Disable Google Assistant: Turn It Off on Android & Home

If you want to disable Google Assistant entirely on your Android phone or Google Home speaker, the exact steps depend on your device, but the core answer is: on Android, open the Google app, go to Settings > Google Assistant, and turn off “Hey Google” and the Assistant itself; on a Google Home speaker, remove the device from the Google Home app or turn off the microphone. Below is the full breakdown for every major setup, plus what each setting actually does so you don’t accidentally disable the wrong thing.

Why People Disable Google Assistant

Google Assistant is a voice-activated virtual assistant that can set timers, answer questions, control smart home devices, and more. It is built into most Android phones, Google Home speakers, and some third-party devices. However, many users choose to disable it for one of several reasons:

Privacy concerns: The Assistant listens for the “Hey Google” or “OK Google” hotword, which means the microphone is always technically active. Some users are uncomfortable with that.
Battery drain: The voice detection service runs in the background, which can reduce battery life on some phones.
Accidental activations: The Assistant often triggers when you say something that sounds like “Hey Google” or when the phone is in a noisy environment.
Preference for another assistant: Some users prefer Bixby, Alexa, or simply want no assistant at all.
Limited usefulness: If you rarely use voice commands, the Assistant is just extra software taking up space and resources.

How Google Assistant Works

Google Assistant is not a single app but a service that runs across the Google app, Android system, and Google Home devices. It has two distinct components:

Hotword detection: A low-power process listens for “Hey Google” or “OK Google.” This works even when the screen is off on many phones.
On-demand activation: When you hold the home button (or swipe from a corner on gesture navigation), the Assistant opens without using the hotword.

To fully disable the Assistant, you must address both components. Turning off the hotword alone still leaves the Assistant accessible via the home button, and disabling the Assistant entirely may also affect other Google features like voice typing or smart home controls.

Disable Google Assistant on Android (Phone or Tablet)

The most common method works on stock Android, Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and most other devices running Android 6.0 or newer. The exact wording may vary slightly by manufacturer, but the path is generally the same:

Open the Google app (the one you use for search).
Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Google Assistant.
Tap General.
Turn off the toggle for Google Assistant. This disables the entire assistant service.

If you only want to stop the hotword detection but keep the Assistant available when you press the home button, do this instead:

In the same Google Assistant settings, tap Hey Google & Voice Match.
Turn off Hey Google.

On Samsung phones with Bixby, you may need to also disable Bixby’s voice wake-up separately, as it uses a different service.

Disable Google Assistant on Google Home Speakers and Displays

Google Home devices (like Nest Mini, Nest Audio, and Nest Hub) run the Assistant continuously. To disable it completely, you have two options:

Turn off the microphone: Most Google Home devices have a physical mic switch on the back. Flipping it off stops all audio capture, but the device remains connected and can still be used for casting or as a speaker.
Remove the device from your account: Open the Google Home app, tap the device, tap the gear icon, scroll down and select Remove device. This unlinks it entirely, but you will need to set it up again if you want to use it later.

On a Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max (which have a screen), you can also go to Settings > Assistant > turn off the Assistant, but removing the device is the most thorough method.

What Happens When You Disable It

Disabling Google Assistant has several effects you should know about before you do it:

Voice commands stop working: You cannot say “Hey Google” or use the home button to summon the Assistant.
Smart home voice control stops: If you use voice to control lights, thermostats, or other devices, that will no longer work. You can still control them through the Google Home app.
Some features remain: Google Search, Google Maps, and other apps that use voice input (like the microphone icon in Gboard) still work. Disabling the Assistant does not remove voice typing or Google Search.
You can re-enable it anytime: The toggle is not permanent. You can turn it back on whenever you want.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

Many users think they have disabled the Assistant but still see it pop up. Here are the most common issues:

You only turned off the hotword, not the Assistant: If you turned off “Hey Google” but not the Assistant itself, holding the home button still opens it. To fully disable, turn off the Assistant toggle as described above.
Your phone manufacturer has its own assistant: On some phones (especially Samsung), the Bixby assistant may still respond to its own wake word. You need to disable Bixby separately in its own settings.
Assistant appears in the Google search bar widget: The microphone icon in the search bar is separate from the Assistant. It opens a voice search, not the Assistant. To remove it, you can remove the widget or change the search bar settings.
Disabling the Assistant also disables Google app features: On some older Android versions, the Google app itself would become unresponsive if you disabled the Assistant. On current versions, this is not the case, but if you notice issues, try clearing the Google app’s cache first.

Alternatives to Full Disable

If you want to keep some functionality but reduce the Assistant’s intrusiveness, consider these options:

Turn off hotword only: This stops accidental triggers but still lets you use the Assistant by holding the home button.
Use a different wake word: Some third-party apps allow you to change the hotword, but Google Assistant does not support custom wake words natively.
Use the Assistant in incognito mode: In the Google app, you can enable incognito mode for the Assistant, which does not save your activity to your account.
Turn off voice match for other users: If multiple people use your phone, you can restrict who can trigger the Assistant by turning off voice match for specific users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Google Assistant improve battery life?

Yes, it can. The hotword detection service runs in the background and uses a small amount of battery. Disabling the Assistant entirely stops that service, which may extend battery life by a few percent over a day. However, the impact is usually small on modern phones.

Can I still use Google Search without Assistant?

Yes. Google Search is a separate service. You can still type queries in the search bar, use the Google app, and even use voice search (by tapping the microphone icon) without enabling the Assistant. Voice search does not require the Assistant to be on.

How do I disable Google Assistant on a Samsung phone?

On Samsung phones, the steps are the same as above: open the Google app, go to Settings > Google Assistant > General, and turn off the Assistant. However, Samsung also has Bixby, which is a separate assistant. To disable Bixby’s voice wake-up, open Bixby, go to Settings, and turn off “Voice wake-up.” You may also need to disable Bixby’s home button if it is assigned to the side key.

Does disabling Google Assistant also disable Google Home devices?

No. Disabling the Assistant on your phone does not affect Google Home speakers. Those devices have their own Assistant service. To disable them, you must remove them from the Google Home app or turn off their microphones.

Why does my Google Assistant keep turning back on after I disable it?

This can happen if you have another app that requests the Assistant service, or if you update the Google app. Some system updates may reset the Assistant setting. If it keeps happening, check if you have any “Device Help” or “Digital Wellbeing” apps that might be re-enabling it. You can also try clearing the Google app’s data (Settings > Apps > Google > Storage > Clear Data) and then disabling it again.

Is there a way to disable Google Assistant permanently?

There is no official “permanent” disable that survives a factory reset. If you reset your phone, the Assistant will be re-enabled by default. The most permanent option is to disable the Google app entirely (if your phone allows it), but that also removes Google Search and other essential functions. For most users, turning off the Assistant toggle is sufficient.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.

More cards in this drawer

The whole Numbers and Powers drawer →