How to change the keyboard on Xiaomi Redmi 4A: all ways and life hacks

Xiaomi Redmi 4A is one of the most popular budget smartphones, which is still used by many users due to its reliability and simplicity. However, the standard MIUI keyboard does not always suit owners: someone wants Gboard for easy voice input, someone needs the themes of design from SwiftKey, and some are just tired of the bugs of the native keyboard. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the keyboard to Redmi 4A – from basic settings to installing third-party applications and solving typical errors.

It's important to consider that Redmi 4A runs on MIUI (most often 8-12), and the interface may vary slightly depending on the updates. But the general logic of action remains the same. If you've never changed your Android keyboard, don't worry: the process takes no more than 5 minutes, and our step-by-step picture instructions will help avoid errors, and even if you have an old firmware version or little free memory, we will provide solutions for any occasions.

Before you get to the settings, check if you have administrator rights (if the smartphone isn't rooted, that won't be required) and if there's enough space to install the new keyboard.Most alternative keyboards weigh 15-50MB, so even on the Redmi 4A with 16GB of storage, that won't be a problem.

1. How to enable an alternative keyboard in MIUI settings

If you have already installed another keyboard (like Gboard or SwiftKey) but it doesn’t appear when you type in, you probably just need to activate it in the settings.

1. Open the settings on your Redmi 4A.
2. Go to Additional Settings → Language and Enter (in some versions of MIUI, the path may be Settings → System and Device → Language and Input).
3. Slip on the current keyboard (or keyboard management).
4. Turn on the switch next to the desired keyboard (such as Gboard).
5. Go back and select it as the default keyboard.

If your keyboard is not on the list, it's not installed. Go to the next section where we'll tell you how to download and install popular alternatives.

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 4A s MIUI 8 The path to keyboard settings may be different. If you don't find the Language and input section, try searching through the search bar in the settings (the magnifier icon at the top).

Download an alternative keyboard from Play Market

Check the space available (minimum 50 MB)

Close all applications before changing settings

Restart your phone if the keyboard doesn’t appear-->

2. Top.-3 Keyboard for Xiaomi Redmi 4A: choose?

The standard MIUI keyboard on the Redmi 4A is often braked, gesture-free and has a limited set of themes. We tested dozens of alternatives and picked out the top 3 options that are perfect for a budget smartphone:

• 🔹 Gboard (Google Keyboard) - the most stable and functional. Supports voice input, gestures (swipe), built-in translator and search GIF. Weighs. ~30 MB, runs smoothly even on a weak Redmi iron 4A.
• 🔹 SwiftKey is the best choice for those who appreciate auto-replacement and word prediction. It can sync your vocabulary between devices and offers hundreds of themes for design.
• 🔹 Fleksy – the lightest keyboard (only 5MB!), perfect for Redmi 4A It has unique gestures (like swiping up to insert emojis).

Whichever keyboard you choose, the installation process is the same:

1. Open the Play Market and find the app you want (like “Gboard”).
2. Click Install and wait for the download to be completed.
3. After installation, open the keyboard app and follow the setup instructions (it is usually required to allow access to SMS to improve predictions).
4. Activate it in the settings as described in the previous section.

On Redmi 4A with 2GB of RAM, SwiftKey can slow down at a large dictionary. If you notice lags, clear the keyboard cache in the app settings or switch to Gboard.

Standard MIUI

Gboard (Google)

SwiftKey

Fleksy

Other (write in the comments)-->

3. Keyboard installation via APK: if there is no Play Market

On some of the Redmi firmware 4A (Especially Chinese or custom) may not be available in the Google Play Market, in which case the keyboard can be installed via the Google Play Market. APK-Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Download the APK of the desired keyboard from a reliable source (we recommend APKPure or APKMirror).
2. Transfer the file to your phone (via cable, Bluetooth, or cloud).
3. Open any file manager (such as Explorer or Mi File Explorer) and find the APK you downloaded.
4. Slip the file and confirm the installation. If the “Installation locked” error appears, go to Settings → Security → Unknown sources and allow the installation from your file manager.
5. After installation, activate the keyboard in the settings as described in the first section.

⚠️ Attention: Install APK Viruses in pirated versions of keyboards can steal your passwords and credit card details. APK You can find it on APKMirror (check the hash sums of files).

