Xiaomi Voice Assistant: How to turn Alice on and set up a smart home

Xiaomi’s smart device ecosystem offers users a wide range of possibilities for home automation, but for the Russian-speaking segent of the market, voice integration often requires the connection of third-party services. The built-in Mi AI assistant does not yet have enough functionality to work in Russia, so users are actively looking for ways to introduce the popular Alice from Yandex into their smartphones and TVs.

The activation process is not always smooth because of the features of the MIUI and HyperOS operating system, which have their own priorities when processing voice requests. You will not only need to install the application, but also to properly configure the access rights so that the system does not block the assistant in the background. The critical step is to disable or reconfigure the built-in Mi Assistant to avoid conflicts when activated by voice. Only an integrated approach will ensure the stable operation of the smart home.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the steps of setting up, from installing the necessary components on your smartphone to linking devices through a smart speaker or TV set-top box. You will learn about the nuances of working in different versions of firmware and get answers to frequent questions that arise when integrating Yandex services into the Xiaomi ecosystem, which will turn your gadget into a full-fledged home management center.

Hardware compatibility and system requirements

Before you start setting up, you need to make sure that your device supports the required functions. Alice voice assistant is cloud-based, so the main requirement is a stable high-speed Internet connection. However, the local processing of some commands and the operation of widgets depends on the power of the processor and the version of the operating system.

For Xiaomi smartphones, the minimum required version of Android is usually 7.0, but for full-fledged widgets and smart home scenarios, it is recommended to use Android 10 and above. Owners of TVs with Android TV or Google TV can also integrate an assistant, while devices based on PatchWall require the use of external consoles or modules.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with PatchWall shell (without pure Android) TV) side-station APK-In such cases, Alice can only be used via an external TV set-top box or casting from a phone.

For comfortable operation of the background processes of the assistant, especially if you plan to use the function "Constant listening", it is desirable to have at least 3-4 GB of free RAM. On budget models with 2 GB of memory, the system can forcibly close the Yandex application, which will lead to failures in the management of the smart home.

📊 What device are you planning to set up Alice on?

Xiaomi Smartphone

Xiaomi TV TV

Smart speaker

Xiaomi tablet

Installation and configuration of Yandex Module on a smartphone

The main integration tool is the Yandex application or a separate application "Yandex with Alice". For owners of Xiaomi smartphones, it is recommended to use the module built into the main application, since it is optimized for working in the background. Download the current version from the Google Play store or GetApps.

Once installed, you need to log in to your Yandex ID account. This account will be associated with your smart home devices. In the app settings, look for the Devices section and make sure that it displays your app that you added earlier through the Mi Home app. If the devices do not get selected, you will need to link accounts.

The key is to set up voice activation. In the standard state, the phone can only respond to a button or a swipe. To activate Alice with the phrase "Listen, Yandex" or "Alice", you need to provide the application with extended permissions.

🔊 Allow access to the microphone in "Always" or "When using the application" mode, otherwise voice activation will not work.
🔋 In the battery settings, select the Yandex application and set the "No Limits" mode to the system MIUI didn't kill the trial.
📱 Provide permission to display over other windows, this is necessary for the operation of widgets and responses to queries from a locked screen.

Keep in mind that a microphone can increase battery consumption, but modern neural network algorithms minimize resource consumption by activating a full record only after keyword recognition.

☑️ Configuring access rights

Open Phone Settings → Applications → All applications:Find Yandex:Battery → No restrictions:Resolutions → Microphone (Always):Display → Display on top of other applications (Enable)

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Integration with Xiaomi and Android TV

Setting up the voice assistant on Xiaomi TVs has its own specifics, depending on the operating system installed. If your TV is running on Android TV (Mi TV Stick, Mi Box S, new TV models), the process is as simple as possible. You just need to install the Yandex application from Google Play Store on your TV.

Once installed and authorized, you can use the remote to activate voice search by reassigning the Google Assistant button, and you can specify Alice's launch in the remote settings or in the Button Mapper app with a long press on the microphone button, which makes the remote a powerful content management tool and a smart home.

For TVs running on PatchWall’s own platform (often found in older or budget models for the CIS market), installation APK-Direct files may not be possible without using third-party file managers and enabling developer mode. In such cases, the most stable solution is to use Chromecast or Mi Play technology to broadcast voice from a smartphone to a TV screen.

