Auto-replace and word correction through T9 technology is a useful feature for many, but not everyone. If you are tired of Xiaomi’s smartphone constantly “correcting” your messages, names or professional terms to ridiculous options, this guide will help you turn off the T9 once and for all without losing the functionality of the keyboard. The problem is that the path to settings can be radically different on different versions of MIUI (12 to 15) and on different keyboards (standard MIUI Keyboard, Gboard or SwiftKey).
In this article, we'll go through all the relevant ways, from basic settings to hidden developer settings, you'll learn how to turn off not only auto-replace, but also word prediction, auto-correction, and even completely reset the user's dictionary. And if you use a third-party keyboard, you'll find the instructions for that keyboard. Importantly, some methods require super-user rights, but we'll show you where you can do without them.
What is T9 and why do you want to turn it off?
Technology T9 (Text on 9 keys was originally designed for button phones, where each digital key was responsible for several letters. Over time, the term has come to refer to any system of autocompletion and text correction:
- 🔹 Auto-replacement – automatically corrects typos (e.g., “hello” or “hello» → «salute»).
- 🔹 Predicting words – offers options for continuing the phrase over the keyboard.
- 🔹 User dictionary – remembers frequently used words (including jargon or names).
- 🔹 Automatic spacer – adds spaces after punctuation marks.
The main reasons why users want to disable the T9 on Xiaomi are:
- 📱 Professional vocabulary: Doctors, programmers, or engineers often use terms that are not in the standard dictionary (e.g., hyperplasia or vocabulary). async/await).
- 🌍 Multilingual input: When switching between languages, the keyboard “muts” words (for example, Russian “cat” turns into English “who»).
- 🎮 Game chat: in games such as Dota 2 or PUBG Mobile auto replacement spoils cuts (gg) → garland).
- 👤 Personal names/nicknames: non-standard names (e.g, @xX_LeGeNd_420_Xx) constantly "correcting».
⚠️ Attention: Full shutdown T9 It can reduce typing speed by 15 to 30 percent (according to a 2023 SwiftKey study). If you type a lot, try turning off auto-replacement first, leaving word predictions.
Method 1: Disable T9 in the standard MIUI Keyboard
If you use the MIUI Keyboard (the default on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones), follow this instruction. Note: the path to settings may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or 15).
Steps to disable auto-replacement:
- Open any application to enter text (such as Messages or Notes).
- Touch the badge. ⚙️ («Settings) on the keyboard MIUI Keyboard (usually located to the right of the space).
- Go to the Text Input section → Auto-replacement.
- Turn off the switches: 🔘 Automatic Replacement (main function) T9). 🔘 Suggest corrections (emphasis on “erroneous” words). 🔘 Automatic marking (if it interferes with the).
Keyboard settings → Predicting text
Show suggestions
If your MIUI version does not have an Auto-Replacement option, try an alternative path:
Phone settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Current keyboard (MIUI Keyboard) → Settings → Text inputText annex open|Button pressed ⚙️ keyboard|Disabled Automatic Replacement"|Disabled"Propose corrections"|Verified word prediction-->
⚠️ Note: Some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12) after upgrading to MIUI 15 keyboard settings can be reset. To avoid this, after shutting down T9 Export keyboard settings through Settings → System system → Backup.
Method 2: Configure Gboard (Google Keyboard)
Gboard is the most popular alternative to the standard keyboard on Xiaomi, installed by more than 60% of users (according to StatCounter 2026). Disable T9 is easier here, but there are nuances with syncing the dictionary through a Google account.
Instructions for Gboard:
- Open any text field and call the Gboard keyboard.
- Press the badge. ⚙️ («Settings») → Text input.
- Go to Correct Text and Turn Off: 🔘 Auto-replacement. 🔘 Automatic space allocation (optional). 🔘 Show suggestions for corrections.
Settings → Prediction of text
Show the line of sentences
Dictionary → Personal dictionary
Reset the dictionary data
Features of Gboard:
- 🔄 Sync: If you are logged in to a Google account, the dictionary will sync between devices. To avoid this, turn off the sync of input data in the keyboard settings.
- 🌐 Multilingualism: You can turn off Gboard T9 For example, leave auto-replacement for English, but remove for Russian.
MIUI Keyboard (standard)|Gboard (Google Keyboard)|SwiftKey|Another.|I don't know.-->
Method 3: Disable T9 in SwiftKey (Microsoft)
SwiftKey is another popular keyboard that is often installed on Xiaomi for its advanced prediction features, where the T9 settings are hidden deeper, but the flexibility is higher: you can only turn off auto-replacement for certain applications (such as Telegram or WhatsApp).
Step-by-step:
- Open SwiftKey and click on the icon ⚙️ («Settings»).
- Go to Text Enter → Auto-Replacement and Auto-Rectification.
- Turn it off: 🔘 Auto-replacement. 🔘 Auto-correction. 🔘 Propose corrections.
Additionally. → Settings for applications
VK
Dictionary → Learned dictionary → Reset data
SwiftKey has a unique Cloud Dictionary feature that takes into account your writing style across all devices. If you want to get rid of smart fixes completely, turn off:
Settings → Account → Disable SwiftKey SynchronizationWhat if SwiftKey keeps correcting words?
Method 4: Disable T9 through system settings (for all keyboards)
If you don’t want to dig into each keyboard’s settings separately, you can use Android system settings, which works for any keyboard, including MIUI Keyboard, Gboard, and SwiftKey, but requires access to settings for developers.
Steps:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").
Settings → Additional settings → For developers
Input of text
- 🔘 Show corrections (disables emphasis on “errors»).
- 🔘 Automatic Replacement (Global Shutdown) T9).
- Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.
Last chance is to reinstall the keyboard:
- 🔧 For MIUI Keyboard: download APK-file from the official Xiaomi website (for example, for the MIUI 14) and set by hand.
- 🔧 For Gboard/SwiftKey: Uninstall the app and install the old version with APKMirror.
💡
Before resetting your dictionary, export it through Keyboard Settings → Dictionary → Export (if available) to restore frequently used words after setting up.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after the T9 is turned off, Xiaomi users are facing typical problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Replacement Returns After Rebooting | Resetting keyboard settings by the system | Turn off keyboard battery optimization in Settings → Applications → Special Access → Battery Optimization. |
| Voice input is not working. | Conflict with disabled auto-replacement | Enable back Prediction of text in the keyboard settings. |
| Keyboard lags after T9 shutdown | Cache overload | Clear the keyboard cache in Settings → Apps → Memory → Clear the cache. |
| In some applications, T9 still works. | Individual settings of the application | Check the keyboard settings inside the problem app (for example, WhatsApp may have its own dictionary). |
If neither method worked, it could be the firmware problem. On Xiaomi forums (like 4PDA or MIUI Forum), Redmi Note 11 and Xiaomi 12T users complain about an auto-replacement bug in MIUI 14.0.4.
- 📥 Updating the firmware to the latest version.
- 🔄 Reverse to stable version MIUI via Fastboot.
- 🛠 Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), but this requires unlocking the bootloader.
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If the T9 continues to work after all the manipulations, check if you have an application like Grammarly or LanguageTool that duplicates auto-replace features.