If the keyboard doesn't appear on the list of available ones after installing the APK, try restarting the phone. Sometimes MIUI doesn't update the keyboard list before restarting the system.

4. How to change the keyboard language to Redmi 4A

If you need to switch between multiple languages (e.g. Russian and English), you can do this right while typing or in the keyboard settings.

Method 1: Quick switching during input

Most keyboards (including standard MIUI and Gboard) allow you to change the language with a single click:

1. Open any field to enter text (e.g., in Messages).
2. Find the globe button (🌐) or an abbreviation of the current language (for example, RU).
3. Slip it to switch to another language.

Method 2: Configure languages in keyboard settings

If the language is not on the list or you want to add a new one:

1. For a standard MIUI keyboard: Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Current Keyboard (MIUI) → Languages and select the right ones.
2. For Gboard: Open the Gboard app from the menu, go to Settings → Languages and add new ones.

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 4A s MIUI 8 when adding a new language to a standard keyboard, you may need to download the language pack (the Internet should be enabled!). If the language does not download, check the date and time settings - they should be automatic.

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If you need to switch between languages often, you can set up a gesture in Gboard to change the language. To do this, open the keyboard settings and find the Gestures → Swipe section by space.

5. Problem Solving: The keyboard doesn't change or disappears

Sometimes, when you change the keyboard, it doesn't work, or it doesn't work, and here are the most common problems and solutions for the Redmi 4A:

• 🔧 Keyboard does not appear in the list: Make sure the app is installed (check in Settings). → If you have one but it doesn't show up in Language and input, clear the settings cache: Settings → Annexes → All applications → Settings → Clear the cache.
• 🔧 Keyboard resets to standard: This may be due to optimization MIUI. Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Optimize the battery and turn off the optimization for your keyboard.
• 🔧 Keyboard brakes: Clear the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → [Keyboard name] → Clear the cache) or turn off animations in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers → The scale of window animation → Off.).
• 🔧 Voice input is not working: Check if the microphone for the keyboard is enabled in Settings → App permissions. Also make sure you have Google Voice Data installed (you can download it from Play Market).

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the keyboard settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Find your keyboard (like Gboard) and tap Warehouse.
3. Click Clear Data (all your settings will reset!).
4. Reboot your phone and reset the keyboard.

6.Tune gestures and themes for the keyboard

One of the reasons users are changing the standard keyboard is because of additional features such as gestures, themes, and emojis, and let’s look at how to set them up on Gboard (which works similarly in other keyboards):

How to turn on swipe input (gestures)

Swipe input allows you to type text without taking your finger off the screen - just lead by letters, and the keyboard will guess the word itself.

1. Open the Gboard Settings (the gear icon in the keyboard panel).
2. Go to Slide Enter (or Glide Typing)
3. Turn on the option to Enable slide input.
4. Practice in a special simulator (available in the same section).

How to Change the Keyboard Theme

Gboard and SwiftKey have hundreds of themes, from minimalist to anime, to redesign:

1. Open the keyboard settings.
2. Select the Topic section.
3. Scroll through the list and tap on the topic you like. Some topics require downloading (web).
4. For SwiftKey, you can even create your own theme based on photos!

On the Redmi. 4A with a small screen (5 inches) we recommend using dark themes - they less strain the eyes and save battery power (on the Internet). AMOLED-screens that are not in this model, but the dark background still reduces power consumption).

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If you don’t have enough space on Redmi 4A to install themes, download only those that weigh less than 5MB. Most standard themes in Gboard don’t require additional downloads.

7. Alternative ways to enter text in Redmi 4A

If you’re uncomfortable with using even alternative keyboards, consider other ways to type in Redmi 4A:

• 🎤 Voice input: Gboard has built-in voice input (button with microphone) and supports Russian, English and many other languages.
• ✍️ Handwriting Input: Google Handwriting Input (available on Play Market) allows you to write with your finger or stylus.
• 🖥️ Connecting a physical keyboard: Through OTG-cable 4A plugged in USB-Keyboard. It's convenient for long-term typing. Don't forget to turn on support. OTG in settings (Settings) → Additional settings → OTG).

For voice input on the Redmi 4A, it is important to have a good microphone and little background noise. If the phone does not recognize speech well, try using headphones with a microphone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the keyboard to Redmi 4A