How to change the font on the Xiaomi keyboard: from standard settings to hidden MIUI chips

Are you tired of the standard font on your Xiaomi keyboard and want to add personality? Or can the small text on the keys create discomfort when typing? In this article, we will discuss all the working ways of changing the font from basic MIUI settings to customization. It is important to understand that this is about the character font on the keyboard, not about the system font of the phone (these are different things!).

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi, Poco and Mi line) use Google’s Mi Keyboard or Gboard based on the region and MIUI version. Both support font change, but with nuances. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, the algorithm differs from the Redmi Note 10 to MIUI 12.5. We took these differences into account and put together universal solutions that work on 90% of the brand’s devices.

Before you start, check out MIUI: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If you have global firmware (with Global suffix), some options may be missing — we'll warn you beforehand. Also remember: changing the font on the keyboard does not affect the performance of the phone, but may reset after the MIUI update.

1. Standard MIUI settings: change the font without third-party applications

To start with, the basics are built-in tools: the Mi Keyboard (which is the default keyboard on most devices) lets you choose from 3-5 fonts that are preset. Here's how to do it:

1. Open any field to enter text (such as notes or a message).
2. Touch the gear badge (⚙️) on the keyboard to open its settings.
3. Go to the Topics and Design section (or Appearance in English).
4. Select the Key Font (key font) item.
5. Scroll through the list of available fonts and tap on your favorite for a preview.

If you don't have a key font, you either have an outdated version of MIUI (below 12) or you have a Gboard keyboard installed. In the latter case, move to the Gboard section. On Poco F4 and new Xiaomi 14 models, this path may have a different look: Keyboard settings → Design → Keyboard style.

Limitations of the method:

• 🔹 Only 3-5 fonts are available (usually Default, Bold, Handwriting, etc.).
• 🔹 On some firmware (for example, MIUI China) option hidden.
• 🔹 The font changes only for the characters on the keys, not for the typed text.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 13+ You may need to reboot the keyboard after changing the font, so close all text-input applications and reopen the keyboard.

2.Using Gboard: More font options

Google’s Gboard keyboard offers more flexibility, including the ability to download additional fonts. If it’s not installed by default, download it from Google Play.

1. Open Gboard in any text field and tap on the gear icon (⚙️).
2. Select themes (themes).
3. Scroll down to the Font section.
4. Here you will see pre-installed options (Default, Comic, Cursive, etc.).
5. To download new fonts, click Get more fonts – this will redirect you to Google Play, where you can install font packages (for example, Gboard Fonts by iFont).

The advantages of Gboard:

• 🎨 More than 20 free fonts (including handwritten and decorative).
• 🔄 Ability to change the font separately for keys and for input text.
• 🌍 Support for multilingual layouts (useful for Xiaomi with Chinese firmware).

On the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and other models with AMOLED-We recommend that you choose the dark font or AMOLED Black – it reduces the load on the battery due to the black background of the keys.

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If it doesn't apply after you install the new font in Gboard, try changing the keyboard theme to the standard one, and then return your choice. This resets the display cache.

3. Install custom fonts through iFont

If there are few built-in options, you can install any TTF/OTF-This method works on most Xiaomi devices, but requires unlocking installation rights from unknown sources:

1. Download iFont from Google Play.
2. Open the app and go to Local (to download your fonts) or Online (to download from the library).
3. Select a font and click Set. If you get a permission request, confirm.
4. In the list of applications for the application of the font, select Mi Keyboard or Gboard.
5. Reboot the keyboard (close all applications and reopen).

Important nuances:

• 📱 On Xiaomi MIUI 14+ You may need to enable developer mode and allow the installation of unknown fonts in security settings.
• 🔍 Not all fonts are correctly displayed on the keyboard – test before use.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI The font may be reset (we recommend saving the backup in iFont).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Poco) X3 Pro, Redmi 9A) When you install custom fonts through iFont, the keyboard may start to brake. In this case, return the standard font or clear the keyboard application cache in Settings → Annexes.

Download the font in TTF/OTF|Install iFont from an official source |Allow installation from unknown sources | Backup current keyboard settings | Check font compatibility with MIUI-->

4. Font change through MIUI themes (hidden method)

Few people know, but in Xiaomi, the keyboard font can change along with the theme. Some themes from the official Themes store include unique key fonts. Here's how it works:

1. Open the Themes app on your Xiaomi.
2. In the search bar, type in the keyboard font or keyboard font.
3. Choose your favorite theme (pay attention to the description - there should be a mention of the key font).
4. Click Apply and wait for the installation to be completed.
5. Reboot the keyboard (open any text box).

Best themes for changing the font (according to user reviews):

If the topic does not apply, check:

• 🔧 Update the Themes app to the latest version.
• 📶 Internet connection (topics downloaded online).
• 🔄 Rebooting your phone sometimes helps with application errors.

5. Manual font change via ADB (for advanced)

This method is suitable for users who are ready to work with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), it allows you to replace the system font of the keyboard with any.ttf file, but requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights (on some firmware).

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap on the version, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
3. Place your.ttf font in the platform-tools folder and rename it to keyboard_font.ttf.
4. Open the command line in the platform-tools folder and do: adb push keyboard_font.ttf /sdcard/ adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system cp /sdcard/keyboard_font.ttf /system/fonts/ chmod 644 /system/fonts/keyboard_font.ttf reboot
5. After the reboot, the keyboard font will change.

Risks of the method:

• 🚨 The wrong command can lead to bootloop (cyclic reboot).
• 🔧 On Xiaomi MIUI 14+ Anti-Rollback protection can work.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI change.

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (new shell instead of HyperOS) MIUI) The path to the keyboard fonts may be different. /system/fonts/ through TWRP.

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ADB-If you're not sure what you're doing, use the methods in the previous sections, which are safer and easier.

6. Alternative keyboards with support for custom fonts

If none of the methods worked, consider third-party keyboards that out of the box support changing fonts:

• 🎨 Chroom – a minimalist keyboard with support for.ttf fonts and character size adjustment.
• 🔤 Fleksy - Offers 50+ fonts and gesture control.
• 🖋️ SwiftKey – from Microsoft, with cloud font integration.
• 📱 Typewise – keyboard with hexagonal keys and custom fonts.

For installation:

1. Download the keyboard from Google Play.
2. Activate it in Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. In the settings of the selected keyboard, find the Font or Appearance section.
4. Download or select a font from the library.

On Xiaomi Black Shark and Poco F gaming smartphones, such keyboards also support key highlighting depending on the game - this is a bonus plus.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the font on the Xiaomi keyboard