How to permanently disable the Chinese layout on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The Chinese keyboard layout on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most annoying features users encounter after buying a device, which appears unexpectedly, interferes with typing, and sometimes even blocks text input on their usual layout, a problem compounded by the fact that the manufacturer does not always provide an obvious way to turn it off, especially on devices with global firmware or purchased in China.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to remove Chinese layouts, from standard MIUI settings to radical solutions like reset to factory settings. You’ll learn why the layout returns after updates, how to prevent it from being added automatically, and what to do if the Gboard or SwiftKey keyboard ignores your settings. Instructions are relevant for MIUI 12, 13 and 14, including the Redmi Note 11/12, POCO X4/X5, Xiaomi 12/13, and more.

Before you go into action, make sure that the problem is in the layout, not the keyboard failure. If you switch languages, you have characters or pinyin (Latinized Chinese transcription), you have to go here. If the keyboard is completely lost or does not respond to presses, that is another story that requires diagnostics of the system.

Why is Xiaomi getting a Chinese layout?

The reasons for unnecessary layout can be divided into three categories: software settings, firmware features and system errors.

• 📱 Global firmware with regional settings. Even if you bought a smartphone in an official store, some models (for example, the phone is not available in the store, POCO F4 GT Xiaomi 12 Pro may have Chinese language packages built-in for Asian markets.
• 🔄 Automatic update MIUI. After installing a new firmware version, the system sometimes resets language settings or adds "recommended" layouts, including Chinese.
• 🤖 Xiaomi's standard keyboard. built-in MiuiKeyboard app (or Baidu) IME On older models, the default includes support for pinyin, even if you are not using it.
• 📲 Reset or data portability: When restored from backup or reset to factory settings, all languages, including Chinese, can return.

Interestingly, on some devices (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro), the Chinese layout is activated when connecting to a VPN with a Chinese IP or when installing applications from the Mi App Store.

Method 1: Remove via keyboard settings (the easiest)

If the Chinese layout is not built-in, it can be removed in 30 seconds through standard settings, which works for all keyboards (Gboard, SwiftKey, MiuiKeyboard).

Instructions:

1. Open any application where you can type text (such as Notes or Messages).
2. Tap the input field to make the keyboard appear.
3. Press the gear icon (⚙️) tongue-mark (🌐) on the keyboard, that will open its settings.
4. Select Languages or Input Languages (name depends on the keyboard).
5. In the list, find Chinese or pinyin and swipe left (or click on the basket/cross).
6. Confirm the deletion and restart the keyboard (sometimes you need to restart the smartphone).

If you do this, you still have a layout, you're locked to the system level. Go to the next one.

Method 2: Disabling the Xiaomi system keyboard

The standard MiuiKeyboard keyboard (or Baidu IME on older devices) is often the source of the problem, it's built into the firmware and can automatically add Chinese layouts, the solution is to disable it completely and switch to an alternative (e.g., Gboard).

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search, enter the keyboard or keyboard.
3. Find the MiuiKeyboard app (or Baidu Input) and open the page.
4. Click Disable (if the button is inactive, click Stop first).
5. Confirm the action in the window that appears.

After disabling, install an alternative keyboard from Google Play (we recommend Gboard or SwiftKey) and configure it as the main one:

1. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
2. Select the installed keyboard and turn it on.
3. Click on Keyboard Management and tick only the necessary one.

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If the "Disable" button is inactive, then the keyboard is system and cannot be removed without the superuser permission (root), in which case only resetting or flashing will help.

Method 3: Reset keyboard and language settings

If the Chinese layout returns after each update or reboot, the problem may lie in the language settings cache, which often helps to get rid of ghost layouts that are not removed by standard methods.

Follow the following steps:

1. Go to Settings → System → Additional → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset App Settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
3. Confirm action. This will remove all application settings, including the keyboard, but will not affect personal data.
4. After reset, reset the keyboard by removing the Chinese layout (see Method 1).

If this method doesn’t work, try resetting your language settings and input:

1. Go to Settings → System → Language and input.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Settings.
3. Confirm the reset and restart the device.

Method 4: Remove via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods fail and superuser rights are not available, you can use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to force the removal of unnecessary layouts, which requires the smartphone to be connected to a computer, but does not violate the warranty.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode (go to Settings → About phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect your smartphone to your PC and in the command line (terminal) do:

adb devices

(Your device should appear)

adb shell pm list packages | grep keyboard

(This will show all the keyboards installed on the device)

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.keyboard

(Remove the standard Xiaomi keyboard for the current user)

If you need more spot cleaning (for example, only Chinese layout), use:

adb shell settings delete secure default_input_method

(Resets the default keyboard settings)

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Using ADB does not require root rights, but incorrect commands can disrupt the system. Always check packet names before deleting!

Method 5: Reflashing to the global version of MIUI

If neither of these methods worked, and the Chinese layout continues to emerge, the problem lies in regional firmware: Devices bought in China or destined for the Asian market often have hard-sewn Chinese language packs that cannot be removed without flashing.

The solution is to install a global version of MIUI (e.g. MIUI Global or MIUI EU) in two ways:

For most users, the best option is to update through Recovery:

1. Download the official global firmware for your model from MIUI Downloads.
2. Place the firmware file (.zip format) in the root folder of internal memory.
3. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
5. Specify the downloaded file and confirm the installation.

⚠️ Attention: Flashing through Fastboot or installing custom firmware requires unlocking the bootloader, which leads to a complete data reset and can void the warranty.Be sure to back up before the procedure!

How to prevent the return of the Chinese layout?

Even after successful removal, the layout can return after updating the MIUI or resetting. To avoid this, follow these tips:

• 🔒 Turn off automatic keyboard updates in Google Play (if you use Gboard).
• 📵 Disable background activity for MiuiKeyboard in application settings.
• 🌍 Install the main language of the system in Russian/English (in Settings) → Language and region).
• 🚫 Do not install apps from the Mi App Store if they are intended for the Chinese market.
• 🔄 Check the list of layouts regularly after updates MIUI.

If you are using Gboard, go to its settings (Settings → System → Language and Input → Virtual Keyboard → Gboard) and:

1. Open the tongues.
2. Click Remove next to Chinese (if any).
3. Enable the option to hide unused languages.

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Create a shortcut to quickly switch the keyboard: add the Gboard widget to the home screen and select the "Switch the keyboard" option, which will help you quickly return to the desired layout if the Chinese one suddenly appears again.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Chinese layout on Xiaomi