How to change the language of the phone Xiaomi: from Chinese to Russian

Changing the interface language is one of the first tasks that a user faces after buying a new Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco smartphone. Often it happens that the device comes with a pre-installed Chinese or global firmware, where the default language is English or Chinese. For many, this becomes a serious barrier, as navigation on the menu becomes impossible without knowledge of characters or basic English.

Fortunately, the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS make it easy to fix this problem. The process of changing localization takes literally a few minutes and does not require root rights or complex manipulation of the computer. The main thing is to know exactly which sections of the menu you want to get to, even if you do not understand what is written on the screen.

In this article, we will go into all possible scenarios in detail, from a standard language change in settings to solving problems when Russian is not on the list or the device is entirely in Chinese. You will learn to confidently manage your gadget, regardless of which region it was imported from.

Why the language may be different than expected

The main reason for the language mismatch lies in the origin of the device: Xiaomi smartphones are produced in huge numbers for the domestic market of China, where support for languages other than Chinese and English is not required, and such versions often reach the international market through parallel imports or resellers.

In addition, there is the concept of global firmware (Global ROM) and Chinese firmware (China ROM), in the global version of Russian is present out of the box, while in Chinese it may not be at all, or it is hidden, sometimes users independently search the device, and in the process of installing a new operating system, they forget to choose the desired region.

⚠️ Note: If you bought your phone with your hands and only see Chinese characters, it is possible that the previous owner installed custom firmware without multilingual support, in which case a simple change of settings may not help, and you will need a complete flashing.

Also, some applications may ignore the system language and run in English, which is normal for third-party software that has not been localized by developers, but the MIUI system interface must support many languages, including Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh and other languages of the CIS countries.

Standard language change in Android settings

If your smartphone is already partially understandable (like English) or you can navigate by icons, the language change process looks standard across the Android ecosystem.

Find an icon on your desktop that resembles a gear, this is the Settings login, and you'll need to find the option list for the extra settings of your system, and it can be called differently in different versions of MIUI, but it's usually the bottom of the list.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

• 📱 Open the main menu and click on the Settings icon (cogs).
• 🌍 Find the Additional settings section or immediately look for an icon with the letter “A” or globe.
• 🗣️ Select Language & Input (Language and Input).
• 🇷🇺 In the list of languages, find Russian (Russian) and click on it.

Once selected, the interface language will change instantly, all system notifications, menus and standard applications will go to the selected language. If Russian is not on the list, go to the next section of the instructions, as additional actions will be required.

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If you can't find the menu item you want, try using the search bar at the top of the settings screen. Type in the word "Language" or "Language" and the system will tell you the section you want.

Instructions for devices with Chinese interface

The situation of having a phone entirely in Chinese is frightening for many newcomers, but the algorithm is fixed, and you can navigate by the location of the icons and colors. You don't need to know Chinese to do the switch.

First, find the settings icon. It looks like a gray gear. It's usually on the home screen or in the top right corner of the tool folder. Click on it. Then scroll down to the end. You need a section called "Additional Settings" in the Russian version.

In the Chinese version of MIUI, the procedure is as follows:

• 🔘 Click on the gear icon (Settings).
• 📜 Scroll down to the bottom and find an icon that resembles three dots or the letter “A” in a circle (Additional settings).
• 🌐 Select a paragraph with a globe icon or letters «A/» (Language and input).
• ✅ Click on the first item in the list that opens (Languages).

In the list that opens, look for Russian characters, or simply the word Russian, if it is written in Latin. Often Russian is denoted by a flag or the letters "RU." If you choose the right item, the menu will immediately become clear.

What to do if Russian is not on the list

Sometimes Russian is not available in the list of available languages, although the device is global, and this may be due to errors in a particular firmware version or regional restrictions, in which case you can try to add the language forcibly through the selection menu.

Some versions of the HyperOS shell or older MIUI have a feature to add language through long pressing or through the three-dot menu in the corner of the screen. If the standard list isn't enough, try to find the Add Language button.

Also worth checking is the region of the device. Some features and language packages may be hidden if you select a country in the region settings where Russian is not spoken. Try temporarily changing the region to Russia or Kazakhstan in the basic settings.

⚠️ Note: Do not try to download language packs from unverified sources in the Play Market. The system language changes only through the built-in mechanisms of the operating system. Third-party applications may not give the desired effect or disrupt the interface.

If the language never came out, you may have a device with a stripped-down Chinese firmware (China ROM) that doesn't support full multilingualism, in which case the only solution is to change the firmware to a global version (Global ROM), which requires a connection to a computer.

Comparison of language packages in different versions of MIUI

Different versions of the operating system offer different levels of localization, and it is important for users to understand the differences between Chinese, Indian and global firmware so that they do not experience discomfort when using it.

The Global version is the most comprehensive in terms of language support, and it includes not only the translation of the interface, but also the correct operation of voice input, text recognition and system fonts for Cyrillic.

The Chinese version (China ROM) is often devoid of Google pre-installed services, which creates additional complications. Even if you change the language, you will have to manually install Google Play Services, which can lead to unstable notifications.

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For comfortable use in the CIS countries, it is strongly recommended to buy devices labeled Global Version or independently reflash the phone on the global version of the software.

Change the keyboard language and text input

After changing the interface language, it's often the case that the keyboard continues to type in English or Chinese, two independent parameters, and the language of the system is the menu language, and the input language is the character set that Gboard or another keyboard offers.

To add Russian layout, you need to go to the settings of the keyboard itself. This is usually done through the Settings -> Additional -> Language and input -> Keyboard management. You can activate the desired languages here.

Quick way to switch during printing:

• ⌨️ Open any field to enter text.
• 🌐 Click on the globe icon at the bottom of the keyboard.
• 🇷🇺 Select “Russian” from the pop-up list.

If the Gboard keyboard doesn't offer switching, it's possible that Russian hasn't been added to its settings. Go to Gboard's settings, select Languages, click Add Keyboard, and find Russian. It's also recommended that you enable text prediction for faster printing.

Frequent problems and ways to solve them

Even after a successful language change, users may encounter artifacts: individual words remain in English, dates are displayed in the wrong format, or the voice assistant does not understand Russian, this is solved by checking regional settings.

Make sure your country is selected in the Region section, which determines the time, currency, and performance of some system applications, such as Explorer or Music, and the wrong region can block the language pack.

⚠️ Warning: After changing language and region, it is recommended to restart the device, which is necessary to ensure that all system services, including calendar and alarm clock, correctly update their resources and start working with new parameters.

If the problem persists for a long time, localization files may be damaged, in which case Factory Reset will help, but before that, be sure to back up important data, as all files will be deleted.