How to remove voice assistant from the phone Xiaomi

Owning a modern Xiaomi smartphone is a balance between advanced features and intrusive services that the developers of MIUI and HyperOS implement on the system by default. One of the most annoying features for many users is the constant activity of voice assistants, which can be triggered by a random touch or simply interfere with the purity of the interface. Remove the voice assistant from the Xiaomi phone is a task quite solvable, but it requires understanding the difference between Google Assistant, built into Android, and the proprietary service XiaoAI, which is often found in Chinese versions of firmware.

Complicating matters, the methods of disabling may vary dramatically depending on the regional version of the software and the shell version. ROM Google’s ecosystem dominates, Chinese versions of China ROM This is the XiaoAI ball, which sometimes can't be turned off through the standard settings menu. In this article, we'll look at all the deactivation options available, from simple menu switches to advanced methods through the Internet. ADB-commands that allow you to completely remove or freeze unwanted system components.

Before we start taking drastic measures, it is important to assess whether we need to completely remove the service. A complete shutdown can affect other functions, such as smart home management or voice input. However, if your goal is maximum autonomy and no listening, then customizing the system is a must. We will look at options for devices with different degrees of access rights, including methods that do not require root rights.

Differences between Google Assistant and XiaoAI on MIUI

The first step in the clean-up struggle is to identify which assistant is keeping you from living, and most devices sold outside of China are pre-installed with Google Assistant, which is a deep integration with the search giant's services that is activated by a swipe from the corner of the screen or a home button, and its architecture is tied to Google Play system services, and you can't just cut it out of the system without affecting other applications.

This voice assistant is designed by Xiaomi and is primarily targeted at the Chinese market. It can manage Xiaomi’s smart home appliances, order food and execute system commands at a level not available to Google. On global firmware, it is often hidden or replaced, but in Chinese versions of MIUI and HyperOS, it is a system application with high privileges. It is often impossible to remove it with standard means, since the shutdown button may be inactive.

It’s important to understand that these two services can conflict or duplicate features, for example, trying to activate voice search can cause both assistants to respond simultaneously, leading to chaos and battery drain, so setting up correctly involves isolating or disabling one of them depending on your needs and language preferences.

• 🤖 Google Assistant: Deep integration with Android, requires a Google account, perfectly recognizes Russian, manages third-party applications.
• 🇨🇳 Xiaomi’s native service, tailored to the Chinese language and the Mi Home ecosystem, is often present in system processes even on the global scale.
• ⚙️ System layer: Both assistants have access to a microphone and can activate on a hot command, posing privacy risks.

⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB It can lead to unstable operation of the shell MIUI. Before the manipulation is initiated, it is strongly recommended to create a complete backup of important data.

Basic disconnection through system settings

The safest and easiest way to limit voice assistant activity is to use the regular shell functionality, which does not require a connection to a computer and eliminates the risk of turning a smartphone into a brick. However, it is worth noting that the term “remove” here rather means “deactivate hotkeys and voice activation”, since the application itself will remain in the memory of the device.

To start, you need to go to the Google Assistant settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the Android version, but it's usually in Settings → Google → Settings for Google apps → Search and Google Assistant → Google Assistant. Here we're interested in the Google Assistant tab and the Phone section, and it's in this menu that key switches that are responsible for responding to voice commands and buttons are hidden.

Inside the phone's settings menu, find Google Assistant and turn the switch to off. It's also recommended that you turn off Hey Google to stop the phone responding to voice commands while on standby. This will save battery life and increase privacy. For users who don't want to completely abandon the functionality but want to remove irritants, you can only leave text input.

If you're talking about XiaoAI, it can often be found on global firmware in the Services and Feedback app or in a separate app with an orange icon. In the app settings, look for Voice Wakeup and turn off all options related to voice activation or power button. Some versions of MIUI require you to additionally turn off microphone access in the App Permissions section.

Using ADB to remove system components

When standard methods fail, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a powerful debugging tool that allows you to control your smartphone system from your computer, and it can not just disable, but actually remove (for the current user) the packages that control voice assistants, which requires a PC (Windows, macOS or Linux) and a USB cable.

