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Xiaomi smartphones, including the popular Redmi Note 9, are powered by Android, which is deeply integrated with Google’s services. One of these built-in components is the Voice Assistant, which activates by button or voice command, and many users experience the assistant being triggered accidentally when they pull the phone out of their pocket or press the power button, which is annoying.
Complete removal of the system application is impossible without obtaining root rights, which can lead to loss of warranty and unstable device operation. However, there are a number of effective settings that allow you to completely block the start of the assistant, disable voice response and remove it from the context menu. In this article, we will discuss all available deactivation methods so that you can customize your Redmi Note 9 for yourself.
Disconnection through Android system settings
The most reliable and safe way to remove the intrusive feature is to use the built-in operating system settings menu, which does not require third-party software installation and is completely reversible. You need to go to Settings, then select Google and find the settings for Google applications there.
The list that opens up is Search and Assistant, and that's where the main controls for voice assistant are, and then you click on Google Assistant, and the system can request confirmation of action because you're changing the parameters of a key system service.
At the top of the screen, a switch called Google Assistant will open, and by turning it to "Switched Off," you will prevent the system from running the Assistant for any action other than perhaps some system notifications. Note that after this action, the app icon may disappear from the desktop or stop responding to long-term pressing.
⚠️ Warning: Once the assistant is completely disabled, the “Ok Google” commands and voice search via widgets will stop working in the system settings. Make sure that this feature you do not really need to control a smart home or dictate text.
If you want to just limit the functionality, but not disable it completely, you can use the restriction menu. In the same settings section, find Languages or All Assistant Settings, where you can turn off specific modules, such as access to location history or personalized results, which will reduce the activity of background processes.
Remove the power button response
Redmi Note 9 owners often complain that the assistant pops up when you press the lock button long, and this is the standard behavior of MIUI firmware in conjunction with Android. To change this logic, you need to go to the Settings menu and enter the phrase "power button" or "long press" in the search bar (magnifying glass at the top).
The system will suggest you go to the buttons and gestures section (or "Special features" depending on the version of MIUI), where you will see the option "Long-press button "On". By default, there may be a value "Google Assistant". You need to change it to the Off or Nothing menu.
- 🔹 Select the item "Switch off menu", if you want to have a long press buttons reboot and turn off the smartphone.
- 🔹 Select Nothing if you are used to using a short tap to lock and don’t want random positives.
- 🔹 Make sure that the Lock in your pocket function is enabled so that the screen does not respond to the taps inside the bag.
Once this setting is changed, the physical button will no longer be a trigger for the voice interface, which is especially true for those who wear a phone in tight cases where the button can clamp on its own.
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If the button is still called by an assistant after changing the setting, try restarting the device. Sometimes the system takes time to apply the changes in the button configuration.
Configure activation by voice "Ok Google"
Even if you remove the button, the assistant can continue to listen to the microphone in the background, waiting for the activation command. To be completely silent, you need to turn off the permanent listening function, which not only eliminates random launches, but also, according to many experts, will positively affect the autonomy of the device.
Go back to the Google Assistant settings via the app menu or system settings. Find the Hey Google and Voice Match section.
It is also recommended to remove the saved voice sample if you no longer plan to use the feature.Click on the Remove Voice Model or Recreate button to reset data.This ensures that the phone will not respond to similar phrases in conversations or TV.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Access to Voice Match | Off. | The microphone is not constantly listening. |
| Locking with a locked screen | Included. | Protection of personal data |
| Personalized results | Off. | Decreasing data collection |
| History of action | Clean up | Confidentiality |
It’s worth noting that disabling voice activation doesn’t affect the voice recorder or the ability to type in instant messengers, which use Google’s local speech recognition engine, which works independently of the cloud assistant.
Disconnection in the Google app and widgets
Often users forget that the Redmi Note 9 desktop can have a Google search bar widget installed. Even with the assistant disabled, clicking on the microphone in this line can try to start voice input. To avoid this, you can remove the widget or replace it with a standard Xiaomi search engine.
To remove the widget, press your finger on the blank area of the screen, go to the widget menu, find Google, and drag the search bar to the top of the screen (in the removal zone).This action will not remove the app itself, but will remove the entry point from your desktop.
You can also restrict the rights of the app itself. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Go to Google. Permissions can temporarily block access to the microphone. However, this is a "rough" method that can disrupt voice typing in the keyboard.
☑️ Checking widget settings
A softer way is to adjust the widget behavior. In some versions of the MIUI shell, when you tap the microphone, the widget does not open an assistant, but just voice input, which disappears after you say a phrase, and if you are annoyed by the appearance of a color interface, then disabling Voice Match (described above) will solve this problem.
Management through Mi AI and regional features
Global firmware versions for Redmi Note 9 often pre-installed its own Mi AI assistant, which can conflict or duplicate Google Assistant features. In some regions (for example, Russia, Europe), Mi AI may be hidden, but its settings may overlap with the system buttons.
Check the Mi AI settings in the system menu. If you're not using the Xiaomi ecosystem to manage your smart home, it's also best to turn off the feature.The path is usually in Settings → Additional → Mi AI. There you can turn off activation via the power button or volume swing.
⚠️ WARNING: When disabling all voice assistants, make sure you have an alternative way to quickly access emergency services if you’re used to calling them by voice.
If your Redmi Note 9 has a Chinese firmware version (CN ROM), there is Xiao AI by default, and Google can be installed separately, in which case the instructions may differ: look for the AI Button settings, which are often assigned to the side edge.
Use of third-party applications and ADB
For advanced users who want to securely remove the assistant, there are methods using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a debugging tool that allows you to control the system through a computer, a method that requires connecting the phone to the PC via USB and enabling debugging mode.
Using the adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistant command, you can freeze the assistant package, and the phone will assume that the application has been deleted, but when you reset the settings, it will return. This is the most radical method.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.googleassistantTo get it back, you use a command to replace disable-user with enable. Be extremely careful when using ADB: improperly disabling system packages can lead to a cyclical restart (bootloop).
Risks of using ADB
There are also button replacement apps from the Play Market that intercept the power button and block the standard assistant from starting, either by substituting for its action or simply ignoring the signal, such as Button Mapper or Key Mapper.
Frequent questions and problems when disconnecting
Even following the instructions, users may encounter nuanced behaviors, such as resetting the settings after the MIUI update and the assistant will reappear, in which case the procedure for checking the settings of the power button and Voice Match will have to be repeated.
Sometimes users confuse Google Assistant and Google Lens (camera). If you click on the camera button or in the camera app pops up the object recognition interface is not an assistant, and you need to turn off the camera settings or Google Photos application.
Is it safe to disable Google Assistant completely?
Why does the assistant turn on in his pocket?
Can I remove Google Assistant without root rights?
Does the shutdown affect the navigation?
What to do if the settings are reset after rebooting?
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Completely disabling Google Assistant on Redmi Note 9 is achieved by a combination of actions: turning off in Google settings, changing the power button function, and turning off Voice Match.