Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the desire to replace the standard voice assistant Google Assistant with a more understandable and functional for the Russian-speaking user Yandex Alice. the Standard Android system, on which the shell MIUI or HyperOS is based, is originally sharpened for Google services, which makes the replacement process unobvious to the untrained user. However, modern versions of the operating system allow you to reassign voice input and the assistant call buttons without the need for root rights or deep interference with system files.
The main challenge is that Google is firmly integrated into the core of the system, and simply installing an app is not enough to completely displace a competitor.You will need to perform a series of settings in the special features menu and application management by default. Yandex provides the necessary tools for this, but they are often hidden from the eyes of the average user or require the activation of additional modules within the application itself.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods, from basic configuration through the system menu to advanced integration methods. You will learn how to make it Alice, not Google, from the corner of the screen, when you press the power button or swipe long, that will significantly simplify the management of your smartphone, especially if you actively use Yandex’s smart home or the company’s music services.
Preparation of the smartphone and installation of the necessary components
Before you start changing your system settings, you need to make sure that your device has all the required components installed. The basic requirement is to have an up-to-date version of the Yandex application with a built-in voice assistant module. Often users only install a browser or a separate Alice application, which does not always give full access to the system functions of replacing the assistant.
Go to Google Play Market or AppGallery and find Yandex with Alice. Make sure it says you can work as a voice assistant. After installation, take your time to open your system settings. Start the app, log in to your Yandex ID account and give all the permissions you request to access your microphone, geolocation and contacts.
⚠️ Note: Some global versions of the firmware MIUI The voice assistant module may be hidden or limited in functionality.If the standard installation does not help, consider installing the Russian version of the application through third-party stores or APK-files from the official website of the developer.
It’s also worth checking for updates for Android itself and the MIUI shell. In newer versions of HyperOS, the assistant reassignment mechanisms are more stable. Make sure you have a stable Internet connection, as primary activation and synchronization of voice models require data to be transferred to the server.
☑️ Ready to replace an assistant
Setting Alice as the main assistant in the Android system
The central step in the process is to change the system priority in Android settings. The operating system allows you to choose which application will be responsible for processing voice requests by default. To do this, you will need to go to the settings section, which can be called differently depending on the version of Android and the shell.
Open the smartphone settings menu and find the Apps section. From the list of options, select App Management or All Apps. Here you need to find the Default Apps button (often hidden in the three-dot menu in the upper right corner). From the list that opens, find the Assistant or Voice Assistant category and change Google Assistant to Yandex.
Once Alice is selected, the system can request confirmation of actions. Agree with the changes. Now, when you try to call an assistant using standard methods, the system will access Yandex services. However, on Xiaomi smartphones, this process is often blocked by branded add-ons, so this step alone may not be enough.
In some cases, especially on older versions of Android (below 10), the assistant selection option may not be in the standard menu. Then you need to use a special settings shortcut. Type "assistant" in your settings search or use the command in the application launch bar if you have access to ADB, but we will look at simpler user methods.
Activation through the power button and side panel
The most convenient way to call Alice to Xiaomi is to use hardware buttons. By default, a long press on the power button calls Google Assistant. To reassign this feature, you need to refer to special features settings or additional button functions.
Go to Settings → Additional Features → Buttons (the path may vary slightly in different versions of MIUI).Look for “Long press power button.” If you choose to start Google Assistant, try changing the action. In new versions of HyperOS, you can select “Yandex” from the list of available assistants right in this menu.
If there is no direct replacement, use the workaround through the special features settings. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special features. Find Yandex or Head Assistant in the list and activate it. In the assistant settings menu that appears, turn on the option “Call with a long push of a button”.
What to do if the power button is busy?
Also worth paying attention to the sidebar (Sidebar). → You can add Alice's widget to the sidebar, and that allows you to swipe the assistant from the edge of the screen, which is often even more convenient than finding a physical button.
Setting up the voice activator "OK, Yandex"
To replace the phrase "OK, Google" fully, you need to set up voice activation "OK, Yandex", which will allow you to call the assistant without touching the screen, which is especially important in situations where your hands are busy or the phone is lying on the table.
Open the Yandex app, click on the profile icon and go to Alice's settings. Select Voice control. You need to activate Voice Activation. The system will ask you to say the key phrase several times to train your voice timbre to improve recognition accuracy in noisy environments.
Importantly, constant wiretapping requires that the Yandex app have permission to work in the background and access to a microphone. On Xiaomi, an aggressive energy-saving system can kill the listening process.
- 🔋 Go to the battery settings and find the Yandex app.
- 🔋 Set the energy saving mode in the position "Without restrictions".
- 🔋 Enable Auto-Run for the application in the appropriate optimization menu.
- 🔋 Lock the application in memory (lock in the open application menu) if the listening function stops working.
⚠️ Attention: Constant activation of the microphone significantly increases battery consumption. If autonomy is a priority for you, it is better to use a button call or swipe, turning off voice activation "OK, Yandex".
Solving compatibility issues with MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi shells are known for their deep customization of Android, which often leads to conflicts when trying to implement third-party system services. Users may face a situation where after a reboot, the settings are reset, or Google Assistant persistently returns to its place.
One of the common problems is blocking pop-ups. For Alice to work properly, especially when calling over other applications, you need to allow display over other windows. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Yandex (or Alice) → Other permissions and turn on “Master on top of other applications”.
There is also a hidden developer menu in MIUI that can influence assistant behavior. If standard methods don't work, you can try turning off Google Assistant forcibly. To do this, in Google's settings, look for "Settings for Google Apps" → "Search, Assistant and Google Lens" → "Google Assistant" and turn it off.
Sometimes it helps to clear the cache of a standard Google app. Go to App Management, find Google, select Memory and click Clear Cache. Don't delete the data completely so as not to bring down your account settings, but cache reset can remove the over-the-counter configurations that block the priority change.
Comparison of functionality: Google Assistant vs. Yandex Alice
Before you finally replace one assistant with another, you should weigh the pros and cons. Each assistant has its own strengths, and the choice depends on which tasks you solve most often. Below is a table comparing the key parameters of both assistants on the Android platform.
| Parameter | Google Assistant | Yandex Alice |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding the Russian language | Good, but with a focus on translation. | Excellent, takes context and slang into account |
| Integration with services | Maps, Mail, Google Calendar | Yandex.Music, Taxi, Shop, Market |
| Smart home management | Support for a wide range of devices | The best support for Russian brands |
| Speed of work on Xiaomi | Native, instantaneous. | Requires background work settings |
Google Assistant remains unmatched in global search and navigation services. If you frequently navigate through Google Maps or do business through Gmail, abandoning it altogether can be uncomfortable. However, for entertainment, ordering food, and managing local smart devices, Alice provides a more relevant experience.
Alice also gains in her ability to maintain dialogue and understand complex, composite queries in Russian, and she is better at recognizing commands related to local content, such as “turn on the series in Kinopoisk” or “order pizza from Delivery.”
💡
Tip: You can not remove Google Assistant completely. Leave it to work with maps and mail, and use Alice as the main voice interface for communication and multimedia, switching between them as needed.