How to permanently disable the voice assistant on Xiaomi Redmi: remove Xiao AI, Google Assistant and MIUI Voice

The voice assistants on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones are often activated by accident — just press the Home button or say “OK, Google” to make an unnecessary interface appear on the screen. Worse, Xiao AI (the built-in MIUI assistant) can continue to work in the background even after manually shutting down, using up battery power and collecting data about your commands. In this article, proven ways to completely turn off all voice assistants, including hidden settings and radical methods for advanced users.

The problem is compounded by the fact that MIUI (Xiaomi firmware) is actively integrating voice services into the system. For example, after upgrading to MIUI 14, many users noticed that Google Assistant automatically turns on when connecting headphones, and Xiao AI begins to respond to phrases even from a locked screen. We tested all methods on the Redmi Note 10/11/12 Pro, Redmi 9/10/11 and POCO X3/X4 models – instructions are relevant for Android 10-14.

1. disable Google Assistant (standard method)

Google Assistant is the most intrusive assistant, because it's embedded in Google services, and you can turn it off through settings, but there's a caveat: once you reset your phone or update your MIUI, it can turn on again.

To deactivate it:

📱 Open the Google app (the icon with the letter “G” on a colored background).
👤 Slip on your avatar in the upper right corner → Settings.
🔊 Choose Google Assistant → General.
⚙️ Go to the Google Assistant → Turn off the Google Assistant Slider.

If you don't have Google Assistant, you've already disabled the Assistant at the system level, but that doesn't guarantee that it won't start when you hold the Home button, and you need to shut it down completely.

Disable microphone access in Google | Delete updates for Google app (via Settings → Apps) | Disable autorun for Google in MIUI Battery Saver| Reset gesture settings (if Assistant is running from a swipe)

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Important: On some firmware, MIUI, when you turn off the Assistant, the Home button stops responding to a long press. That's normal -- it should be.

2. How to remove Xiao AI (built-in Xiaomi assistant)

Xiao AI is Xiaomi's proprietary voice assistant that works even without an internet connection, activated by the phrase "Xiao Ai, Xiao Ai" (Chinese) or by pressing the Home button long enough (unless Google Assistant is disabled).

Instructions for MIUI 12/13/14:

Open the Settings → Applications.
Slip on the three dots in the top corner → Show all the apps.
Find Xiao. AI (or “Voice assistant” MIUI») → Shut down.
Confirm the action by clicking Disable the application.

If you don't have a Disable item, the assistant will be sewn into the system.

🔕 Disallow Auto Start: Settings → Battery and productivity → Autostart control → find Xiao AI and turn it off.
🔇 Block access to the microphone: Settings → Confidentiality → Permits → Microphone → Shut off for Xiao AI.
📵 Remove updates: in the Xiao app menu AI Click Remove Updates (if available).

What happens if you completely remove Xiao AI?

Without root rights, you can't delete the app, just disable it, but on some firmware, it can cause system notifications to fail (e.g., voice prompts in the navigator will stop working). If you have problems after you turn off, return the settings.

3. Disable voice control in MIUI (hidden settings)

Even after disabling Google Assistant and Xiao AI, MIUI may still have an active voice control feature that responds to commands like “Open Camera” or “Enable Flashlight,” which runs through MIUI Voice and is disabled separately.

How to deactivate it:

Go to Settings → Special Options → Voice Control.
Turn off the voice control slider.
Go back and select Voice Entering. → Turn off all options.

If your version of MIUI does not have Voice Control, try an alternative route:

Settings → Additional → Language and input → Voice input

Note: On some devices (Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi 9A), voice control is sewn into MIUI Launcher, in which case only a change of launcher (for example, on Nova Launcher) will help.

Google Assistant|Xiao AI|MIUI Voice (voice control)|Other (write in the comments)|I have no problem with assistants

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4. Radical methods: Disconnection through ADB

If standard methods fail, you can block voice assistants at the system level using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that does not require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to a computer.

