Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, especially those purchased through international marketplaces, often face intrusive system behavior. After the first switch on or next firmware update, a keyboard with characters can suddenly appear on the screen, which covers half of the display and interferes with normal text input. This problem is not a critical error, but causes significant discomfort during everyday use of the gadget.
Chinese layout is often embedded in default system keyboards such as Sogou or Baidu, which are pre-installed in global versions of MIUI for Asian markets, and is primarily due to automatic language switching or casual touching of a language change icon. Fortunately, the MIUI-enabled Android operating system allows you to flexibly manage input methods, removing unnecessary elements completely.
In this article, we will take a look at all the solutions available, not just toggle between languages, but also to completely remove unnecessary layouts from the system memory, preventing them from accidentally activating in the future, and consider both standard settings and deeper methods of managing system applications.
Why is the Chinese layout on Redmi appearing?
The phenomenon of characters on the smartphone screen is explained by the regional features of the software build. Manufacturers often release a single version of the firmware for a wide range of countries, including China, India and the CIS. The basic package of system applications includes localizations for all target markets, which leads to the activation of additional input languages.
Often users inadvertently add a new language during a quick setup, the system may suggest selecting additional languages to improve speech recognition or autocorrection, and if Chinese is selected or Multilingual Input is enabled at that time, the keyboard will automatically adjust to these requirements.
⚠️ Warning: Having a system keyboard that supports Chinese doesn’t mean your phone is infected with a virus, but it’s a feature of the operating system that just requires the correct configuration.
Another reason could be to update the keyboard app through the Google Play store or the built-in GetApps store. Developers often add new language packages to updates, and if the settings are ticked "Automatically add languages", the system itself will expand the list of available layouts without your knowledge.
Basic language shutdown via GBoard settings
The most common scenario is the use of Google’s standard keyboard, known as GBoard, which is the primary input method on most modern Redmi smartphones. To remove unnecessary characters, you need to go to the settings of the keyboard application itself, not the general settings of the phone.
When you are in any application that requires text input (such as messages or notes), call the keyboard to the screen. On the top toolbar, find the gear icon. If the settings icon is hidden, press and hold the semicolon or space button, or find the three-dot menu icon. In the menu that opens, select the Languages section.
Inside the language management section, you'll see a list of all active layouts, and look for a Chinese or a specific dialect, like Chinese (simplified), and click on it to open the detailed settings, and you'll see a button called Remove the language or switch that you want to put inactive.
☑️ Checking GBoard's settings
Once the language is removed, the keyboard will automatically reboot and the characters will disappear. It is important to note that if you only have one language (such as Russian or English), the language switch button on the keyboard will disappear completely, which will eliminate accidental switching in the future.
Xiaomi System Keyboard Management (Mi Keyboard)
The MIUI shell often uses the company's own Mi Keyboard (or Xiaomi Keyboard), which is slightly different from the GBoard, as the menu interface is adapted to the style of the system. To get started, go to the general settings of the smartphone through the gear icon.
In the settings menu, look for Additional settings. Depending on the firmware version, this may be simply called “Advanced Settings.” Then select Languages & Input. This displays all available input methods installed on the system.
Click on Manage keyboards. You'll see a list of apps that are eligible to type. Find "Mi Keyboard" or "Xiaomi Keyboard" and click on the gear next to the name or go to the settings subsection. From the menu that opens, select Languages and uncheck Chinese.
| Parameter | Description | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard type | Active input annex | GBoard or Mi Keyboard |
| Autocorrection | Correction of printing errors | Included. |
| Vibrant response | Tactile recoil when pressed | If you wish, |
| Fingering | Input text without touching the screen | Off. |
If you can't get the language out of the way by standard methods, you can try to clear the keyboard application data. In the App menu, find the system keyboard, select Memory, and press Clear. This will return the input settings to factory ones, where Chinese can be disabled by default.
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If the keyboard doesn't start after cleaning the data, restart the device. When you first activate, re-select only the languages you want, ignoring the system's suggestions to add others.
Hiding the Sogou and Baidu Input keyboard
Some Redmi models designed for the Asian market pre-installed Sogou or Baidu keyboards, which are often aggressive, imposing their interface and Chinese layout even if you use a different input method. Complete removal of such system applications without root rights is impossible, but they can be effectively hidden.
To do this, go back to Languages and Entering in your phone settings. Find the Current Keyboard subsection. In the list that opens, select an alternative application, such as GBoard or SwiftKey, and then the system will stop using the Chinese keyboard as the main one.
To get rid of it, go to the Keyboard Management menu, search Sogou or Baidu and just turn off the slider opposite the name, and the app will remain in the phone's memory, but it will no longer appear in the list of available input methods and will not pop up when typing.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete the Sogou or Baidu system keyboards through third-party file managers without superuser rights.This can result in a cyclical system restart (bootloop), as the shell MIUI It requires at least one active method of entry.
In rare cases, the Chinese keyboard can return after a system update. If this happens, repeat the shutdown procedure. It is also useful to disable automatic updates of system applications in the GetApps store to prevent the return of old versions with intrusive settings.
What if the keyboard returns after rebooting?
Switching languages and hot keys
Even after removing Chinese, many users continue to accidentally turn it on because of the inconvenient switching setting. Android and MIUI have hot zones and button combinations that change the layout. To avoid confusion, you need to customize this mechanism for yourself.
In Languages and Input, find Settings GBoard (or your main keyboard), then go to Additional. This is where the Language Switching Key is located. You can choose No if you use only one language, or set up a long tap to change the layout space, which reduces the chance of randomness.
For the Xiaomi system keyboard, the path may be different: Settings → Additional → Languages and input → Keyboard management → Mi Keyboard settings.Look for the item related to Language Switching or Language Bar. Disabling the floating language bar display will significantly clean the interface.
- 🇷🇺 One language: If you only want Russian, delete all the others. The switch button will disappear automatically.
- 🌍 Two languages: Use a long space tap for a quick change between Russian and English.
- ⌨️ Physical keyboard: If Bluetooth keyboard is connected, set up Ctrl combination + Space to change layout in system settings.
Also worth noting is Auto-Switching, which allows the keyboard to tell which language you're typing in and change the layout. In Chinese, this function is incorrect and often leads to chaotic characters, and it's recommended that you turn off automatic language detection in your keyboard settings.
Radical Methods: ADB and Hidden Settings
If the standard settings don’t help, and the Chinese keyboard is part of the system image that can’t be turned off via the interface, you can use the tool. ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This method requires connecting your smartphone to your computer via a computer. USB-cable and availability of drivers.
First, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, quickly click seven times on the build number in the About Phone section. Then, in the Developer menu that appears, turn on USB debugging. Connect the phone to your PC and start the command line with administrator permissions.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.sogou.input.android
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.baidu.inputEntering these commands will force the Chinese keyboard system packs to be disabled at the user level, disappear from the application list and stop running, and it is important to remember the exact packet names, as they may differ depending on the Redmi model.
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Using ADB is the most reliable way to remove system debris, but it requires caution. A mistake in the team can lead to unstable system operation.
There is also a hidden test menu available through a set of code in the call. Try entering ##64663## (code may vary). In the engineering menu, you can sometimes find sections related to input devices where you can reset your input settings to factory ones, but this method does not work on all versions of MIUI.