How to turn on Xiaomi’s voice assistant on your phone and smart devices: full instruction 2026

Xiaomi’s voice assistant, called XiaoAI, has become an integral part of the brand’s ecosystem, allowing you to control smartphones, smart speakers, TVs and other gadgets using voice commands. However, many users face difficulties when first turning on this feature — especially if it is non-localized firmware or devices without prior configuration. In this article, we will discuss all ways to activate the Xiaomi voice assistant, including hidden settings, solving typical errors and optimizing work for Russian users.

It's important to understand that XiaoAI functionality depends on the device model and the firmware region, for example, on global versions. MIUI (For example, Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi 13T) The voice assistant can be disabled by default due to localization restrictions, while on Chinese firmware it works out of the box. We will look at universal methods that are suitable for most devices, and also separately dwell on the nuances for smart speakers Xiaomi Smart Speaker and Mi TVs. TV.

If you’ve never used a voice assistant, it’s worth noting that XiaoAI’s key advantage over its peers is its deep integration with the Mi Home ecosystem, which means you can not only ask weather questions or run a timer, but also manage Xiaomi’s smart home — turn on Yeelight light bulbs, adjust the temperature on the Mi Air Conditioner air conditioner, or even run a Mi Robot Vacuum robot vacuum cleaner with your voice, while at the same time you need to link all devices to a single Mi Account to work.

1. How to turn on the voice assistant on Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI)

Most smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO firmware MIUI 12 and later, XiaoAI voice assistant is built into the system, but often hidden in the settings:

1. Open “Settings” and go to the additional section → Voice assistant (on some versions the path may be different: Settings) → System and device → Voice input).
2. Click on XiaoAI (or Xiaomi Voice Assistant).
3. Turn the switch on in the On position and follow the instructions for setting up your voice (select a language, train the system to recognize your voice).
4. Allow all necessary permissions: access to microphone, contacts, location and notifications.

If your settings don’t include Voice Assistant, it could mean one of three:

• 📱 You have a global firmware (for example, MIUI Global, where XiaoAI is disabled by default.Solution: install Chinese firmware or use workaround methods (see Section 3).
• 🔄 Your version. MIUI Update the system through Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🚫 The function is blocked by the operator (relevant for some models sold through mobile providers).

After activation, you can call the assistant in one of the following ways:

• 🎤 Long-term Home button retention (on physical button devices).
• 🗣️ Voice command "Hello, Xiaoai!" (works only after learning to voice).
• 🔍 Through the widget on the home screen (add it manually from the list of widgets).

Update. MIUI last-minute|Check for the "Voice Assistant" item in the settings|Make sure the microphone is not locked for system applications|Connect to a stable internet connection (Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi) 4G/5G)-->

2. Activation of voice assistant on Xiaomi smart speakers

Xiaomi Smart Speaker (such as Xiaomi Smart Speaker Pro or Redmi Smart Speaker) is built on the basis of XiaoAI and requires separate configuration. Unlike smartphones, here the voice assistant turns on automatically after the first connection, but you need to:

1. Connect the column to the Wi-Fi network via the Mi Home app (instruction: Add device) → Smart speaker → Follow the clues).
2. When you connect, say "Hello, Xiaoai!" (or "Hello, Xaoai!" in English firmware). The column should respond with an audible signal.
3. Go to the column settings in Mi Home and turn on the option Voice control smart home (this will allow you to control other Xiaomi devices with voice).

If the column does not respond to voice commands, check:

• 🔊 Volume level (sometimes after updating it is reset to a minimum).
• 🌐 Internet connection (XiaoAI requires constant access to Xiaomi servers).
• 🔄 Firmware updates (in Mi Home, check the Column Update section).

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If the speaker doesn’t understand Russian, try switching to English in the device settings in Mi Home.Some models only support Russian after manually setting up the Russia region in your account profile.

To control a smart home through the column, use commands such as:

• Turn on the lights in the living room (if the lights are tied to the Mi Home).
• "Set the alarm for 7:00 a.m.."
• What is the weather tomorrow? (access to location)

3. How to turn on XiaoAI on Mi TVs TV Mi Box

Xiaomi Mi TVs TV (For example, the Mi models TV Q2 or Mi TV A2) The Mi Box S also supports voice assistant, but its activation is different from smartphones:

1. On the remote, press the microphone button (or hold the Google Assistant button if you have one).
2. If this is the first run, follow the instructions on the screen to set up the microphone.
3. In the settings of the TV go to Smart functions → Select XiaoAI (on some models, only Google Assistant may be available).

