Many Xiaomi smartphone users are faced with the intrusive presence of a voice assistant Alice, which is deeply integrated into the MIUI and HyperOS shell. Often this application launches randomly when you hold down the power button or appears as a widget on the desktop, which irritates owners who prefer other assistants or the complete absence of such functions. Standard disabling through the settings does not always work correctly, since the system strives to return functionality after the next update.
To completely remove Alice or block its activity, it is not enough to simply drag the icon to the trash. It is necessary to perform a set of actions: from changing system settings to using specialized utilities to disable system packages. In this article we will analyze all available methods, from simple interface settings to advanced methods through ADB commands.
We will also consider the nuances of working with regional firmware versions, since in Chinese assemblies the integration of the assistant can be even deeper. You'll learn how to prevent the application from automatically reinstalling and how to configure the power button so that it calls up the shutdown menu rather than voice search.
Disable via system interface settings
The first step to getting rid of the intrusive assistant is to disable its calling through the control buttons. In most modern Xiaomi models, the default setting is to open Google Assistant or Yandex Alice by long pressing the lock button. To change this behavior, you will need to go to the advanced system settings.
Follow the path Settings → Additional settings → Accessibility → Power button. Here you will see the option “Hold the power button”. By default, the value may be “Voice Assistant”. You need to switch this setting to Power menu. This action will return the standard window with the “Power off”, “Reboot” and “Airplane mode” buttons.
Next, you should remove widgets from the main screen. A long press on the Alice widget will allow you to move it to the delete area or disable it in the desktop settings. However, even after these steps, background processes may remain active. To completely deactivate the search service, you need to go to the settings of the Yandex application itself.
⚠️ Attention: After a major update to the MIUI or HyperOS firmware, the button settings may be reset to factory settings. Be sure to double-check the “Power button” item after each system update.
Removing updates and clearing application data
If standard removal is not possible, since the application is a system one, you can try to remove all its updates and erase the accumulated data. This will return the assistant to the “factory version” state, which is often less functional and less often activated automatically. This method is safe and does not require superuser rights.
Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find “Yandex with Alice” or simply “Yandex” in the list. Click on “More” (three dots in the corner) and select Uninstall updates. Confirm the action. Immediately after this, go to the “Storage” section inside the application menu and click Clear everything.
This procedure will reset all personalized voice assistant settings, query history and linked accounts inside the widget. Although the application will remain on the system, it will not function fully until it is configured again. For many users, this is enough to stop accidental activations.
Before clearing data, make sure you know the password for your Yandex account if you plan to use the company's services in the browser in the future.
It is worth noting that in some regions (for example, Russia) phone manufacturers are required to pre-install domestic software according to the law. Therefore, complete removal of a system package can be blocked at the level of access rights without using a computer.
Full disabling via ADB and computer
To radically solve the problem when you need to remove Alice from the phone forever at the system level, a tool is used Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method allows you to disable system applications that do not have a “Delete” button in the smartphone interface. You will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and a USB cable.
First you need to activate developer mode on your phone. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the “MIUI Version” or “OS Version” item. The message “You have become a developer” will appear. Then go to Settings → Additional settings → For developers and turn on the toggle switch USB debugging.
Connect your smartphone to computer. On your PC, you need to download the SDK Platform Tools from the official Google website. Unzip the archive, open a command line (cmd) or terminal in the tools folder and enter the command to check the connection:
adb devicesA request for debugging permission will appear on the phone screen - click “Allow”. If the console displays the serial number of the device with the mark device, the connection was established successfully. Now you can start disabling the packages responsible for the assistant.
☑️ Preparing to work with ADB
List of commands for removing Yandex components
To remove Alice, you need to find the exact package names responsible for its operation. They may differ on different versions of MIUI. The most common packages are ru.yandex.searchplugin and com.yandex.alice. Use the command pm uninstall -k --user 0 to deactivate them.
