How to completely disable or remove the standard text editor on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to disable the built-in text editor — whether it’s a standard MIUI keyboard, Google’s Gboard or Microsoft’s SwiftKey. The reasons range from auto-replacement bugs to wanting to install an alternative like Fleksy or AnySoftKeyboard. However, Android (especially in the MIUI shell) doesn’t always allow you to do this intuitively — the shutdown buttons can be hidden and deleting leads to crashes.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable the text editor on Xiaomi (including the Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models), taking into account the nuances of different versions of MIUI 12/13/14 and Android 11/12/13.

• 🔧 Deactivate the keyboard through system settings (without root)
• 🗑️ Remove the standard editor (including hidden packages)
• 🛠️ Correct errors if any keyboard stopped working after disconnection
• 🔄 Bring it all back if something goes wrong.

Warn in advance: Some methods require superuser rights (root) or work with ADB. If you are a beginner, start with the simplest ways and do not miss out on the most basic ones.

⚠️ Attention: Disabling the system keyboard MIUI On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) it may be impossible to enter text in the lock field!

1. Method: Disabling the keyboard through Android settings

The most secure and versatile method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones without additional tools, suitable for disabling the Gboard, SwiftKey and even the built-in MIUI keyboard (but not for removing it!).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Language and input.
2. Tapping on Virtual Keyboard (or Keyboard Management in MIUI 14)
3. Select the keyboard you want to disable (such as Gboard).
4. Click on the icon. ⚙️ (setting) → Shut down.
5. Confirm the action in the window that appears.

If you don't have the option to disable, you're using the system keyboard (e.g., standard MIUI), and then you'll move on to the next one.

Install an alternative keyboard from Google Play

Make a backup of important texts (in case of bugs)

Check that at least one working keyboard is included in the settings

Close all applications where you may need to enter text

-->

2. Method: Remove the keyboard via ADB (without root)

To remove system applications (including the MIUI keyboard), you don't need to get root rights. Use the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which works on all Xiaomi models, but requires a connection to a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode (7 times tap the Assembly Number in Settings → About the phone).
3. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and execute in the command line:

adb devices


adb shell pm list packages | grep keyboard

In the conclusion, find the name of the keyboard package (for example, com.miui.miuikeyboard for standard MIUI or com.google.android.inputmethod.latin for Gboard).

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

💡

If the keyboard still appears in the list after deleting, follow the command adb shell pm clear com.miui.miuikeyboard to reset its settings.

3. Method: Disconnection through application settings

If the keyboard is not system-based (like SwiftKey or Fleksy), it can be disabled as a regular application, which won’t work for the built-in MIUI keyboard, but will work for third-party solutions.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type the keyboard name (e.g. SwiftKey).
3. Slip on the application → Disable (or Delete if the button is active).

If the button is inactive, it means:

• 🔒 The keyboard is system-based (needed) ADB root).
• 📱 The application is installed as a system update (first remove the updates).
• 🛡️ The phone's got security on. MIUI (Turn it off in Settings. → Special facilities → Simplified regime).

Method 4: Use of applications for freezing (without root)

If you don't want to delete the keyboard permanently, but you need to temporarily disable it, use applications to freeze system applications.

• 🧊 App Inspector (allows you to disable applications without rooting through the app) ADB).
• ❄️ Package Disabler (works on Xiaomi with the MIUI 12+).
• 🔄 Debloater Tool (for PCs, requires a connection over the Internet) ADB).

Example from Package Disabler:

1. Download and install the app from APKMirror.
2. Provide access to Special Opportunities (in your phone settings).
3. Find a keyboard in the list (e.g. com.miui.miuikeyboard).
4. Slap it on and select Unplug.

💡

Freezing is the safest way to return the keyboard in one click, but some system applications (such as MIUI Keyboard) can automatically turn on after a system update.

5. Method: Removal by root rights

If you have root access (e.g., through Magisk), you can completely delete the keyboard, including all of its files, and this is the only way to permanently get rid of the MIUI system keyboard without affecting other features.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/.
3. Find folders with names: MiuiKeyboard (standard MIUI keyboard), LatinIME (Gboard), SwiftKey (if installed).

.bak

Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Deleting system files may result in bootloop (locked boot) or inoperability of some functions (e.g., input) PIN-Always back up Nandroid before you do that!

6.What to do if the keyboard does not work after disconnection?

Sometimes, after removing or disabling the keyboard, Xiaomi’s system may lose the ability to type text.

• 🔄 Reboot: Just restart the phone - often this solves the cache issue.
• 📱 Reset keyboard settings: Go to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings.
• 🔧 Recovery through ADB: If the keyboard is completely missing, connect to the ADB and execute: adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.internal.systemui.navbar.gestural
• 🛠️ Install an alternative keyboard via Recovery: If the phone doesn’t respond to touch, download the.apk keyboard (e.g. Simple Keyboard) to the phone. SD-map and install through TWRP.

If none of the methods helped, and the text input is critical (for example, to unlock), you will have to reset the phone to the factory settings or reflash it through the Mi Flash Tool.

7. How do you get the standard keyboard back?

If you decide to return the built-in MIUI or Gboard keyboard after experimenting, do the following:

• 🔙 Through Settings: Go to Settings → Language and input → Virtual keyboard → Control keyboards and turn on the desired.
• 📥 Through ADB: Install the keyboard back with the command: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.miuikeyboard
• 🔄 Through Reset: Reset application settings in Settings → Memory. → Clearing the data.
• 🛠️ Through System Restore: If the keyboard has been removed from root, restore it from the Nandroid backup or reinstall it through TWRP.

For Gboard, it is easiest to download it again from Google Play.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off the keyboard on Xiaomi