How to completely disable Android Auto on Xiaomi smartphones: 5 working ways

Android Auto on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO models) automatically activates when you connect to an automotive media system, even if you are not using it. For some owners, this becomes a problem: the application runs in the background, consumes battery power and can conflict with other services, such as Mi Car or Google Assistant. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable Android Auto – from standard MIUI settings to radical methods for advanced users.

Xiaomi is a big part of it, because it often modifies Google's stock apps, so the standard instructions for pure Android don't always work here. We've tested all the methods on current versions of MIUI 14/13 (including global and Chinese firmware) and highlighted the ones that are guaranteed to work. If you happen to see Android Auto spontaneously turning on when you connect via USB or Bluetooth, this guide will help solve the problem.

Why Android Auto is powered by Xiaomi

The Android Auto app on Xiaomi can be activated automatically for several reasons, and it’s important to understand them before disabling:

🔌 Auto-start USB: Many car radios send a signal to the smartphone to support Android Auto when connected via cable. MIUI recognizes this signal and forced-runs the application, even if it is disabled in the settings.
🔄 Background activity of Google Play Services: Google services can wake up Android Auto on their own if you’ve ever used the feature before.
📱 Optimization MIUI: In some firmware, Xiaomi forcibly includes Android Auto for models with Mi Car Mode support (for example, Xiaomi). 13T Pro or Redmi K60).
🔄 System Updates: After Update MIUI Google Play Services resets and Android Auto starts working in the background again.

Interesting fact: on some models POCO (for example, POCO F5) Android Auto can start even when connected to a charger with support USB-PD, If you've used a function in the car before, it's because MIUI caches the data on the last connection.

📊 How often do you use Android Auto?

Every day.

Only on long trips.

I tried it, but it didn't come in handy.

Never used it.

Method 1: Disabling Android Auto in MIUI settings

The most obvious and safe method is to deactivate the application through standard settings, but in MIUI, this process is different from stock Android:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
In the search box, type in Android Auto (or com.google.android.projection.gearhead for hidden versions).
Slip on the app and select Disable (do not "Stop"!). On some firmware, this item may be called Remove Updates → Disable.
Confirm the action in the dialog box. If the Disable button is inactive, then the application is protected by MIUI, move to the next method.

Important: After Android Auto is disabled, the notification of the connection to the car may continue to appear, this is due to the fact that Google Play Services still sends signals. To completely remove the notifications, you need to additionally disable autostart (see Method 3).

☑️ Preparing for disabling Android Auto

Check out the MIUI version (Settings → About the phone)Open the developer rights (7 taps by build number)Make a backup copy of important dataBattery charge > 50%

Done: 0 / 4

Method 2: Remove updates and reset to factory version

If Android Auto was pre-installed on your Xiaomi (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 12T), it can’t be removed completely without root rights.

Go to Settings → Applications → Android Auto.
Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Remove Updates.
Confirm the action. After that, the version of the application will reset to the one in the original firmware.
Return to the main settings of the application and click Storage → Clear cache and Clear data.

On some Xiaomi models (such as the POCO X5 Pro) after resetting Android Auto updates, it can be updated again via Google Play. To avoid this, disable the auto-update for this application in the Play Store settings.

Xiaomi model	MIUI version	Does Deletion Support Updates?	Is root required?
Redmi Note 11 Pro+	13.0.6+	Yes.	No.
Xiaomi 13 Lite	14.0.3	Yes (with pre-cache reset)	No.
POCO F4 GT	13.0.4	No (only shutdown)	Yes (for complete removal)
Xiaomi 12S Ultra	14.0.5	Partially (you need to disable Google Play Services)	No.

Method 3: Disable AutoRun via ADB (without root)

If standard methods fail, you can block Android Auto auto-runs using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which does not require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to your computer:

Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: go to Settings → About Phone and tap 7 times on the MIUI version.
Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
Connect your smartphone to your PC, install ADB Tools and execute the command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.projection.gearhead

Once this command is executed, Android Auto will be completely disabled until you manually turn it on or reset it. To return it all back, use the command:

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.projection.gearhead

💡

If, after the execution, ADB-Android Auto commands still run, check for duplicate packages using the adb shell pm list packages command | grep -i On some Xiaomi firmware, the app may be hidden under a different name, such as com.miui.car.

