Voice assistants are no longer a curiosity — they have become an integral part of the ecosystem of modern gadgets. Xiaomi did not stand aside and developed its own virtual assistant — Marushu, which is integrated into smartphones, smart speakers, TVs and other devices of the brand. But what exactly does this assistant know? How does it relate to competitors like Alice from Yandex or Google Assistant? And most importantly, how to use it correctly to unleash its full potential?
In this article, we will take a closer look at all of Marousi’s features, from basic commands to hidden features that not all users know. You will learn how the assistant interacts with Xiaomi’s smart home, what services it supports, and why it may be more useful than alternatives in some cases. And we will also reveal Marousi’s unique feature that sets her apart from other voice assistants: deep integration with Xiaomi’s branded devices without the need to use third-party apps.
Who is Marousia and how did she come to be?
Marusya is a voice assistant from Xiaomi, designed specifically for the ecosystem of the brand’s devices. Unlike universal solutions (for example, Google Assistant or Siri), it is originally designed to work with Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO. The first version of the assistant appeared in 2019 along with the update. MIUI 11, but its functionality was limited.
Today Marusia is available at:
- 📱 Smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (starting MIUI 12)
- 🔊 Smart speakers Xiaomi Smart Speaker and Mi AI Speaker
- 📺 Mi TVs TV Redmi Smart TV
- ⚙️ Other devices with Mi support AI (For example, the Mi Watch smartwatch)
Marousi’s main advantage is its deep integration with the Xiaomi ecosystem, for example, it can directly control a smart home without additional bridges like Google Home or Apple HomeKit, while supporting Russian, English and Chinese, making it convenient for users in Russia and the CIS.
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi devices for Europe and Asia may have Marusya disabled by default. To activate it, you will need to change the region to Russia or China in the system settings.
Basic commands: what Marusya knows "out of the box"
Before we dive into advanced features, we'll look at the basic features that are available immediately after the assistant is activated, and Marusya can perform standard tasks similar to other voice assistants:
- 📅 Managing calendar and reminders: "Marusya, remind me of the meeting tomorrow at 15:00", "Add the event "Mother's birthday" on March 8"
- ⏰ Alarm clocks and timers: "Set your alarm for 7am" and "Set your timer for 10 minutes for tea"
- 📱 Smartphone management: "Switch on Bluetooth", "Put your phone in silent mode", "Pick a screenshot"
- 🎵 Music and media: "Play the song 'Leprechauns - A Jolly Song'", "Play radio Europe Plus'"
- 🌡️ Weather and exchange rates: "What weather tomorrow in Moscow?", "How much is 100 dollars in rubles?"
Marusya can also answer general questions from the Internet:
- 🔍 "How old is Vladimir Putin?"
- 📏 "How to convert 5 inches to centimeters?"
- 🎬 "When the movie Avatar 2 came out'?"
To activate your voice, you just need to say "Hi, Marusya" or click on the microphone icon in the notification panel. On Xiaomi smart speakers, the assistant listens constantly (if the "Always Connect" mode is turned on).
Smart home: how Marusya manages Xiaomi devices
One of Marousi’s key features is managing Xiaomi’s smart home without having to open the Mi Home app.
| Type of device | Examples of teams | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 💡 Smart lamps (Yeelight, Mi) LED) | "Switch on the light in the living room," "Make the lights 30 percent warmer." | Supports the adjustment of brightness and color temperature |
| 🔌 Power and switches (Mi Smart Plug) | "Switch off the socket in the bedroom," "Switch on the kettle in 5 minutes." | You can set on/off timers |
| 🌡️ Thermostats and air conditioners | "Set the temperature 22 degrees", "Switch on the air conditioner for heating" | The Mi Air Conditioner Companion |
| 🚪 Sensors and cameras (Mi Home Security) | "Show the camera at the front door," "Is there traffic in the hallway?" | Requires a connection to Mi Home to set up notifications |
| 🔊 Smart speakers and soundbars | "Turn on the bathroom speaker," "Turn up the volume by 20%." | Supports multi-room reproduction |
For Marusya to operate a smart home, all devices must be:
- Connected to one Mi Account.
- Added to the Mi Home app.
- Be on the same local network (or connected via Mi Home Cloud).
⚠️ Note: If you have multiple homes in Mi Home, Marusya will default to managing devices from the main house. To change priority, go to the app settings and select the desired home under Smart Home. → House management".
Connect all devices to Mi Home|
Make sure your smartphone and gadgets are on the same Wi-Fi network|
Activate voice control in the settings of each device|
Update the firmware on all devices to the latest version-->
Integration with applications: what else does Marusya
In addition to managing system functions and a smart home, Marusya can interact with third-party applications.
- 🎵 Music Services: Supports Yandex Music, VK Music, Spotify (on some devices) Team: "Enable the playlist of 'Hits of the 2000s' in Yandex Music".
