How to completely remove Google Assistant on Xiaomi: disable, delete and alternatives

Google Assistant on Xiaomi smartphones is often activated by accident — just press the Home button or say “OK, Google.” For many users, this is an annoying factor: the assistant eats up battery power, collects data about location and habits, and its pop-ups interfere with games or watching videos. Especially a problem for owners of POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13, where Google Assistant is integrated at the MIUI firmware level.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to get rid of Google Assistant, from simple disabling to complete deletion of system files (for advanced users), as well as how to replace it with alternative assistants (for example, Mi AI or Alice) and what to do if after a switchdown there are errors in the operation of the smartphone. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 12-14 and tested on models 2020-2026.

Why is Google Assistant in the way of Xiaomi?

Even if you've never used a voice assistant, it can automatically start in the background, and here are the main reasons why users want to remove it:

🔋 Battery consumption: Google Assistant consumes up to 3-7% of its charge per day due to constant listening to voice commands.
📍 Data collection: The assistant sends information to Google about your location, search queries, and even activity in apps.
🎮 Conflict with games: Accidental press of the Home button interrupts gameplay (relevant to Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile).
📱 Lags and brakes: on budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4 Pro) background activity of the assistant may slow down the system.

In addition, on some MIUI firmware Google Assistant can not be disabled by standard means – the button is gray and inactive. This is due to agreements between Xiaomi and Google, which obliges to pre-install services on devices for the European and American markets.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with global firmware (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T Pro Global) completely remove Google Assistant without root rights impossible, maximum - disable its launch and remove from the startup.

Method 1: Disconnecting through Google Settings

The easiest and safest method is to deactivate the assistant in its settings menu, which is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the POCO X5, Redmi K60 and Black Shark 5.

Instructions:

Open the Google app (the icon with the letter “G” on a color background).
Slip on your avatar in the upper right corner → Settings.
Choose Google Assistant → General.
Scroll down and click Google Assistant (first item).
Switch the slider to the off position.

After that, the assistant will stop responding to voice commands (“OK, Google”) and a long press on the Home button. However, background processes may continue to work – to turn them off, go to Settings → Apps → App Management → Google and choose Stop.

Is voice activation disabled ("OK, Google")

Has the Home button stopped responding?

Has the microphone icon disappeared in the search bar?

No errors when running other applications-->

Method 2: Remove updates and reset settings

If Google Assistant has been pre-updated through Google Play, it can be rolled back to a factory version that is less intrusive, which works on 70% of Xiaomi devices with MIUI 13-14.

How to do this:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Find Google (not to be confused with Google Play Services!) and tap it.
In the upper right corner, click on three dots → Remove updates.
Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

After rollback, go back to the Google Assistant settings (see Method 1) and turn it off again. Now it won't update automatically, but the browser's voice search feature may remain active.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 14 for Redmi Note 11) after the updates are deleted, access to Google Pay or YouTube Music may disappear.

Disabled through Google settings

Deleting updates

Used. ADB-team

I've tried nothing.-->

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (no root rights)

For users willing to work with the command line, there is a more radical method - disabling Google Assistant via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which does not require root rights, but will require connecting the smartphone to the computer.

Step-by-step:

Download and install Platform Tools (the official tool from Google).
On your smartphone, activate Developer Mode: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
Connect your phone to your PC, open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools.
Enter the commands in turn: adb devices (you should have the name of your device) adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

This command will remove Google Assistant for the current user without affecting the system files. After the reboot, the assistant will disappear from the menu and stop responding to voice commands. To return it, you just need to update the Google application through the Play Market.

What if the ADB can’t see the device?

1. Make sure that the debugging is enabled by USB and you have confirmed trust in the computer on the phone. 2. Check if the drivers are installed for your Xiaomi model (you can download it on the official website). 3. Try using another one. USB-cable (preferably original). 4. Reboot your phone and PC, then reconnect.

Method 4: Complete removal with root rights (for advanced)

If you’re willing to take drastic measures and your smartphone has root rights (like Magisk), you can completely remove Google Assistant from the system, a method that is suitable for Xiaomi with custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience) or rooted devices.

Instructions:

Install a file manager with root rights support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
Go to /system/priv-app/Velvet or /system/app/GoogleQuickSearchBox
Delete the Velvet or GoogleQuickSearchBox folder (pre-backup!).
Reboot your smartphone.

After that, Google Assistant will be completely uninstalled and all related services (such as voice search in Google Chrome) will stop working. Please note that on some firmware this may lead to errors in Google Play services.

Method	Root rights required?	Reversibility	Risks.
Disconnection in settings	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	Minimum
Removal of updates	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	Possible errors in Google services
ADB-team	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	Resetting some settings
Removal through root	✅ Yes.	❌ No (no backup)	Google services departure, possible "brick"

Method 5: Replacement with alternative assistants

If you don’t like Google Assistant but need a voice replacement, consider these options:

🤖 Mi AI (built-in MIUI): It works without the Internet, supports Russian, but is less functional.
🗣️ Alice from Yandex: better recognizes Russian, integrated with Yandex services (Weather, Music, Maps). Install the application and assign a voice command "Alice».
🌍 Bixby (for Samsung owners): If you have Samsung devices in the ecosystem, you can sync them with Xiaomi via SmartThings.
🔧 Tasker + AutoVoice: for advanced users, allows you to create your own voice commands for any action (for example, “Put Bluetooth on” or “Put Spotify on»).

To appoint Alice instead of Google Assistant:

Install the Yandex app with Alice from Play Market.
Go to Settings → Applications → By default → Voice Assistant.
Choose Yandex instead of Google.

💡

If the Home button stops working after changing the assistant, manually assign its action through the Button Mapper application (ADB or root is required).

What to do if there are problems after the shutdown?

In rare cases, deactivating Google Assistant can cause a crash, and here are the common mistakes and solutions:

🔄 Permanent reboots: usually associated with deleting system files through root. The solution is to return deleted folders (Velvet or GoogleQuickSearchBox) from the backup.
🔊 Voice search in Chrome doesn’t work: this is OK, as it depends on Google Assistant.Use text input or install Firefox with alternative search.
📱 Google Apps (YouTube, Gmail) Do Not Open: Clear the cache and application data Google Play Services in the settings.
🔋 Battery consumption has increased: paradoxically, sometimes after the assistant is turned off, the system begins to more actively scan background processes. → Battery → Optimization.

⚠️ Note: If you have been manipulated by ADB or root rights smartphone stopped turning on (bootloop), try to go to Recovery Mode (clip the power supply) + Volume up) and make Wipe Cache. If that doesn't work, you'll need to flash it over the Fastboot.

💡

Before any changes to system files, backup via MIUI Backup or TWRP (if there is custom recovery).

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling Google Assistant

Can I remove Google Assistant from Xiaomi without a computer?

Yes, the first two methods (disable settings and remove updates) do not require a PC, but you will need a computer to completely remove it through ADB or root rights.

Why is Google Assistant turned on again after Google is turned off?

This is due to the automatic update of the Google app.To prevent this, disable auto-update for it in the Play Market or remove the updates (see Method 2).

Will Google work after the shutdown?

No, voice activation is completely deactivated. If you want to leave only text search, just turn off the microphone in the Google Assistant settings.

Can I return Google Assistant after deleting it through ADB?

Yes, just update the Google app through the Play Market or manually install it. APK-file.

What Xiaomi models do not allow you to disable Google Assistant?

On devices with Google Mobile Services (GMS) for the European market (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Lite 5G NE, POCO X5 Pro 5G), the shutdown button can be blocked, in which case only ADB or root will help.