The first step is to activate the developer mode on your smartphone, which requires 7 quick clicks on the build number in the About Phone section. After the notification “You became a developer”, go to Advanced Settings → For developers and turn on “Debugging by USB”. When you connect to your computer, a request for debugging permission will appear on the phone screen – it must be confirmed.

Once you have installed the ADB platform tools on your computer and connected your smartphone, open the command line or terminal in the ADB folder. Enter the adb device command to check the connection. If the device is determined, you can proceed to delete the packets. For Google Assistant, the key package is com.google.android.apps.googleassistant, and for XiaoAI, com.mi.android.personal.globalassistant or com.xiaomi.voiceassistant depending on the version.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant

This command does not physically remove the application from the recovery section, but removes it for the current user (user 0), making it invisible and non-working. To return everything as it was, just execute the command adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.apps.googleassistant. This is a safe method that does not violate the integrity of the system partition and allows you to easily roll back changes.

This is the price for not having root rights and maintaining a software guarantee.

Disabling activation with power button and swipe

One of the most common causes of irritation is the accidental activation of the assistant, and you pull the phone out of your pocket, and it suddenly starts listening to your commands or glowing with the screen. In MIUI and HyperOS, this is often due to a combination of actions with a power button or a long press on the corner of the screen, and you can remove this feature in the button settings.

Go to Settings → Settings → Button Management (or “Buttons and gestures”). Find Press and hold Power button. The default is often Google Assistant. Change the value to “Switch off me” or “Nothing” if available. This will return the power button to its classic reboot menu function.

Also check your gesture settings. In Settings → Lock screen or Control Panel, you can activate the Swipe Assistant. Turn it off to prevent accidental launches when unlocking your phone. On some Xiaomi models with the Home button (such as old Mi Mix or tablets), long-term pressing on the button also activates the assistant — this is configured in Settings → Additional settings → Button Mode.

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If you have a phone without a physical home button (all-screen), the assistant call function can be linked to a swipe from the bottom corner of the screen. Check the navigation gesture settings in the Full-screen mode section.

Remember that some third-party launchers or themes can intercept button control. If standard settings don't help, try temporarily changing the theme to a standard one or checking for apps with Accessibility rights that may interfere with buttons.

Managing permissions and microphone access

Even if you can't completely remove the voice assistant, you can severely limit its capabilities by denying access to critical resources. The most important resource in this context is the microphone, and without access to it, the voice assistant becomes a text search engine that can't hear you.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Search Google or Google Assistant (and XiaoAI if you have one). Go to App Permissions. Find Microphone and select Prohibit. The system can warn you that the app won't work correctly -- accept, because that's what we're trying to do.

Beyond the microphone, you have to limit access to geolocation and contacts. Voice assistants often use this data to provide contextual information, but for the average user who doesn't use voice address search or calls, these permissions are redundant. Disabling location access will also have a positive effect on the autonomy of the device.

• 🎤 Microphone: Total ban. This is the main step in deactivation.
• 📍 Geo-position: Do not let your assistant know where you are.
• 📞 Contacts: Prohibit voice from dictating messages or calling.

⚠️ Note: After updating the Google Play Services app, rights may automatically be restored. Check permission settings periodically to make sure that the microphone ban is still in effect.

Problems with the Chinese version of firmware (China ROM)

Owners of smartphones imported from China or purchased on AliExpress with a China ROM installed face a unique problem: XiaoAI is an integral part of the system there. Unlike the global versions, where Google dominates, in China, Google services are either absent or operate with restrictions, and XiaoAI is deeply integrated into the core of the system.

Attempting to remove XiaoAI to China ROM via ADB often results in errors or instantaneous recovery of the package by the system. Moreover, some system functions, such as a translator or certain automation scenarios, may stop working. In such cases, experts recommend not to fight the system, but to reflash the device to the global version (Global ROM) or install custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.eu), which is already “cleaned” from Chinese software.

If you can’t flash it back, you can try to freeze the application with utilities like SD Maid or Titanium Backup (requires Root), but this requires a high level of skill. For the average user, the safest option is to simply disable autostart and background activity of the application in the battery and autostart MIUI settings.

It’s also worth mentioning that on China ROM, the voice assistant can activate even when the screen is off if the phone is connected to charging.This behavior is sewn up at the firmware level and removed only by flashing or using specialized Magisk modules such as “Debloat” scripts.

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