Xiaomi’s current MIUI 12 smartphones offer users a wide range of functions to automate tasks, and voice control is not the last. However, many device owners face a situation where the standard phrase “OK Google” stops working or does not activate at all after a system update. This can be due to both software failures and changes in the privacy settings in new versions of Android. Understanding exactly where the right switch is hiding often requires careful study of the menu, since manufacturers like to hide important options in the depth of the system partitions.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to activate the voice assistant on Xiaomi devices, we will touch not only on standard methods of enabling through Google settings, but also on the specific nuances of MIUI 12, which can block the microphone from working in the background, and pay attention to checking resolutions and language parameters, since they are the most often cause of malfunctioning of the speech recognition function.
Checking basic settings in the Google app
The first step to restore functionality is to check the basic parameters inside the Google app itself. Often, after reinstalling the system or updating the applications, the default settings are reset and the voice search function is simply disabled. You need to open the Google app on your smartphone and go to the profile menu, which is usually located in the upper right corner of the screen.
Once you enter the menu, select Settings, and then search for Voice Search, which is where all the key switches that control your device's response to voice commands are concentrated. Make sure that Google Assistant is active, as this component handles complex queries and constantly taps the microphone for a keyword phrase.
- 📱 Open the Google app and click on the profile avatar.
- ⚙️ Go to the Settings section and select Voice Search».
- 🗣️ Find the “Hey Google” item and make sure the slider is turned on.
- 🎤 Retrain your voice model if the system offers to do so.
If the Hey Google switch is already active but the command is not working, try a voice recognition retraining, which will allow the system to re-record your voice reference and improve noise recognition accuracy, and in some cases, a complete reinstallation of updates to the Google app through the Play Market store helps.
⚠️ Note: If the feature doesn’t work in Google’s settings after it’s turned on, the problem may lie in aggressive battery optimization. MIUI, which kills the background process.
Configure permissions and access to the microphone
MIUI 12 is famous for its strict security policies, which sometimes play a cruel joke with users by blocking the necessary permissions for system applications. Google’s app and Google Play services require constant access to the microphone even when the smartphone screen is off. Without this right, the system simply cannot “hear” your command.
To check and change these settings, go to your device’s settings and find the Apps section. From the installed program list, look for Google and click on App Permissions. Here you need to find the Microphone category and set the “Allow Always” or “Allow During Use” value, although for full operation it is better to choose the first option if it is available in your firmware version.
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If the permissions list does not include the “Microphone” item, try clearing the Google app data from the Memory menu and restarting the device.
Also worth paying attention to the privacy settings of the shell itself: MIUI 12 has a separate privacy management screen where you can see which apps and how often the microphone is used. Make sure that Google services do not have a backdoor or audio device access restriction.
The table below shows the main resolutions that must be active for a voice assistant to work smoothly:
| System component | Permission required | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Google appendix | Microphone | Permission. |
| Google Play Services | Location | Permission. |
| Google Assistant | Access to contacts | Optionally. |
| Google (Background mode) | Auto-start | Permission. |
Language parameters and region
One of the most common reasons why the phrase "OK Google" is ignored by a smartphone is that the system language is not the same as the voice input language. The Google assistant needs to understand what language you're communicating with him, and if the settings are only English and you speak Russian, there will be no reaction, which is especially true for users who changed the region of the device during the initial setup.
To fix this, go back to the voice search settings in the Google app. Find the Languages section and make sure that the first language on the list is Russian. If Russian is not on the list, add it by clicking on the corresponding button. It is important that the Russian language has an offline recognition model loaded, which will allow you to activate the command even without an active Internet connection, although you will still need a network to perform complex queries.
Also, check the region specified in the Google Assistant settings. Sometimes changing the region in your phone settings doesn't automatically update the region in your Google account. Go to the Assistant settings, select All settings, and in the Languages section, check to make sure the region matches your current location or the language you use to communicate.
Work with energy savings and background processes
MIUI 12 has very aggressive power-saving algorithms that can force a Google app to stop working when it's not actively in use, which means the microphone stops listening to OK Google to save battery power, and to avoid this behavior, you have to manually configure exceptions for system services.
Go to the battery settings and find Activity Control. In the app list, look for Google and Google Play Services. For both, select No Limits mode, which will prevent the system from killing voice control processes even if the smartphone screen is out for a long time.
- 🔋 Open "Settings» → «Annexes» → «All applications».
- 🔍 Find the Google app in the list».
- ⚡ Go to Battery and select No Limitations».
- 🔄 Repeat the procedure for Google Play Services».
⚠️ Warning: Setting “No Limits” mode may slightly increase battery consumption in standby mode, as the microphone will be running constantly.
It’s also worth checking whether the phone is power saving or ultra-saving.In these modes, the apps’ background activity is limited by default, and no manual exception settings may work until you switch to standard or performance mode.
Updating the voice model and services
Speech recognition technologies are constantly being improved and require up-to-date software versions to work. If your Xiaomi MIUI 12 has not been updated with Google components for a long time, OK Google may not work properly or at all. Updates often contain patches for compatibility errors with new versions of Android and MIUI.
Open the Play Market store, go to your profile and select App and Device Management. In Update Availables, check for updates for Google, Google Assistant and Google Play Services. If updates are available, install them and be sure to restart your smartphone to apply the changes.
What if the Play Market doesn’t get any updates?
Sometimes it’s helpful to reinstall Google app updates completely. To do this, find Google in the app settings, click on the three dots in the top corner and select “Delete Updates.” After that, the smartphone will return to the factory version of the app, and when connected to the network it automatically downloads the latest version, which often solves problems with configuration file conflicts.
Additional Commands and Alternatives
In addition to the standard phrase “OK Google,” there are alternative ways to activate the assistant on Xiaomi devices that may be even more convenient, such as setting the Assistant to start with a long press of the power button or the home button if it is touch-sensitive, which allows you to activate voice input in any situation, even if the microphone is blocked by the system or you are in a noisy place.
To set up this method, go to Settings → Additional → Buttons and gestures. Here you can find the “Google Assistant Launch” option and assign it to a long press of the power button (usually 0.5 seconds), which works independently of the voice activation settings and is a reliable backup option.
☑️ Checking the performance of the microphone
Also worth mentioning is the possibility of using Mi Voice, Xiaomi’s own voice assistant, which is built into the shell. Although less functional in the Russian segment than Google, it is better integrated into the system settings of MIUI and can execute some commands faster. However, it is better to work with Google Assistant to make full use of the smart home and search information.
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The combination of voice activation and power button start gives maximum flexibility to control the smartphone without having to touch the screen.