Type of device	OS	Method of installation	Voice activation
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 4K	Android TV	Google Play Store	Through reassignment of remote buttons
Xiaomi Mi Box S	Android TV	Google Play Store	remote or smartphone
Xiaomi TV P1 (older versions)	PatchWall	Difficult (via APK)	Only through a smartphone (Cast)
Xiaomi TV A Pro	Google TV	Google Play Store	remote or smartphone

How to turn on the developer mode on Xiaomi TV?

To install third-party apps on PatchWall, you often need to turn on the developer mode. Go to Settings → Device → Assembly. Click on "Assembly" 7-10 times in a row until you notice that you have the mode enabled. Then a new section "For Developers" will appear in the settings menu, where you need to allow installation from unknown sources.> Linking accounts and managing a smart home The power of voice control is revealed when you combine devices into a single network. To do this, you need to link your Yandex account to your Mi Home account. This will allow Alice to see and control light bulbs, rosettes, robots, you can add the device to the "Yasmazia" to the "Yasmazia" and connect to the "Yasmazia" section to the "Contex" to the "Mix" and the "Mix" to the "Mix" interface to the "Mix" application. The system will redirect you to the login page, where you need to enter the username and password from your Mi Account. After successful synchronization, all devices will appear in the Yandex application. For example, the phrase "Alice, I'm home" can simultaneously turn on the lights in the hallway, start the robot vacuum cleaner and turn on the TV. 💡 Create rooms in the Yandex app for more accurate control (for example, “Switch off the lights in the bedroom"). 🗣️ Rename devices into understandable names so that voice commands are natural. 🔄 Regularly update your device listings in Xiaomi’s skill if you’ve added new tech. ⚠️ Note: When you change the password from your Mi Account or Yandex account, the connection between the services may be severed. In this case, you will need to re-pass the authorization procedure in the section "Smart Home" of the Yandex application. AI One of the most common problems is the conflict of the built-in Mi assistant. AI (Or Google Assistant with Alice. When you try to activate your voice, the phone may not be running the assistant you expect, because Android may only have one default assistant active to handle global queries. To prioritize Alice, you need to change your default settings. → Annexes → Application management → Three dots (menu) → Default applications → Assistant, here, select Yandex or Yandex with Alice. MIUI This item can be hidden or replaced by Google Assistant without the option to choose from. If the standard method doesn't work, you can use a workaround through the settings of the Google Assistant itself. Open the Google settings, find the "Google Assent" section" → "Languages, and try to disable the "Ok Google" activation, which will free up the microphone for processing requests with the Yandex application, which will activate on its trigger, and it is also worth checking the power button settings. In new versions of HyperOS, a long press on the power button calls Google Assistant. → Buttons and gestures to avoid accidentally activating Alice's competitor. 💡For Alice to work as a primary assistant, it is critical to disable or reconfigure the Google Assistant and Mi system triggers. AI, Otherwise, they will intercept voice commands. Even when properly configured, users can face a number of technical difficulties. Most often, problems are associated with aggressive energy savings in the MIUI shell, which “sleeps” background processes. If Alice stopped responding to voice commands, the first thing to check the battery settings. Another common problem is desynchronizing smart home devices. Alice can write that the device is offline, although it is available in the Mi Home application. In this case, it helps to force the list of devices in the Yandex skill or reauthorize the account. Problems with speech recognition are often solved by cleaning the caesh or reinstalling its application. Also make sure that the Yandex app includes the "Internet Recognition" feature (if available for your region and device), although the Internet is still mandatory for smart home teams. Why can't Alice see Xiaomi devices? Check the region of the Mi Home account. If the devices are added to the "China" region and the Yandex account is tied to the "Russia" region, there may be restrictions. Try to transfer the devices to the region corresponding to your location, or use the European Mi Home server. Can you use Alice without the Internet? Full work is impossible. Voice commands to control the smart home always handle the phone if it is not running from the baseline, but they will only work on the phone. In the Yandex app settings, go to Alice and turn off the Voice Activation option. You can also delete the app or revoke access rights in the Android system settings. Does Alice work on older Xiaomi models? Yes, if the device has an Android version at least 5.0 (although 7.0+ is recommended). Performance may be lower, and voice activation may work with a delay, but managing the smart home through the app will be available.