Enter the following commands one by one at the computer's command prompt. If a package is not found, the system will display an error message - this is normal, it means that this component is missing in your firmware.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 ru.yandex.searchpluginadb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.yandex.alice
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 ru.yandex.browser
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist
The command com.miui.voiceassist disables the built-in Xiaomi voice assistant (Mi AI), which often duplicates the functions of Alice or conflicts with it. After executing the commands, the icons will disappear from the desktop, and attempts to call the assistant with the power button will be ignored by the system.
| Package name | Function | Risk of deletion |
|---|---|---|
ru.yandex.searchplugin |
Search widget and Alice | Low (recovered) |
com.yandex.alice |
Voice assistant core | Low |
com.miui.voiceassist |
System Mi AI | Medium (may affect dictation) |
ru.yandex.browser |
Yandex browser | Low (if not used) |
⚠️ Attention: Disabling system packages via ADB is reversible only until the first reset. If you do a full reset (Wipe Data), all applications deleted in this way will return to the system.
How to recover deleted applications?
To restore packages deleted via ADB, you need to run the command: adb shell cmd package install-existing ru.yandex.searchplugin. This will return the application to the “for the current user” state.
Prohibiting auto-start and background work
Even if you have not completely removed the application, you can significantly limit its impact on the system by prohibiting auto-start and background work. This will save battery power and RAM, and also prevent accidental activation of the microphone.
In application settings, find Yandex or Alice. Go to section Activity control or Autostart. Disable all permissions. Also in the “Battery” section, select the “No restrictions” operating mode (paradoxical, but sometimes this is necessary for correct closing) or, conversely, a strict restriction of background activity, depending on the version of MIUI.
Additionally, check the permissions. Go to Permissions → Microphone and deny access for this application. Without access to the microphone, the voice assistant physically will not be able to hear the activation command, even if the process is running.
Some users use third-party utilities like “NoFrills CPU Control” or built-in optimization tools to “kill” the process immediately after it appears. However, Android tends to restart important services, so the method with denying permissions is more stable.
Denying access to the microphone is the most reliable software way to make the voice assistant “deaf” without deleting its files from the system.
Reset settings and select a region on first launch
If you are buying a new phone or are ready to completely reset your data, you can prevent the installation of Alice during the initial setup of the device (Setup Wizard). This is the cleanest way to avoid “garbage” in the system from the very beginning.
When you turn on the phone for the first time, when the system prompts you to select a region, do not choose Russia. Select any other country such as India, Indonesia or USA. In these regions, the legislation does not oblige manufacturers to preinstall Yandex.Browser and Alice as mandatory software.
After completing the setup and getting to the desktop, you can safely use the phone without built-in Russian software. If necessary, you can always download the necessary applications from the Play Market store manually, but they will not have system privileges and will not be able to be embedded in the shell interface.
This method has one drawback: in some cases, when changing the region, local services, such as “Themes” or system news, may not work correctly. However, for most users this is an acceptable price to pay for a clean system.
⚠️ Note: Changing the region after the initial setup does not remove pre-installed applications. This method works ONLY when starting a new device for the first time or after a complete reset (Hard Reset).
When you select the “India” region in the MIUI shell, fewer ads often appear in system applications, which is an additional advantage of this method.
Frequently asked questions about disabling voice assistants
Will it return Alice after updating the system?
Yes, when updating the firmware via OTA (over the air), system applications can be restored. This is especially true for packages that were removed via ADB. After a major update, it is recommended to check the power button settings again and, if necessary, repeat the disabling procedure.
Is it safe to remove com.miui.voiceassist?
Removing this package disables the built-in Xiaomi assistant. This is usually safe and does not lead to bricking of the phone. However, in rare cases, voice input may stop working in some system fields. The package can be easily restored by resetting the settings.
Is it possible to remove Alice without a computer?
It is impossible to completely remove a system application without root access and a computer. Without using ADB, you can only disable its updates, disable autostart and remove widgets. To completely delete files from the /system partition, superuser rights are required.
Why does the power button still trigger the search?
You may have changed the settings in the wrong menu or you have a custom theme installed that intercepts button actions. Try using the standard MIUI theme and double-check the path Settings → Additional settings → Power button.