How to disable Alice on Android Xiaomi: complete guide

Smartphone owners Xiaomi, Redmi i Poco often face the intrusive presence of a voice assistant Yandex Alice, which is preinstalled in the MIUI or HyperOS shell. In some regions and on certain firmware versions, this service is integrated so deeply that it becomes a system application, launched when the device starts or activated by a long press of the power button. This causes irritation among users who prefer Google Assistant or simply do not want to waste battery resources on background processes.

Disabling the assistant is a solvable task, but requires care, since the paths in the menu may differ depending on the version Android and regional settings of the smartphone. In this article we will analyze all the available methods: from simple switching in the settings to use ADB commands for advanced users. You will learn not only to deactivate the function, but also to completely remove unnecessary components, freeing up RAM.

Before taking decisive action, it is important to understand what type of integration is used in your device. In some cases it is just an application, in others it is part of a system process miui.voiceassistant. Improper removal of system components can lead to unstable operation, so we will move from safe methods to more radical ones, clearly indicating the risks.

Disabling through system and lock screen settings

The easiest and safest way to remove the voice assistant is to use the standard interface settings. In new versions of the shell MIUI i HyperOS Yandex often replaces the standard Google Assistant by default. To fix this, you need to go to section Settings, then select item Applications and find there Application settings. In the list you need to find Yandex or Alice and open its parameters.

Here we are interested in the tab Default or Open by default. If you see a Clear Defaults button, click it. This action will break the connection between system requests (for example, long pressing the Home button or voice command) and the Yandex application. After this, the system may prompt you to select a new assistant or simply stop responding to calling the assistant.

⚠️ Attention: In some builds of MIUI for Russia and the CIS, the assistant call button may be strictly tied to the system. If the standard switch does not help, do not rush to delete system files - try disabling widgets on the desktop first.

It is also worth checking the lock screen settings, since Alice often places her widget there for quick access. Go to Settings → Always-on screen and Lock screen → Lock screen. Find the item related to widgets or quick access and disable the display of Yandex.Services. This will remove unnecessary interface elements and speed up unlocking the device.

Managing rights and startup applications

Even if you have hidden the icon or changed the default assistant, the process Yandex may continue to hang in RAM, consuming battery power. To disable it completely, you must prevent the application from starting automatically. In smartphones Xiaomi for this, there is a special startup control mechanism that does not require superuser rights.

Go to the application Security (green icon with a lightning bolt), which is preinstalled on the system. Scroll down to the Permissions section and select Autostart. In the list that opens, find applications related to Yandex (Yandex, Yandex.Search, Alice). Switch the sliders to the Off position. This will prevent services from starting immediately after turning on the phone.

Additionally, it is worth limiting background activity. In the same menu Security go to Battery → Battery saving in applications. Find Yandex and set a limit No restrictions (to allow work if it is needed) or, conversely, Limit background activityif your goal is to maximize resource savings and completely ignore the assistant. The choice depends on whether you use other Yandex services, such as Taxi or Market.

Do not forget that after updating the system, the autorun settings may be reset. Check this section periodically, especially after major updates MIUI. It’s also worth paying attention to permissions: in the menu Applications → Permissions → Microphone make sure that unnecessary services have access to the microphone disabled or have “Ask” mode.

Disable via the power button and Google Assistant

One of the most annoying features for many users is calling Alice when you long press the power button. In global firmware versions, this behavior is often tied to Google Assistant, but in regional builds for the CIS, priority is given to Yandex.Alice. You can change this setting, but the path may not be obvious.

Try going to Settings → Additional functions → Power button. If there is a “Launch voice assistant” option, check which application is selected. If the choice is not available (gray), then the setting is locked by region or software version. In this case, it helps to temporarily change the device region to a country where Yandex is not a system partner (for example, Kazakhstan, Ukraine or the USA).

To change the region, go to Settings → Advanced → Region. After changing the region, the phone may require a reboot. Then check your power button settings again. If the item becomes active, select Google Assistant or “No”. After this, you can return the region back, but in some cases the button setting is reset, and the procedure must be repeated or use ADB.

⚠️ Attention: Changing the region may affect the operation of some local services, theme and display of news in the browser. Make sure this won't break your main apps before changing your settings.

An alternative is to use third-party button remapping apps, such as Button Mapper. However, on new versions of Android with their strict security policies, such apps may require complex settings via ADB or special accessibility permissions, which is not always convenient for the average user.

