Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where the usual interface of text input begins to behave unpredictable, especially when trying to dial a phone number or a special code. The problem of not having an icon or a grille on the keyboard can become critical if you urgently need to call through the messenger or enter the activation code of the SIM card. the standard shell MIUI and the preinstalled keyboard have their own navigation features that are not always obvious at first glance.
Many users mistakenly believe that the keyboard is broken and begin to look for ways to reinstall it, although it is easy to change the input mode. In this article, we will discuss in detail where to look for hidden characters, how to switch between sets of characters and what to do if standard methods do not work. Understanding the logic of the virtual keyboard will help you avoid wasting time finding non-existent buttons.
We're going to look at not only standard solutions, but also specific cases related to regional settings and system updates. Android's input interface is constantly changing, and what worked a year ago may be hidden in a different menu today. Let's figure out how to quickly find the desired character.
Basic navigation in the standard Gboard keyboard
By default, Xiaomi smartphones use Google's Gboard keyboard, which has an intuitive but sometimes hidden layout switching structure. To find a number icon (grid) or other special characters, you need to pay attention to the bottom line of the keyboard, where the language switching buttons and emoji are located. Pressing the?123 button puts the keyboard in the digits and base characters input mode, where the grate is located.
If after the first switch you do not see the desired sign, you should press the button. =\\<, This action will open a second page of characters where less-used characters, including technical symbols and currencies, are located.
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If you use special characters often, press the desired key for a couple of seconds - Gboard will offer additional variations of this sign or will allow you to fix it on the quick access panel.
It's worth noting that the button layout may vary slightly depending on the Android OS version and the version of the keyboard app itself. In some updates, developers change the icons or their order for ergonomics, so if you've recently upgraded your phone, it makes sense to re-examine the location of the controls.
Features of the MIUI keyboard and third-party analogues
In some regions and on certain models, Xiaomi may have its own MIUI Keyboard or third-party solutions from Sogou or Baidu. The logic of searching for characters in them may differ from Google standards. For example, the Sogou keyboard often uses a separate tab "Symbols" or "Special", which is displayed in the top menu or is available through prolonged pressing of the language switching key.
Users who have installed third-party themes may also encounter a problem when icons become unreadable or shifted due to incorrect layout of the theme. In such cases, visual search can be difficult, and it is better to focus on the position of the buttons relative to the edges of the screen. If you use a custom theme, try temporarily going back to the standard design to find the desired character.
- 📱 The standard Xiaomi keyboard often has a Sim or 123 button in the lower left corner.
- 🎨 Third-party themes can hide button boundaries, making navigation difficult.
- 🌐 In Chinese versions of firmware, the character layout can be shifted to the right.
It’s important to understand that third-party keyboards require additional permissions to function properly, including access to clipboard and contacts. Without these permissions, some predictive input or quick access to frequently used characters may not work properly.
Algorithm of search of grids and special symbols
For those looking specifically for a number icon (grid) for dialing USSD-So, if you have codes or tags on social media, there's a clear algorithm for what to do. First, make sure you're in the text input field where the keyboard is active. Then switch to digital layout sequentially. If the grid doesn't appear right away, look for a button with an arrow or a symbol. 1/2, which indicates the presence of a second page of characters.
In some cases, the number icon may be hidden in the long-press menu. Try pinching a 0 or 1 key — often with additional spellings or associated characters — a method that works in many applications, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and the standard browser.
☑️ Checking the search for a symbol
If you use voice input, you can just say "grid" or "number symbol" and the system will try to insert the desired sign, but this method is unstable and depends on the quality of speech recognition in your version of Google Assistant or XiaoAI.
Setting up a personal symbol panel
Modern versions of keyboards allow you to create your own sets of frequently used characters, which eliminates the need to search for the number icon in the depth of the menu every time. In the settings of Gboard there is a section "Settings" → "Symbols Panel", where you can add a grille, an asterisk or other characters to the top row of the keyboard.
To activate this feature, you need to go to the keyboard settings menu, select Settings, and find the dashboard control section, and you'll see a list of all the available characters that you can drag to the active zone, which is especially useful for those who often work with hashtags or technical codes.
| Action. | The way is on the menu | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Opening the settings | Settings → Additional → Language and input | List of keyboards |
| Setting up Gboard | Gboard → Settings → Symbols Panel | Panel editor |
| Addition of the symbol | Drag from the list | Symbol in the top row |
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Customizing a personal panel saves up to 80% of the time with a frequent set of special characters and codes.
Once set up, the panel will be available whenever the keyboard is active, no matter what app you're in, and it's a one-stop solution for users who need access to specific signs all the time.
Solving the Problems of Disappearance of Symbols
Sometimes the number icon may disappear due to a software failure or application conflict. If standard layout switching methods don't help, maybe the problem lies in the keyboard cache. Clearing the keyboard application data often puts all the controls back in place, but be prepared to reconfigure dictionaries and preferences.
To do this, go to Settings → Applications → All apps, find your keyboard (like Gboard) and select Clear Data. This action is safe for the system, but resets the personal dictionary settings. After restarting the phone, the keyboard should work normally.
⚠️ Warning: Clearing the keyboard data will delete the learned words and input history.Make sure you remember your passwords as autocomplete may temporarily stop working.
It’s also worth checking for updates to the keyboard app itself in the Google Play store. Developers often release patches that fix interface display errors. If the problem has occurred after a system update, waiting for a new patch may be the only solution.
Use of codes and special commands
Number icon is often required for entry USSD-For the codes of operators or special commands in the engineering menu, for entering combinations such as *#06# (checking). IMEI), You need to use a phone layout or dial field, not a text message field. In text fields, these characters may not be read by the system as a command.
If you have to send a number symbol in a message, but it's not there, you can use a clipboard copy. You can create a note, write the character you want, copy it and paste it as needed. It's a simple workaround that works 100% of the time.
Remember that in different applications, the input context can change the available character set. In fields that are only for numbers (for example, when entering). PIN-code), the icon number may not be available for the design project, as it is not required there.