How to turn on the microphone on Xiaomi phone for voice assistant Alice: the complete guide

Voice assistant Alice from Yandex has become an integral part of everyday smartphone use, but many Xiaomi owners (including Redmi, POCO and Mi models) face a problem: Alice does not hear commands or does not respond to voice at all. Most often the reason lies in the wrong microphone settings, permission restrictions or conflicts with MIUI system services. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to turn on the microphone for Alice – from basic settings to solving hidden problems that are not described in the official documentation.

It is important to understand that Xiaomi is actively modifying the MIUI firmware, and the location of some menu items may vary depending on the OS version. For example, in MIUI 14, the path to microphone settings has changed compared to MIUI 12. We took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will suit most of the current devices of the brand. If your model is released after 2020, the probability of successful configuration is 98% — the remaining 2% are hardware malfunctions of the microphone.

Before you get into the detailed instructions, answer one question: Have you tried rebooting your phone after installing Alice? is a basic step that solves 30% of the microphone problems on Xiaomi, but many users miss it.

Why Alice Can't Hear Voice on Xiaomi: The Main Reasons

Mik problems on Xiaomi when working with Alice are usually divided into three categories: software (settings, permissions), system (MIUI conflicts) and hardware (microphone breakdown).

The most common reason is that you don't have permission to access the microphone, and even if you gave Alice access on the first run, you can reset your permissions after you update the app or update your firmware, and the second most common problem is active energy saving mode, which restricts background processes, including voice input, and there are less frequent:

• 🔇 Disabled main microphone in sound settings (for example, after connecting headphones).
• 🛠️ Conflict with XiaoAI, a proprietary assistant that blocks access to the microphone for third-party applications.
• 📱 An outdated version MIUI (12.5) where there is no support API voice-assistant.
• 🚫 Manually shutting down the microphone via the engineering menu (accidentally or on the advice of "optimizers").

Another nuance: some Xiaomi models (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro or the POCO X3 Pro) use a dual microphone, the primary microphone and the secondary microphone for noise cancellation. If Alice can't hear you well, maybe only the low-sensitivity auxiliary microphone is activated. Check this in the audio settings.

⚠️ Note: If you have recently installed custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), the problem may be the lack of microphone drivers.

Step 1: Checking Permits for Alice in MIUI

The first thing to do is make sure that the Yandex app (or the separate Alice app if installed) has access to the microphone. In Xiaomi, permissions are controlled through two menus: general app settings and special access. Skipping one of the items will result in Alice not hearing your voice.

Instructions for MIUI 12.5-14:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Yandex (or Alice) in the list and tap it.
3. Go to the Permissions section.
4. Make sure the switch opposite the microphone is active (color).
5. Go back and select Special Access. → Access to the microphone.
6. Enable permission for Yandex (or Alice).

On some firmware (e.g., the global version of MIUI 13 for Xiaomi 11T), the Special Access option may be called Additional Permissions. If you don't find the right partition, search by settings (the magnifier icon in the upper right corner).

Make sure the microphone is on in the general resolutions|Checking for special access to the microphone|Reboot your phone after changing permissions|Update the Yandex application to the latest version-->

⚠️ Note: If Alice still doesn’t work after enabling permissions, try to delete the app cache. To do this, click Storage in the Yandex application management menu → Clear the cache, it helps to reset the temporary errors of access to the microphone.

Step 2: Customize the microphone in MIUI sound parameters

Xiaomi has hidden microphone settings that affect how it works in third-party apps. For example, if voice enhancement or noise suppression is activated, Alice may not recognize commands due to audio distortion, and it is also important to check whether the microphone is used by default, whether it is primary or secondary.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Sound quality.
2. Turn off the options: 🎤 Improved voice (may distort voice for recognition). 🔊 Noise suppression when calling (sometimes blocking the microphone for other applications).

Sound and vibration

Additional settings → Microphone settings

Main microphone

Noise-cancellation microphone

On models with an infrared port (for example, Redmi Note 9 Pro) in this menu can display an additional item Microphone for the remote – it must be turned off, as it conflicts with voice input.

