How to permanently remove Google Assistant from Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Why Xiaomi users want to get rid of Google Assistant – and should they?

Google’s assistant on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones may seem like a useful tool — it recognizes voice commands, manages a smart home, and integrates with the company’s services. But many owners are eager to remove it permanently, for good reason. First, the app consumes up to 100 to 150 MB of RAM even in the background, which is critical for low-end models like the Redmi 9A or POCO M3. Second, it collects data about your queries, location and habits — even if you don’t use a voice assistant.

In addition, the assistant is often activated by accident: just press the Home button or say the phrase "OK, Google" in a conversation. On some MIUI firmware (especially global versions), it can not be turned off by standard means - there is no deactivation button. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to delete, from simple to radical, including methods for users with root rights and without them.

Before you start, consider: completely removing the system application can cause some features to crash (for example, voice search in Google App or integration with Android Auto). If you only need to save battery power, just turn off background activity - read about this in the first section.

Method 1: Disable Assistant via Android Settings (without deleting)

The safest method is not to delete the application, but simply to block it, which is suitable for those who do not want to risk the stability of the system, but want to get rid of random positives and background resource consumption.

The instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 on all Xiaomi models, including Mi 11, Redmi Note 10 Pro and POCO X3 Pro:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type “Google” and select the Google app (not to be confused with Google Play Services!).
3. Tapping on Assistant and Voice Input (or Google Assistant in newer versions).
4. Select General Settings → Google Assistant.
5. Turn off the Google Assistant slider and confirm the action.

After that, the voice assistant will stop responding to commands, but the app itself will remain in the system, to prevent it from working in the background:

• 🔋 Go back to the Google app menu and select the battery. → Background restriction.
• 🚫 In the Permissions section, disable access to Microphone, Camera and Location.
• 📱 In Notifications, deactivate all notifications from the assistant.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI China (for example, Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) Google Assistant may not be available, in which case go to method 2 or 3.

Method 2: Remove Assistant Updates (reset to factory version)

If the standard shutdown doesn't work, you can bring the assistant back to the factory version by removing all the updates, and it won't remove it completely, but it will reset to minimal functionality that consumes almost no resources.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Go to Google and find out about it.
3. In the upper right corner, tap three points (⋮) and select Remove Updates.
4. Confirm action. The system will warn you that it could affect other services, you can agree.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Assistant will stop updating automatically (but can recover after a reboot or Google Play update).
• 🎤 “OK, Google” voice commands won’t work.
• 📲 In some cases, the Discovery tab (news feed) on the home screen will disappear.

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To prevent automatic assistant updates, open Google Play → Profile → Settings → Auto Update Apps and select Do Not Update Automatically for the Google App.

Method 3: Removal via ADB (without root rights)

For those who are ready for more radical measures, but do not want to get root, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) removal is suitable. This method works on most Xiaomi devices with an unlocked bootloader (even if root is not available).

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap the assembly number → return to → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Steps to remove:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Run the command to remove the assistant: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
5. Reboot the phone.

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI European region (e.g. Xiaomi 11 Lite) 5G NE) This command can cause Google services to crash. Backup through Settings before execution → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Debugging is on. USB|Installed ADB-PC drivers|Backup of important data is made|Battery charge > 50%|The original cable is used.-->

Method 4: Complete removal with root rights (for power users)

If you have root access (e.g., through Magisk), you can delete the assistant permanently, including all of its system files, a method that is suitable for MIUI firmware based on Android 10–13.

The work will require:

• 📱 Device with unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.
• 🛠️ Root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 🔍 Knowing the paths to system folders.

Instructions:

1. Open the root manager and go to /system/priv-app/.
2. Find and delete the following folders (names may vary depending on the version of MIUI): Velvet (the main assistant module) GoogleQuickSearchBox HotwordEnrollment (responsible for voice activation)

/system/app/

GoogleAssistant

Google

Reset the device.

After removal:

⚠️ Attention: Deleting system files without root backup can lead to bootloop ( looped boot).If the phone doesn't turn on after reboot, try recovering via Fastboot using the Mi Flash Tool.

Method 5: Alternative – Replacement with another assistant (Alice Yandex, Bixby)

If you don't like Google Assistant but need an alternative for voice control, consider installing other assistants. Xiaomi works well:

• 🗣️ Yandex Alice supports Russian, integrates with Yandex IoT smart home and has more flexible privacy settings.
• 🤖 Bixby (from Samsung) – Suitable for managing SmartThings devices, but requires a separate app.
• 🎵 Siri Shortcuts (for iPhone owners in the Apple ecosystem) – if you own a MacBook or iPad.

How to set up Yandex Alice as the main assistant:

1. Install the Yandex application with a browser from Google Play.
2. Open it and log in.
3. Go to Settings → Alice → Voice Assistant.
4. Activate the option to Replace the Standard Assistant.
5. In Android settings (Settings → Applications → Default → Voice Assistant), select Yandex.

Advantages of Alice over Google Assistant on Xiaomi:

• 🇷🇺 Best support for the Russian language (recognizes dialects and slang).
• 🔒 Less data is collected about users (compared to Google).
• 💰 Free calls via Yandex.Phone.
• 🏠 Integration with Russian smart devices (Redmond, Rubetkin).

Google Assistant|Yandex Alice|Bixby|Siri|I don't use voice assistants.|Other-->

Recovery of the assistant after removal (if you change your mind)

If you have removed the assistant, but you need it (for example, for Android Auto or voice search), it can be restored.

If the assistant is not recovering, try:

1. Delete the data of the Google application (Settings → Apps → Google → Storage → Clear data).
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Update Google Play Services to the latest version.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI For China (for example, on Xiaomi 12 Pro with Chinese) ROM) Restore the Assistant may require you to change your Google account region to the United States or Europe.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing assistant from Xiaomi

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Before removing the assistant, make sure to back up the data. On devices with MIUI, an integrated solution (Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset) or third-party utilities like Swift Backup (requires root) is suitable for this.