How to turn Alice on Xiaomi smartphone: full instructions with pictures and tips

Why Alice doesn’t work for Xiaomi out of the box and what to do about it

Voice assistant Alice from Yandex is not built into the firmware Xiaomi by default — unlike Google Assistant or its own XiaoAI. This is due to the company’s policy: MIUI and HyperOS are optimized for Google services and Xiaomi’s own solutions. However, Alice can be installed and configured manually, gaining access to the Russian-language assistant with support for smart home, search and device management.

The main problem with users is that they don't have formal integration, and Alice doesn't appear in the voice assistants list in the settings, and trying to call her through the power button or gesture leads to the activation of Google Assistant, and the solution is simple: install the Yandex app with Alice, grant permissions, and tie it to the system buttons, and then we'll go through all the ways from basic to advanced.

Important: Xiaomi with HyperOS (2026 model) has a slightly different process because of the changed interface. If you have a Redmi Note 13 Pro+, Xiaomi 14 or another new model, check out the section on setting up through “Special features” where you describe the current steps.

Method 1: Install Alice through the application Yandex

The easiest way is to download the official Yandex app with Alice built in. It is available on Google Play and Mi App Store, but there are nuances with permission to work in the background.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open Google Play Store and find the Yandex app (developer — OOO «Yandex»).
• 🔍 In the search box, type com.yandex.searchplugin – this is the official package.
• 📥 Install the app and open it. When you first start it will prompt you to add Alice's widget to the home screen.
• 🎤 Click on the microphone icon in the lower right corner to activate voice input.

Once installed, Alice will work, but will not respond to the voice command "Alice" in the locked state.

Is Yandex app installed | Microphone access allowed | Autostart enabled in battery settings | Is Alice widget added to home screen-->

Method 2: Set up a voice call "OK, Alice"

To make Alice respond to the voice command “OK Alice” or “Alice,” even when the screen is off, you need to:

1. Open the Yandex app and go to Settings → Alice → Voice Assistant.
2. Activate the "Voice Recognition" switch.
3. Take voice training (say phrases to adapt the assistant).
4. Return to the basic settings of the smartphone and open Applications → Application Management → Yandex → Permissions.
5. Insert “Autostart”, “Background operation” and “Mapping over other windows”.

On MIUI 14 and later, the path to permissions may be different. If you don't find "Stop" then try:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management.
2. Find Yandex in the list and select "No restrictions".

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If Alice is not responding to a voice command, try restarting the smartphone. Sometimes background processes are blocked by the system after the update.

Method 3: Linking Alice to the power button (for MIUI)

On Xiaomi smartphones, the power button can be configured to call Alice instead of Google Assistant.This works on most models, except those where the manufacturer has blocked the default assistant change (for example, on some versions for the European market).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Buttons and gestures → Power button.
2. Select Long Press (or Double Press, depending on the model).
3. In the list of assistants, find Yandex (if there is none, first install the application and restart the phone).
4. Save the settings and check the work: a long press on the power button should activate Alice.

On HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), the path may be different:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → System settings → Power button.
• 🔄 If Yandex is not displayed in the list, try first to call Alice manually from the application, then go back to the settings.

Method 4: Using Widgets and Quick Commands

If the voice call doesn’t work or you’re more comfortable controlling Alice through the screen, add a widget to the home screen:

1. Long press on the free place of the main screen → “Widgets”.
2. Find the Yandex widget (usually called Alice or Alice Search).
3. Drag it to the screen and select a size (recommended 4×1 or 4×2).

You can also create a quick command to call Alice via Google Assistant (if installed):

1. Open Google Assistant and say, “OK, Google, open Google.”
2. Click on the profile icon in the top right corner → “Routine” → “Create”.
3. Add a voice command (such as “Run Alice”) and the “Open App” action → select Yandex.

This solution is suitable for those who do not want to give up Google Assistant, but want to quickly switch between assistants.

Alice Compatibility Table with Xiaomi Models

Not all Xiaomi smartphones work equally well with Alice, below is the compatibility table for popular models (data is relevant for MIUI 14 and HyperOS 1.0):

If your model is not in the table, check compatibility experimentally. On new devices with HyperOS (2026), Alice usually works more stable than on older versions of MIUI.

Common Problems and Their Solutions

Even after the right setup, Alice can work incorrectly, and here are the typical mistakes and ways to correct them:

⚠️ Note: If Alice stops responding after the update MIUI or HyperOS, reset the settings of the Yandex application in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Yandex → Warehouse → Clean up the data. It'll remove the trained voice models, but it'll make it work again.

• 🔇 Alice can't hear voice commands: Check if the microphone is drowning out the cover or the protective film. Open Settings. → Sound. → The sound quality of the microphone and select High. Reinstall the Yandex app.
• 🔋 Alice closes quickly: Disable battery optimization for Yandex app. add it to the list of "Secure apps" in battery settings.
• 📵 Does not work through Bluetooth headphones: In Bluetooth settings, enable "Allow Contacts and SMS" for headphones. Reconnect the device.

If the problem is not resolved, check to see if Alice is blocked by antivirus or VPN.Some applications (such as Avast or Kaspersky) may restrict access to the microphone.

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On smartphones with root rights, Alice can be unstable due to altered system resolutions. If you have Magisk or other modifications installed, try temporarily disabling them.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Alice on Xiaomi