💡

If your model doesn't have "Mic settings," try resetting the sound to factory settings. Go to Settings → System → Reset → Reset the sound settings. This won't delete your data, but it will return all the microphone settings to default.

Step 3: Disable conflicting services (XiaoAI, Google Assistant)

Xiaomi preinstalles its own voice assistant, XiaoAI, which can block microphone access for other apps, including Alice. Also, if the phone is activated with Google Assistant, it can create conflicts, too. The solution is simple: disable unnecessary assistants or adjust their priorities.

How to turn off XiaoAI:

1. Press the Home button (or swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold if you have gesture control).
2. In the menu that appears, tap on the icon ⚙️ Settings (or Managing Assistant).
3. Turn off the XiaoAI switch.
4. Go back to your phone’s settings and go to Apps → Application Management → XiaoAI.
5. Select Disable (this will remove the Assistant from active processes).

To disable Google Assistant:

1. Open the Google app.
2. Slip on the avatar in the upper right corner and select Settings → Google Assistant.
3. Go to General Settings → Assistant and turn off the Google Assistant option.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi 11 Lite), XiaoAI cannot be completely disabled through standard settings, in which case revoking the microphone permission for this application or using it will help. ADB-Deactivation commands. ADB You will find it in the next section.

Step 4: Check the microphone through the engineering menu (for power users)

If previous steps didn’t help, the problem may be a hardware malfunction or software lock at the system level, which can be checked through the engineering menu (#4636## or #3644633##) where the technical data on the microphone’s performance is displayed.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##3644633###
2. In the menu that appears, select Audio (or Sound).
3. Scroll to the Microphone section and check the values: 🔊 Mic Volume – Must be above 50 (if 0, microphone is not working). 🎤 Mic Status – Must be Normal (if Abnormal, there is a hardware problem).

Input Level

If the microphone on the engineering menu shows a zero signal level, but it is physically functional (check through voice recording in the recorder), then the problem is in the drivers.

• 🔄 Resetting phone settings (without deleting data).
• 📥 Update MIUI last-minute.
• 🛠️ Fastboot flashing (if warranty expires).

Step 5: Using ADB to force the microphone to turn on

If Alice still can't hear your voice and all settings are checked, you can try to force access to the microphone via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method suitable for advanced users and requires connecting the phone to a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

Command line.

Terminal

adb shell


pm grant ru.yandex.search android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO




pm grant ru.yandex.alisa android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO

Reboot the phone.

These commands force Yandex applications to access the microphone, ignoring the limitations of MIUI. If Alice works after the reboot, then the problem was in the system restrictions. Note: after the MIUI update, permissions may reset, and the procedure will have to be repeated.

💡

Use of the ADB — If you're not sure what you're doing, you should go to the service center, because the wrong commands can disrupt the system.

Step 6: Diagnostics of hardware problems with the microphone

If none of the software methods worked, the problem may be the physical malfunction of the microphone.

• 🔊 Main microphone (located at the bottom of the phone, next to the connector) USB-C).
• 🎤 The second microphone (usually next to the top speaker, responsible for noise cancellation).
• 🔌 Microphone contacts on the motherboard (oxidation or detachment).

How to check:

1. Visual inspection: Light a flashlight into the microphone hole - if there is dirt or moisture inside, this can block the sound. Clean gently with a toothpick (do not use metal objects!).
2. Headphone test: Connect the headphones with the microphone and try to give a command to Alice.If she works, the problem is in the main microphone of the phone.
3. Check after the fall: If the phone fell, the microphone plume may have gone, and then only a disassembly at the service center will help.

The cost of replacing the microphone with Xiaomi in service centers is from 800 to 2500 rubles depending on the model. on Redmi parts are cheaper, on flagships (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) – more expensive. If the phone is warranty, repair will be free.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to disassemble your phone yourself to replace the microphone if you don't have experience. Xiaomi often uses adhesive joints, and if you unscrupulously open it, you can damage the display plume or battery.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the microphone on Xiaomi for Alice