- 📺 Video services: Can run YouTube, Movie Search, IVI on Mi TVs TV. Example: "Find the Lord of the Rings movie on the Movie Search".
- 📊 Finance: Shows exchange rates through the Central Bank of Russia or Investing.com. Team: How much is bitcoin in rubles?".
- 🚗 Navigation: Launches Yandex Maps or Google Maps with voice route input: Build a route to Red Square by car".
But there's a caveat: not all apps are supported on all devices, like Xiaomi's smart speakers, where the integration list is limited, whereas smartphones are wider, and to check the services available, say, "Marusya, what apps do you support?"
The assistant can also read notifications from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, VK) And you have to give it permissions in the settings:
Settings → Applications → Permissions → Marusya → Notifications💡
If Marusya doesn't recognize the name of the app, try saying it in English. For example, instead of "VK," say "VK "VK", and instead of Yandex Maps, Yandex Maps".
Hidden features: what few people know about Marus
Beyond the obvious features, Marousi has undocumented features that only advanced users know about.
- 🎮 Game mode: On Xiaomi smartphones, you can say: “Marusya, turn on the game mode”, and the assistant activates the settings for gaming (disable notifications, optimize performance).
- 📡 Network Diagnostics: Marusya, Check Internet Speed Team Launches Speed Test via Ookla Speedtest.
- 🔋 Energy saving: "Enable ultra-low consumption" - activates extreme battery saving mode.
- 📸 Photo and video: "Take a selfie with a timer of 3 seconds" or "Write down a video in a timer of 3 seconds" 4K".
- 🔍 Search by phone: “Find photos from the beach” – searches for media files by tags and dates.
Another unique feature is voice control settings MIUI. For example, you could say:
- "Open the battery settings" → You will immediately go to the "Settings" section → Battery".
- "Turn on the dark theme" → activate night mode.
- "Increase the font by 2 points" → resize.
These commands don’t work on all devices, but they’re worth a try if you have a smartphone on your hands. MIUI 13/14 or newer.
How to Incorporate Marousi Experimental Functions?
Marousia vs Alice vs Google Assistant: Who's Better?
To understand how competitive Marusya is, let’s compare it with two of the most popular voice assistants in Russia – Alice from Yandex and Google Assistant.
| Criteria | Marousia (Xiaomi) | Alice (Yandex) | Google Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Smart home management | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Best integration with Mi Home) | ⭐⭐⭐ (requires configuration through Yandex Station) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Google Home, but not all Xiaomi devices) |
| 🎵 Music and media | ⭐⭐⭐ (limited-list) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full support for Yandex Music, Podcasts) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Integration with YouTube Music, Spotify) |
| 🗣️ Understanding speech | ⭐⭐⭐ (He is very good at Russian, but sometimes he is wrong) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (better understanding of Russian) | ⭐⭐⭐ (Good for English, worse for Russian) |
| 📱 Integration with OS | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (deep-seated MIUI) | ⭐⭐ (limited functionality on Android) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Good integration, but not as deep as Marousi’s) |
| 🌍 Language support | Russian, English, Chinese | Russian, English, Turkish | More than 30 languages |
When should I choose Marusya?
- If you have a lot of Xiaomi devices and want centralized management.
- If you want to speed up the commands inside MIUI.
- If you prefer a minimalist interface without unnecessary "features".
When is it better to use Google Assistant or Alice?
- If you want maximum accuracy of Russian speech recognition.
- If you are actively using the services of Yandex or Google.
- If you have few Xiaomi devices, you need to be versatile.
💡
Marusia is the best choice for Xiaomi ecosystem owners, while Alice and Google Assistant are more versatile but less device-specific.
How to set up Marusya for yourself: step-by-step instructions
To make the assistant work as efficiently as possible, you need to set it up correctly.
- Voice Activation: Go to Settings → marusia → Voice activation and turn on the "Hi, Marusya" option, and you can also set the activation by double pressing the power button.
- Voice Learning: In the same section, select “Voice Learning” and say a few phrases to improve recognition.
- Smart Home Setup: Make sure all devices are connected to Mi Home, and in Marousi settings, enable permission to manage them (Settings) → marusia → Smart home).
- App Permissions: Give Marusa access to calendar, contacts, notifications and geolocation in Settings → Annexes → marusia → Permits.
- Language and region: If the assistant answers in a language you don't understand, check the region in Settings → Additionally. → Language and input → Region (should be Russia).
After setting up, you can test the assistant’s work using commands:
- "Marousia, tell us about your possibilities" → Assistant will list the available functions.
- "Marusya, turn on the "Do not disturb" mode for 1 hour" → Check the management of system settings.
- "Marusya, show me the camera at the front door" → Testing the work with a smart home.
⚠️ Warning: If Marusya is not responding to commands, check to see if the microphone in the notification curtain is turned off or if Do Not Disturb mode is activated. MIUI.