On PatchWall TVs, XiaoAI is integrated deeper: you can search for movies, run apps, and control your smart home with your voice.

• Find the Comedy of 2023 (content search)
• "Open YouTube."
• "Grow volume by 20%."

An important nuance: on TVs with Android TV (Like Mi. TV Stick) Google Assistant can be installed by default to switch to XiaoAI:

1. Go to Settings. → The device → Voice input.
2. Select XiaoAI from the list of available assistants (if not, update your TV firmware).

4.Problem Solving: XiaoAI is not enabled or not responding

If the voice assistant doesn't activate or respond to commands, the reasons can range from simple errors to hardware limitations. Let's look at typical scenarios and how to fix them.

Regional restrictions should be highlighted, for example, on smartphones with firmware in India or Europe, XiaoAI may be disabled due to local privacy laws, in which case:

• 📲 Changing the region of Mi Account to China (but it could affect other services).
• 🔧 Installation of Magisk module for forced activation of XiaoAI (requires root rights).

Smartphone (Redmi/Xiaomi/POCO)|Smart speaker (Xiaomi Smart Speaker)|Television (Mi) TV)|Smart watch (Mi Watch)|No XiaoAI devices.-->

Critical information: On devices with MIUI 14 and later XiaoAI can block work if the system is installed VPN or altered DNS. Before setting up the assistant, disable all network proxies and return the standard network settings.

5. Voice commands for XiaoAI: full list

XiaoAI supports hundreds of teams, but the set varies by device and region, and here is a list of universal commands that run on most Xiaomi gadgets:

📱 For smartphones:

• “Take a screenshot” saves the current screen.
• "Switch on the flashlight" - activates the flash.
• "Set the alarm for 8:00."
• Find photos from the beach (access to the gallery is required).

🏠 For a smart home:

• “Enable the bedroom heater” (if the device is tied to the Mi Home).
• Set the temperature at 22 degrees (for Xiaomi air conditioners).
• “Run the cleaning in the living room” (for a robot vacuum cleaner).

📺 For TVs:

• "Find the Batman movie."
• "Increase brightness by 30%."
• "Fast forward 5 minutes."

The full list of commands can be found in Xiaomi’s official documentation, but note that some features may not work on non-Chinese firmware. For example, voice purchases (the “Buy sugar in Mi Store” command) are only available in China.

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XiaoAI supports chains of commands, such as, "Switch on the light in the kitchen and set a timer for 10 minutes," but this feature only works consistently on Chinese firmware.

XiaoAI Alternatives: When to Use Other Assistants

Despite its convenience, XiaoAI is not always the best choice, and consider the cases when you should pay attention to the alternatives:

• 🌍 For international users: Google Assistant or Alice (from Yandex) better recognize Russian speech and have a wider functionality outside the Xiaomi ecosystem.
• 🔒 For privacy, XiaoAI is transferring voice data to Xiaomi servers, which can be critical for users concerned about privacy.
• 🛠️ For automation: If you need complex scenarios (e.g., if the temperature is above 25)°, Turn on air conditioning and send notifications, use Home Assistant with Mi Home integration.

To switch to Google Assistant on a Xiaomi smartphone:

1. Install the Google app from the Play Market.
2. Go to Settings. → Annexes → Default applications → Voice assistant.
3. Select Google Assistant instead of XiaoAI.

On smart speakers, the alternative could be Yandex Station or Amazon Echo, but they won’t be able to control Xiaomi devices directly — additional bridges like Home Assistant will be required.

7.Security and privacy when using XiaoAI

Like any voice assistant, XiaoAI collects and processes voice data. According to Xiaomi's privacy policy, the records are stored on the company's servers to improve recognition, but you can limit this collection:

• 🔐 Turn off voice command history in Mi Account settings (Privacy) → Voice data).
• 📵 Use a physical microphone lock (such as a sticker on a smartphone microphone or speaker).
• 🔄 Clean the XiaoAI app cache regularly in your phone settings.

Important: If you use Chinese firmware, the data may be transferred to servers in China, which is contrary to the laws of some countries (for example, the data may be transferred to servers in China, GDPR In this case, it is recommended that:

• Use global firmware with Google Assistant.
• Disable XiaoAI completely if you don't need it.

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To check what data XiaoAI collects about you, go to Mi Account at account.xiaomi.com and request an archive of personal data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's voice assistant