Step-by-step:

Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB
Connect Redmi to your PC and confirm debugging permission.
Download ADB Tools and open the command line in the folder with adb.exe.
Enter the commands in turn: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.voicetrigger

What these teams do:

Team team.	Action.
com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox	Disables Google Assistant and all related services
com.miui.voiceassist	Deactivate Xiao AI and MIUI Voice
com.miui.voicetrigger	Blocks voice triggers (for example, activation from the lock screen)

⚠️ Note: After these commands are executed, some functions (such as voice search in Google or Yandex) will stop working. To return everything back, replace disable-user with enable in commands.

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5. Disabling voice activation from the lock screen

One of the most annoying features is activating the assistant from the locked screen, for example, Xiao AI can be triggered when you say a command even when the phone is in your pocket, to fix this:

Method 1 (for MIUI 13/14):

🔒 Go to Settings. → Lock screen → Additional settings.
🗣️ Find Voice Activation or Assistant on the lock screen and turn it off.

Method 2 (universal):

📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
🔍 Find Xiao. AI Google → Permits.
🚫 Turn off permission Show over other windows and Run on a locked screen.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 12.5 for Redmi Note 9 Pro) these settings can be reset after the update.

6. Checking the result and troubleshooting

After disabling all assistants, check:

🔍 Pressing the Home button for a long time does not call an assistant.
🎤 “OK, Google” or “Xiao Ai” teams don’t work.
📱 In Settings → Apps do not have active Google Assistant or Xiao processes AI.

If the assistant is still activated:

🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.
🛠️ Check if third-party launchers are installed (for example, POCO Launcher, which can have their own voice commands.
📦 Remove the cache of system applications: Settings → Memory. → Cleanup → Cash of system applications

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If neither method worked, there are two options: flash custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience without Google services) or use Xiaomi.eu, a modified MIUI without Chinese apps.

7.Alternatives: What assistants can be used instead of standard assistants

If you’ve disabled built-in assistants but want to leave voice control, consider these options:

Annex	Advantages	Deficiencies
Yandex Alice	Understands Russian well, integration with Yandex services	Collects data, sometimes slows down
Siri (via Shortcuts)	Works on Android through workarounds, high recognition accuracy	Complex setup, requires iPhone to sync
RhVoice	Offline recognition, support for many languages	Minimal functionality, no integration with applications

⚠️ Warning: Third-party assistants (especially Alice and Google Assistant) may consume more battery than built-in solutions due to constant synchronization with the cloud. If you only need an assistant for basic commands (calls, timers), it’s best to use Bixby (if you have one) or Cortana in minimal mode.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off voice assistants

Can you completely remove Xiao AI without root rights?

No, without root rights, you can only disable the application through settings or ADB. Complete removal requires superuser or custom firmware rights. However, even a disabled Xiao AI will not waste resources if you block its autorun and access to the microphone.

After the Google Assistant shutdown, the Home button stopped working.

This is normal behavior — long-clicking on Home is the default attachment to Assistant. To return the feature, install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) or use navigation gestures instead of buttons. You can also reassign the action of the button through applications like Button Mapper (ADB required).

The assistant turns on itself when you call. How do you fix this?

The problem is typical of the Redmi Note 8/9, and it's related to the conflict between MIUI Voice and the phone app. Solution: Open Settings → Apps → Phone. Disable microphone access for Xiao AI and Google. Disable Voice commands during the call (if any). If it doesn't work, reset the Phone app to factory settings.

Will Google work after the Assistant is disabled?

No, the phrase will stop working. However, some apps (like Yandex or Samsung Bixby) can use their own voice triggers. If you want this feature, re-install the Google App from APKMirror and set up the assistant manually, but disable auto-run.

Can I turn off assistants on always through build.prop editing?

Theoretically, yes, but it's a risky method. ro.opa.eligible_device=False in build.prop disables Google Assistant, but can cause Google services to crash.Not recommended without experience - better use ADB system settings.