If you own a TV or a Xiaomi smartphone in recent years, you probably encountered the mysterious acronym KAi in the settings or remote control. Many users confuse it with the Google Assistant or outdated Mi AI, but in fact it is a separate voice assistant with unique features. Let's figure out what is KAi, what it is for and how to set it up correctly - without unnecessary water and marketing slogans.
Xiaomi
KAi
Alice.
Siri
Yeelight
Mi Robot
MIUI
PatchWall
Xiaomi
Redmi
POCO
But there are nuances: not all models support the KAi fully, and in some regions its functions are limited, followed by a detailed guide with step-by-step instructions, comparison tables and answers to frequent questions.
What is KAi: technical features and differences from other assistants
KAi (Kong Ai) is a proprietary voice assistant from Xiaomi, developed as an alternative to the Google Assistant and Mi AI. Its main advantage is deep integration with the devices of the Mi Home and Mi Smart Home ecosystem. Unlike competitors, KAi does not just perform voice commands, but analyzes the context of using technology. For example, if you say: "Put on the movie mode on the TV and turn off the lights," it synchronizes actions between the TV and smart lamps.
Key features of KAi:
- 🔹 Local command processing: some requests are executed without sending data to servers (important for privacy).
- 🔹 Support for Chinese and English (Russian is still in beta, but works with limitations).
- 🔹 PatchWall integration: on Xiaomi KAi TVs, content recommendations and image settings are managed.
Compare the KAi with other assistants in the table:
| Function | KAi (Xiaomi) | Google Assistant | Mi AI (Older version) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart home management | ✅ Full support for Mi Home | ⚠️ Restricted (requires Google Home) | ✅ Basic teams only. |
| Local processing | ✅ Yes (partially) | ❌ No (all data on servers) | ❌ No. |
| Support for Russian | ⚠️ Beta version (limited) | ✅ Complete. | ❌ No. |
| Integration with TV | ✅ PatchWall, image settings | ✅ Basic teams only. | ❌ No. |
Important: KAi does not replace Google Assistant, but complements it. On some models (for example, Xiaomi TV A2 2026), both assistants work in parallel, but with different use cases.
What Xiaomi devices are available on KAi
Full support for KAi is implemented in the following Xiaomi product lines (relevant to 2026):
- 📺 Television: Xiaomi TV A2, A Pro, S Pro (2023–2026) Redmi Smart TV X (with firmware) MIUI TV 3.0+) Mi TV Q2, Q1E (only in China and India)
- 📱 Smartphones: Xiaomi 14, 13T Pro (c) MIUI 15+) Redmi Note 13 Pro+, POCO F6 Pro (regional restrictions)
- 🔊 Smart speakers: Xiaomi Smart Speaker (models with prefix) LX) Mi AI Speaker (updated versions)
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Note: On devices for the European market (with EEA firmware), KAi can be disabled by default due to GDPR. To activate it, you will need to change the region to India or China (instruction below).
Check the support for KAi on your device:
- On TV: go to Settings → Smart Assistant → KAi.
- On your smartphone: Open the Mi Home app and check the Voice Control section.
How to find out the firmware version on Xiaomi TV?
How to turn on and configure KAi on your Xiaomi TV
Activation of KAi on TV takes no more than 2 minutes, but there are nuances with the microphone and regional settings.
- Check the remote: KAi only works with remotes that have a microphone button (marked by the icon). 🎤). If not, connect the external microphone through USB Bluetooth.
- Activate Assistant: Settings → Smart Assistant → KAi → Enable When you first start, you will need to accept the terms of use and configure the voice model (select General Chinese or English).
- Configure voice activation: Enable Listening to "Hey KAi" (similar to "OK, Google"). Adjust microphone sensitivity (recommended: 70-80%).
Synchronize with a smart home
Settings → Smart Home → Add Device → Select from the ListMake sure all gadgets (Yeelight, Mi Robot, etc.) are connected to one Mi Home account.
☑️ Preparation for KAi setup
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Note: If after activation KAi does not respond to commands, check: Internet connection (required for initial settings). Microphone permissions in Settings → Privacy. Device region (Russia may require a change to India).
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If KAi does not recognize voice, try retraining the voice model: go to Settings → KAi → Voice Learning and repeat the phrases to calibrate.
Key Teams for KAi: What an Assistant Can Do
KAi supports more than 100 voice commands, but the set depends on the device, and the following are the most useful scenarios for TVs and smartphones:
📺 Teams for Xiaomi TV
- 🔍 «Find the Movie Interstellar – Search for Content in PatchWall.
📱 Smartphone teams
- 📅 «Remind me to buy milk at 18:00 – create reminders.
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KAi can execute chains of commands, such as, "Turn on the TV, start YouTube and turn off the lights," and it's important to speak clearly and with pauses between queries.
The full list of commands can be found in the official guide (support.xiaomi.com), but note that some of the features are available only on Chinese firmware.
KAi vs Google Assistant: What’s Best for Xiaomi Smart Home
Many users are wondering whether to switch from Google Assistant to KAi? The answer depends on your tasks:
| Criteria | KAi wins if... | Google Assistant is better if you... |
|---|---|---|
| Speed of implementation | ✅ Mi Home commands run faster (local processing). | ❌ Delays in synchronization with the cloud. |
| Language support | ❌ English/Chinese only (Russian in beta). | ✅ Full support of the Russian and 40+ language. |
| Integration with TV | ✅ PatchWall management, image, sound settings. | ❌ Basic commands only (on/off). |
| Smart home. | ✅ Full support for Mi Home, including rare devices (e.g. Mi Air Purifier). | ⚠️ It only works with devices that are compatible with Google Home. |
| Confidentiality | ✅ Some of the data is processed locally. | ❌ All requests are sent to Google servers. |
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If you use both KAi and Google Assistant, assign them different scripts, like KAi for TV and smart home management, and Google Assistant for Internet searches and translations.
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Note: Xiaomi Android TVs (such as Mi TV P1) have Google Assistant installed by default. To switch to KAi, you will need to disable the first one in the settings: Settings → Smart Assistant → Google Assistant → Disable After that, activate KAi as described above.
Frequent problems with KAi and how to solve them
Even after setting it up properly, KAi can be unstable, and let’s look at the common mistakes and how to fix them:
🔇 KAi doesn't respond to voice
- 🔹 Check the microphone: the remote must be on a blue light bulb when holding the button 🎤.
- 🔹 Make sure that in the settings → The sound is not switched off.
- 🔹 Restart the TV (press and hold the power button for 10 seconds).
🌐 Error "No connection to the network"
- 🔹 KAi requires internet even for local commands (for authentication). Check the Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
- 🔹 If you use VPN, Turn it off – KAi can block requests due to geo-restrictions.
🔄 Commands are executed with a delay
- 🔹 Close the background applications on TV (in Settings) → Annexes → Launched).
- 🔹 Update your firmware to the latest version (minimum requirement: MIUI TV 3.0).
- 🔹 Reset the KAi settings: Settings → Smart assistant. → KAi → Reset the data