Method 4: Blocking through Google Settings (for experienced)

If Android Auto is running because of Google Play Services activity, you can limit it to Google account settings, a method that is suitable for Xiaomi owners who do not have the app disabled in the standard ways:

Open Settings → Google → Devices and Sharing → Android Auto.
Remove all saved cars from the list (if any).
Go back to Settings → Google → Google Settings → Manage your Google account.
Go to Security → App Settings → Devices with account access and remove all unknown devices (especially those marked “Car”).
Turn off sync for Android Auto in Data and Personalization → Sync settings.

This method does not guarantee 100% results, as Google can reactivate the service the next time it connects to the machine, but it helps to reduce the number of spontaneous launches.

What to do if Android Auto is still running?

If Android Auto continues to activate after all the manipulations, check for updates for Google Play Services. Sometimes bugs in specific versions of services lead to the forced launch of the application. Try to roll back to an older version via APKMirror or install a modified version (for example, MicroG).

Method 5: Radical methods (for advanced users)

If none of the above methods worked, radical measures remain, which are only suitable for advanced users, as they can affect the stability of the smartphone:

🔧 Removal through TWRP: Install custom recavators (like OrangeFox) and manually delete Android Auto files from your Android Auto file. /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/. Please note that this may disrupt other Google services.
🛠️ Firmware modification: With tools like MIUI Mix Explorer or Mix Explorer MT Manager can edit firmware files and remove links to Android Auto. requires editing knowledge APK.
📱 Switching to custom firmware: Firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience allows you to completely remove unnecessary Google services, including Android Auto. MIUI, Mi Share or Game Turbo.

⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications without a backup can result in bootloop (a looped download) or loss of functionality to Google Pay, YouTube and other services. TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you turn off Android Auto on Xiaomi, users often experience side effects, and here are the most common ones and ways to eliminate them:

Problem.	Reason.	Decision
Android Auto is turned on after the reboot	Autoplay in MIUI or Google Play Services	Turn off auto-start via Settings → Permits → Auto-start and execute ADB-team from Method 3
Disappeared notifications about connection to the car	Resetting Bluetooth or USB settings	Reconnect the device in the machine and allow notifications to be accessed manually
Google Maps is not working in your car.	Android Auto shutdown blocked integration	Use Google Maps in screen projection mode via Mi Car Mode (if available)
There are some errors in Google Play Services.	Conflict after removal of updates	Clear the cache and data of Google Play Services in the application settings

If you lose the ability to use Google Assistant while driving after you turned off Android Auto, check the voice control settings in the Google app. Sometimes it is enough to reinstall the Google App to restore functionality.

💡

On Xiaomi models with a Snapdragon processor (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5), Android Auto may conflict with the proprietary Mi Car mode. In this case, it is recommended to disable both services or use only one of them.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Can I turn off Android Auto without a computer?

Yes, in most cases, it is sufficient to use Method 1 (disable settings) or Method 2 (remove updates).However, on some MIUI firmware (e.g., Chinese firmware), ADB may be required to disable completely.

Why does Android Auto still start when you connect to your car after you shut down?

This is because the car radio transmits a signal to support Android Auto, and MIUI Ignoring your settings. The solution is to use ADB-command or disable Google Play Services (but it will affect other apps).

Can I remove Android Auto completely without rooting?

No, on most Xiaomi models, the application is system-based and does not remove without root rights. The maximum is to disable it (see Method 1) or reset to the factory version (see Method 2).

Does disabling Android Auto affect Google Maps in your car?

Yes, if you used Android Auto to project Google Maps onto the CSTO screen. Once disabled, you can use Google Maps as normal via Mi Car Mode (if supported by your model) or connect your phone over Bluetooth for audio navigation.

How to return Android Auto after shutdown?

If you have disabled the app through settings, just search for it in Settings → Apps and click Enable. If you have used ADB, follow the command adb shell pm enable com.google.android.projection.gearhead. After that, update the app via Google Play.