How to Add Language to Xiaomi Keyboard: A Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where, after buying a device or resetting the settings on the virtual keyboard, the necessary layout is missing, this may be due to regional features of the firmware or the specifics of the MIUI shell (or the new HyperOS).

The process of adding a language does not require root rights or deep technical knowledge, but the path to settings can vary depending on the version of the Android operating system. The input interface is a critical component of the system, and its correct configuration affects the speed of printing and the availability of autocorrect functions. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible configuration scenarios.

Some users mistakenly believe that changing the language is easy enough to change the region of the phone. In fact, the keyboard language packages and the system language are two independent parameters. You can have a Russian interface of the system, but type in English, Chinese or even ancient Greek, if the corresponding dictionaries are activated in the input method settings.

Basic setup via Gboard

Most global firmware versions use Google’s Gboard as their primary input method, the most functional solution that supports hundreds of languages and dialects, and you need to open any application that requires text input, such as Telegram, WhatsApp or standard Notes, to get started.

When you see the keyboard, look at the top toolbar, and there's a gear icon that leads to the settings menu, and if you don't have an icon, click on the emoji icon or space to expand the extra menu, which often hides access to the configuration, and in the list that opens, select "Languages."

The system will suggest adding a new language. Press the "Add keyboard" button and find the language you want in the list that appears. It's important to note that Gboard allows you to choose not only the language, but also the specific layout, for example, for English it can be QWERTY, QWERTZ or Dvorak.

💡

Use voice input in Gboard to quickly switch between languages without having to manually change layout each time.

Once you have selected a language, the system can suggest downloading an offline dictionary to work without the Internet and improve predictive typing. Accept downloading if you have a Wi-Fi connection. This will significantly improve autocorrect accuracy and typing speed in the future.

Configuration of the MIUI (Mi Input) keyboard

Devices designed for the Chinese market or some European regions may have the Mi Input keyboard (formerly known as Sogou or Baidu Input depending on the version) installed by default.

To access the Mi Input settings, you need to find the corresponding application in the Tools or System Apps menu. The icon is usually a keyboard with the MI logo. When you enter the application, you will see the main screen with dial statistics and quick access buttons.

Click on the profile icon or gear in the corner of the screen to go to Settings. Here you are interested in Language and Input or Language. Unlike Gboard, languages are often presented as separate plugins that need to be activated.

• 🇷🇺 Find in the list "Russian" and switch the switch to the active position.
• 🇬🇧 Make sure that English is also included as it is often used for teams.
• 🌐 If the language you want is not listed, click Add or Download languages to download from the cloud.

Special attention should be paid to the switching settings. In Mi Input, this can be done by swiping over a space or by long pressing a special button. Check these parameters in the "Keyboard Settings" section to get used to the logic of the work.

Installation of third-party keyboards

If you don’t like standard solutions or your firmware doesn’t have the language packs you need, you can always install a third-party app from the Google Play Store, which is the most reliable way to access rare languages or specific input features.

Popular alternatives are Microsoft SwiftKey, Yandex Keyboard or Grammarly Keyboard. Once the application is installed, Android will require it to access the input data, a standard security procedure without which the keyboard will not be able to function.

Once permissions are granted, you need to activate the new input method in system settings. Go to "Additional settings" → "Language and input" → "Keyboard management." Here you need to tick against newly installed application.

Once activated, be sure to choose the new keyboard as the default input method. The system will prompt you to do this immediately after you turn on the keyboard management menu, or you can do this manually by clicking on the keyboard icon in the notification curtain when typing.

System settings of language and input

The deep customization of text input on Xiaomi is done through the system menu. The path to it can vary: Settings → Additional settings → Language and input. In new versions of HyperOS, this section is sometimes moved to the General Settings menu.

You can control not only the active keyboards, but also auto-replace options, vibration on tap and sound effects. To add language at the system level (which affects spell checking in all applications), go to "Language and input" → "Language and region".

⚠️ Warning: Changing the system language in this section can completely translate your phone's interface to another language.Be careful and remember where the return button is if you don't know the language you're switching to.

To add layout without changing the interface, use the Physical Keyboard section (if an external one is connected) or the specific input method settings in the Current Keyboard list. This is where languages are prioritized when switching.

In the same section, you can have T9, or predictive set, and make sure that the added language includes word prediction, and without that, the keyboard will be like a typewriter, without offering any way to continue the word, which will slow down the printing process.

Addressing the Lack of Languages

Sometimes it happens that the list of available languages is missing the right option, or the keyboard does not work correctly after updating. Often the problem lies in the cache of the keyboard application.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find your keyboard (like Gboard) in the list. Click on it and select Clear Data and Clear Cache. After that, the keyboard will return to factory settings, and you will have to re-add languages.

Another reason could be an outdated version of the app: Go to Google Play or GetApps (the Xiaomi brand store) and check for updates for the keyboard. Developers regularly add new language packages and fix bugs in existing ones.

If you use custom theme, it may conflict with the keyboard display. Try temporarily switching to a standard theme in the Themes app to see if the language you want to use or if the switching works correctly.

Features of work in HyperOS

With the release of the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has slightly changed the logic of the system components. The process of adding the language remained similar, but the visual design and location of some switches has changed. Now the input settings are more deeply integrated into the overall security and privacy menu.

HyperOS has improved the predictive typing algorithm, which learns from the user's habits, and when a new language is added, the system can request permission to analyze the input text to improve local dictionaries, which is especially useful for languages with complex grammar.

And the new shell also allows you to more flexibly customize the toolbar over the keyboard, so you can put the change button prominently or you can set up swipes to quickly access the translator, which makes multilingual input much more convenient.

💡

HyperOS offers improved integration of language packs, but requires careful initial permission settings to properly autocorrect.

Users note that HyperOS is less likely to have problems with spontaneously resetting the input language into English, which was typical for some versions of MIUI 12 and 13.