Removing system components via ADB

If standard methods do not work and Alice remains in the system, the most effective way is to use USB debugging and a tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This method allows you to remove or disable system packages that are not visible in the regular application menu. This is a powerful tool that requires caution.

First, you need to activate developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click on the item MIUI version (or OS version) 7 times. The message “You have become a developer” will appear. Then in the menu Additional → For developers turn on the toggle switch USB debugging.

Connect your smartphone to the computer with a cable. ADBmust be installed on the computer. Open a command line or terminal in the folder with ADB and enter the command to test the connection:

adb devices

A request for debugging permission will appear on the phone screen - click “Allow”. If the console displays the device serial number, the connection is established. Now you can start disabling packages associated with Alice.

List of packages to disable

com.yandex.alice (Alice's main package)

com.yandex.searchlib (search libraries)

com.miui.voiceassistant (MIUI system assistant, if redirected)

com.yandex.searchplugin (search plugin)

To disable a specific package, use the command adb shell pm disable-user --user 0. For example, to disable the main component, enter:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.yandex.alice

It is important to understand that the command disable-user does not physically remove the application, but only “freezes” it for the current user. It is safe and reversible. If something goes wrong, the application can be turned back on with the command enable.

Process analysis and package table

When working with system files, it is critical not to delete unnecessary things. In the shell Xiaomi many processes have similar names, and deleting a key component can lead to a cyclic reboot (bootloop). Below is a table of the main packages related to voice assistants and search that are safe to touch.

Package name	Description	Risk of removal	Recommendation
com.yandex.alice	Main application Alice	Low	Can be disabled
com.yandex.searchlib	Search string libraries	Medium	Disable if not used Yandex search
com.miui.voiceassistant	MIUI System Assistant	High	Only disable, do not delete
com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox	Google Search and Assistant	Critical	Do not touch if you need Google

Use the command adb shell pm list packages | grep yandexto see all installed Yandex packages on your device. This will help identify hidden processes that may be running the assistant. Be careful: if you use the Yandex browser or navigator, disabling search libraries (searchlib) may disrupt their operation.

Restoring a deleted or disabled package is performed with the command:

adb shell pm enable

If you accidentally deleted the package completely (with the command uninstall), you can only restore it by resetting the phone to factory settings or reinstalling it through the app store if it is a custom package.

Cleaning residual files and widgets

After disabling or deleting the main components, “tails” may remain in the system - widgets on desktops, folders in memory or residuals in the cache. Visual cleaning is important not only for aesthetics, but also to prevent the system from trying to restore shortcuts.

Go through all desktops and delete the Yandex.Search, Alice, and News widgets. (long press) on the widget usually brings up the delete menu. Also check the folder Download or the root of the internal memory for installer apk files that may have remained from updates.

To deep clean the cache, you can use the built-in cleaner in the application Security. Run a scan and clean out the junk. This will delete temporary files that may have accumulated while Yandex services were running in the background. However, do not use third-party “accelerators” with aggressive advertising - the built-in MIUI tools are quite enough.

⚠️ Attention: Interfaces and menu item names may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14) or HyperOS. If you don't find an exact match, look for synonyms or similar icons in the settings.

If the Alice widget appears again after a reboot, it means that some process is still active. Return to the section about startup and check if any Yandex components have been activated again. Sometimes updating the application itself through the store GetApps or Play Market can return the default settings.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Is it possible to completely remove Alice without root access?

Full physical removal It is impossible to install a system application without root access using standard means. However, using the ADB command pm disable-user makes the application invisible to the system and the user, which is functionally equivalent to deleting, but safe to guarantee.

Why did Alice appear again after the firmware update?

When updating the system (OTA), the settings of packages disabled via ADB can be reset, and system applications can be restored. You will have to re-execute the shutdown commands or use the automation script if your computer is connected during the update.

Does disabling Alice affect the operation of other Yandex applications?

Disabling the package com.yandex.alice should not affect the operation of Yandex.Maps, Taxi or Browser. However, disabling shared libraries (searchlib) may disrupt the work of the search bar within other applications of the ecosystem.

Is it safe to change the region to disable the button?

Changing the region is safe for user data (photos, contacts will not be lost). However, the set of pre-installed applications, the theme and the frequency of system updates may change. You can return everything back by simply changing the region in the settings.

What to do if the phone went into reboot after disabling the package?

If the device boots at least partially, connect it to the PC and turn on the package with the command adb shell pm enable. If the phone does not boot at all (bootloop), you will need to enter Recovery mode and reset the data (Wipe Data), which will delete all user files.