How to turn on “OK Google” on Xiaomi phone: full instructions with error solutions

Why Google’s voice assistant doesn’t work out of the box on Xiaomi?

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones often find that the phrase “OK Google” does not work immediately after buying a device, the reason lies in the features of the MIUI firmware: the default Chinese shell limits the background activity of applications to save battery, and the voice assistant Google requires constant access to the microphone and the Internet.

In addition, some models (such as the Xiaomi 13T or POCO F5) pre-installed an alternative assistant, Xiao AI, which conflicts with Google services. But even if you remove the Chinese assistant, this is not enough: you need to manually configure permissions, recognition language and update Google Play services to the latest version. In this article, we will discuss all the steps from basic activation to solving rare errors, when the assistant “does not hear” a command or gives a message “Voice Match is not available”.

⚠️ Important: The instructions are suitable for devices on MIUI 12-15 (including global and Chinese firmware versions).If you have Xiaomi with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13), some of the items may differ - see the special section at the end of the article.

Preparing your phone: 3 mandatory steps before setting up

Before you turn on the voice assistant, make sure your Xiaomi meets the minimum requirements:

• 📱 Android Version: 8.0 Oreo or later (check in Settings) → The phone. → Android version. On older models (e.g. Redmi) 4X) function may not be supported.
• 🔊 Microphone: Must work without failure, you can check it through the app or the call in headphones.
• 🌐 Internet: stable Wi-Fi or mobile network connection (voice commands are processed on Google servers).

If one of the items is not met, OK Google will not work. For example, on the Xiaomi Mi A2 (with a pure Android One), the problem often arises from an outdated version of the Google App. On the POCO X3 Pro, the assistant may not respond due to a disabled microphone for applications manually.

🔧 Additional check: Open the settings → Annexes → Manage your apps and find Google. If there's an "Enable" button on it, press it, and sometimes the app shuts down after you reset your settings.

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If you have Chinese firmware (China ROM), first install the Google Services Framework via xiaomi.eu or the APKMirror store. Without this, the voice assistant will not work even after all the settings.

Step-by-step: how to turn on “OK Google” on Xiaomi

Follow this algorithm to activate the voice assistant. If there is an error at some point, go to the "Problem Solutions" section.

Step 1: Update Google Apps

Start the Google Play Store, search for the Google app (not Google Play Services!) and update it.

• 🔄 Google Play Services
• 🔄 Google App (app with the icon of the color letter "G»)
• 🔄 Google Assistant Go (if you have a budget model, for example, Redmi) 9A)

Step 2: Setting up voice in the Google app

1. Open the Google app (not the browser!).
2. Tap the profile avatar in the upper right corner → Settings → Voice search.
3. Select Voice Matching and turn on the switch.
4. Get trained: Say the phrase “OK Google” 3 times, then “Hi Google” (if necessary).

Updated Google App and Google Play Services

Access to the microphone for the Google app is enabled

The correct language (Russian/English)

Power saving mode is turned off for Google App-->

Step 3: Permissions and Auto-Start

Go to Settings → Applications → App Management → Google and:

• 🎤 Enable the Microphone's permission.
• 📱 Allow AutoRun (to allow the assistant to work in the background).
• 🔋 Turn off Battery Optimization (in some versions) MIUI This item is called “Energy saving»).

Step 4: Verification of the work

Say "OK Google" or "Hi Google" (if you've set it up). If the assistant answers, the setup is complete. If not, see the next section.

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On HyperOS models (e.g. Xiaomi 14), the path to voice settings may vary: Settings → Additional → Special Features → Voice Assistant.

Solution to the 5 Most Common Mistakes With Google on Xiaomi

If the assistant does not respond after setting up, check these points:

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) after the update MIUI Google permissions are reset. Check them out after every major update!

A critical mistake for Chinese firmware: If you have Xiaomi with China ROM (Google’s voice assistant won’t work without first installing Google Mobile Services (GMS). Use the XiaomiTool tool V2 or manual instructions from the forum 4PDA.

How to set up OK Google on a locked screen

By default, the voice assistant only works when the screen is unlocked, to activate it at any time:

1. Open Settings → Display → Lock the screen.
2. Choose Voice Assistant (or Trust Agents in older versions of MIUI).
3. Turn on the switch for Google.
4. Return to Google App and re-take voice training (Settings → Voice Search → Voice Matching).

🔒 Security: This feature can reduce privacy — anyone nearby can activate an assistant. If you're afraid of accidental alarms, turn it off for sensitive places (for example, at work).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with infrared unlocking (such as Mi 11 Ultra), voice activation on the locked screen may conflict with sensors. In this case, the assistant will only activate after a short press of the power button.

Google’s “OK” Alternatives for Xiaomi: When a Standard Assistant Is Not Suitable

If you are not satisfied with Google Assistant (for example, due to a Google account link or Russian language issues), consider these options:

• 🤖 Xiao AI (Preinstalled on Chinese firmware: understands Chinese and English, but requires registration in Mi Account.
• 🌍 Alice from Yandex: well recognizes Russian, but works slower than Google. Install the application Yandex and enable voice assistant in its settings.
• 🔊 Bixby (for models with Samsung-processors): rare on Xiaomi, but if you have a POCO F4 GT With Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, you can try the ported version.
• 🛠️ Tasker + AutoVoice: for advanced users, allows you to create custom voice commands (for example, “Enable Bluetooth” to run specific actions).

📌 Comparison of assistants:

💡 Tip: If you use Alice, add her widget to the home screen – this will speed up the call assistant compared to voice activation.

Features of setting up “OK Google” on Xiaomi with HyperOS

HyperOS is Xiaomi’s new shell, which replaced MIUI in 2026 (debuting to Xiaomi 14 and Redmi K70), and has changed the way to some settings, as well as additional limitations for background processes.

🔹 What's changed:

• 📁 The Way to Voice Settings: Settings → Additionally. → Special facilities → Voice assistant.
• 🔋 New Power Saving Mode: Now You Need to Manually Add Google to the “No Limits Apps” List → Battery → Energy consumption of applications).
• 🔒 Additional authorization: When you first turn on OK Google, you may need to confirm SMS Mi Account.

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS, voice assistant may conflict with the Smart Assistant function (similar to Xiao) AI). Turn it off in Settings. → Additionally. → Smart Assistant if Google is not working.

🛠️ Solution to the microphone problem: HyperOS has a separate switch to access the microphone in the background:

Settings → Privacy → Application permissions → Microphone → Google → Allow background access

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up OK Google on Xiaomi