How to change the language on the TV Xiaomi Mi: 3 working ways + problem solving

Xiaomi Mi TVs with Android TV or PatchWall offer multitasking and flexible customization, but sometimes users are faced with the need to change the interface language. This may be necessary after buying a device with foreign firmware, accidentally changing settings or when moving to another country. Unlike smartphones, where changing the language takes a couple of clicks, on Xiaomi TVs, the process is nuanced — especially if the current language you are unfamiliar with.

In this article, we will discuss three official ways to change the language (via the settings menu, via the remote, and through the Google Play app), and consider alternative methods for cases where standard options do not work. We will also focus on common errors, such as when the desired language is not in the list or settings are reset after updating. TV 4S/4A/4X/5/5X/6, Mi Box and other devices based on MIUI TV Android TV 9.0+.

1. Standard method: change the language through the settings menu

The most obvious method is to use the TV's built-in settings, but there are pitfalls: if you don't know the current interface language (like Chinese or Indian Hindi), it's going to be hard to find the right partition. We'll detail the path with visual cues.

The instructions are relevant for PatchWall TVs (most Xiaomi Mi TV models):

1. Press the Settings button on the remote. If it is not, use the Home button, then select the settings icon in the upper right corner.
2. On the menu, look for a section with an icon of the globe (usually Language & Region or Language and Region).
3. Select the first item, Language (or ). The list of available languages will open.
4. Scroll down until you find Russian (or another language you need), and if you don't, see the Add Languages section.
5. Confirm the choice with the OK button on the remote. the TV will restart (sometimes manual reboot is required via Settings → Reboot).

On a pure Android TV (such as the Mi Box S), the path is different:

1. Press the Home button on the remote to open the main menu.
2. Go to Settings → Personal Data → Language.
3. Select a language from the list. If you don't, click Add language.

Important: Some firmwares may reset region after changing language. This will affect the available apps on Google Play. To return the Russian region, go to Settings → System → About TV → Region and select Russia.

2. Alternative method: changing the language through the Google Play app

If the language is not in the settings menu, you can add it through the Google Play Store, which works on Android TVs (such as Mi Box 4K or Mi TV Stick), but is not suitable for devices with PatchWall without Google services.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your TV (the icon with the color triangle).
2. In the search bar, type MoreLocales 2 (an app to add languages).
3. Install the application and open it. In the list, find Russian or any other language you need.
4. Press Set Locale and confirm the change. The TV will prompt you to reboot.

If MoreLocales 2 is not in the market, try:

• 🔍 Install APK-Application file via Send Files to TV (file-transfer).
• 🌐 Change the region in your Google account to the US (sometimes helps you find hidden apps).
• 📱 Use your smartphone for remote installation via Google Play on PC.

💡

If the language doesn’t change after installing MoreLocales 2, try clearing the Settings app cache through Settings → Apps → All Apps → Settings → Clear the cache.

3. reset to factory settings (unless the language changes)

In rare cases, language change is blocked due to firmware failure or setting conflict, and hard reset will help, which will delete all installed apps, accounts and personal data, but return the TV to its original state with the ability to select the language at the first setup.

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → About TV → Reset settings.
2. Choose Delete Everything (or Factory Data Reset).
3. Confirm the action with a password (if it was installed) or PIN-code.
4. Wait for the reboot (it will take 3-5 minutes). After turning on, select the language at the initial setup stage.

If the TV is stuck in the reset phase:

• 🔌 Turn off the power for 10 seconds, then turn it on again.
• 🕒 Wait up to 15 minutes – sometimes the process takes longer.
• 🛠️ If the reset does not pass, try updating the firmware through USB (see section 5).

4. Manual addition of language package via ADB (for advanced)

If the list of languages does not include Russian or other necessary variants, it can be added manually through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a computer and basic knowledge of working with the command line.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your PC (official website).
2. On your TV, turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About TV. 7 times click on the Build Number until you become a developer. Go back to Settings → For Developers and turn on USB debugging.

Connect the TV to the PC via USB-cable (use the port) USB 3.0 for stability).

Open the command line on the PC and type:

adb devices

Make sure the device is identified (serial number should appear).

Set the language pack with the command:

adb shell"setprop persist.sys.language ru; setprop persist.sys.country RU"

For English, use en and US.

Restart the TV:

adb reboot

If the language hasn’t changed after the reboot, try an alternative command:

adb shell"am start -a android.settings.LOCALE_SETTINGS"

💡

Using ADB is the only way to add a language that is not on the standard firmware list, but the wrong commands can cause the system to crash.

5. Update firmware to add new languages

Older versions of MIUI TV or Android TV may not support some languages, so the solution is to update the software, and there are two ways to do this:

Method 1: Air Update (OTA)

1. Go to Settings → About TV → System Update.
2. Click Check Updates. If a new version is available, download it and install it.
3. After updating, check the list of languages in the settings.

Method 2: Manual update via USB

If OTA-update:

1. Download the latest firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website (support page).
2. Unpack. ZIP-file and copy it to the root USB-storage device (format) FAT32).
3. Connect the flash drive to the TV, then go to Settings → About TV → Update via USB.
4. Select a firmware file and wait for the installation to be completed (don’t turn off the power!).

6 Problem Solving: Language does not change or is confused

Sometimes, after a language change, the TV doesn't behave properly, the interface is displayed on a mixture of languages, the settings are reset, or the language returns to the same after a reboot. Let's look at the typical reasons and solutions.

Problem 1: Language resets after TV is turned off

⚠️ Attention: This is due to a conflict of language packets in the cache. The solution is to clean the Settings application data:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Find the Settings app (or Settings).
3. Select Warehouse → Clear data and Clear cache.
4. Restart the TV and repeat the language change.

Problem 2: Part of the interface is still in the same language

This is typical of PatchWall TVs, where some elements (e.g. content recommendations) are region-specific.

• 🌍 Change the region to Settings → System system → Region per country corresponding to the language.
• 🔄 Update the PatchWall app via Google Play.
• 📺 Reset PatchWall settings in Settings → Annexes → PatchWall → Drop it.

Problem 3: The language is not on the list

If even after updating the firmware language is not, try:

• 📥 Install an alternative keyboard (such as Gboard) – sometimes this adds language support.
• 🛠️ Use it. ADB for forced localization (see section 4).
• 📧 Contact Xiaomi for language addition in next update.

7. Change of language on the remote control (for models with voice control)

On some Xiaomi Mi TV models (such as Mi TV 6 or Mi TV Q2), the remote supports voice input and has its own language settings. If you use voice commands, their language may differ from the TV interface language.

How to change the language on the remote:

1. Press and hold the Google Assistant button on the remote for 5 seconds.
2. After the beep, say “change your language to Russian” (or another language).
3. Confirm the change on the TV screen.

If the voice assistant doesn't understand the command:

• 🔊 Go to Settings. → Voice assistant → Language and select the desired manually.
• 📱 Update the Google app on your TV via Google Play.
• 🎤 Reconnect the remote: Settings → Remote and accessories → Forget the device, then pair again.

On the remotes with the Xiaomi Assistant button (instead of Google Assistant), the path is different:

1. Open the settings → Smart assistant → Language.
2. Choose Russian or another language from the list.
3. Reboot the remote by removing and inserting the batteries.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the language to Xiaomi Mi TV