear the Google cache and data (as described in the Preparation section).
• If Google Assistant is still activated, remove updates for the Google app through Settings → Apps → Google → Three Dots → Remove updates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing voice assistant with Xiaomi