How to completely disable the T9 on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: a step-by-step guide

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is still one of the most popular smartphones among users who value performance and functionality at an affordable price. However, many are faced with the annoyance of automatic text correction — a feature of the T9, which often spoils the input instead of helping by replacing words with ridiculous options or slowing down the keyboard. If you are tired of struggling with smart auto replacements that stubbornly correct your names, slang or technical terms to meaningless words — this article is for you.

We'll break down three working methods for disabling the T9: through the settings of the standard MIUI keyboard, for Gboard, and the universal way for any third-party keyboard. You'll also learn how to return auto-replacement if you suddenly need it, and what to do if you reset after a system update. All instructions are tested on the Redmi Note 8 Pro with MIUI 12.5-14 firmware and are relevant for 2026.

Why T9 is a problem for users

T9 (Text on 9 keys) was originally designed to speed up typing on push-button phones, but in touch-sensitive smartphones, it often works against the user. Here are the most common complaints of Redmi Note 8 Pro owners:

• 🔄 Incorrect substitutions: surnames (e.g., “Ivanov» → «Ivanov”), technical terms («MIUI» → «mui) or slang ("lol» → «Lol) are automatically corrected to the “right” variants from the dictionary.
• ⏳ Lags when entering: the keyboard “thinks” for 1-2 seconds before showing the hint, which is annoying when dialing quickly.
• 📱 Resetting settings: after updating MIUI Auto-replacement can be activated again without warning.
• 🌐 Language problems: when switching between Russian and English T9 It starts to “mix” both languages, offering absurd options.

According to surveys on the 4PDA and Mi Community forums, more than 60 percent of Redmi Note 8 Pro users have tried to disable auto-replacement at least once, but not everyone knows where to look for these settings, especially for those who use custom firmware or third-party keyboards.

Method 1: Disable T9 in the standard MIUI keyboard

If you use the built-in MIUI keyboard (it is activated by default), follow this instruction. Note: the paths to settings may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13 or 14), but the logic remains the same.

Steps to disable auto-replacement:

1. Open any application where you can type text (such as Messages or Notes).
2. Tap the input field to make the keyboard appear.
3. Press the gear icon (⚙️) in the top row of the keyboard - this will cause the settings menu.
4. Select Text Input (or Keyboard Settings in some versions).
5. Go to Auto Replacement (may be called Text Prediction or T9).
6. Turn off the sliders: 🔘 Auto-replacement 🔘 Predicting the next word 🔘 Automatic comma placement (optional)

Save the changes and check the keyboard.

Important: In MIUI 14, the Auto Replacement setting can be hidden in the Advanced Settings sub-menu – don’t miss this item!

If the keyboard still offers options after turning off, try it further:

1. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard → MIUI keyboard.
2. Select Settings Reset (this won’t delete your texts, only return the keyboard to factory settings).

Method 2: Disable auto-replacement in Gboard (Google keyboard)

Many Redmi Note 8 Pro users install Gboard instead of the standard keyboard for its advanced features, but here too, the T9 can be annoying.

How to turn off auto-replacement:

1. Open any text box and call Gboard.
2. Click on the three-point icon (⋮) top-right corner of the keyboard.
3. Select Settings → Text input.
4. Go to Auto Replacement and turn it off: 🔘 Auto-replacement 🔘 Showing clues 🔘 Automatic arrangement of punctuation marks

Settings

Dictionary

Personal dictionary

Gboard allows you to configure auto-replace more flexibly than a standard MIUI keyboard, for example, you can turn off hints only for certain languages or add your words to the dictionary so that they do not fix.

💡

If the keyboard is slower after the T9 has been turned off in Gboard, try clearing the app's cache in Android settings.This often solves the lag problem.

Method 3: A universal method for third-party keyboards

If you use alternative keyboards like SwiftKey, Fleksy or Chroom, the T9 disablement algorithm will be similar, but with nuance.

1. Open Android Settings → System → Language and input.
2. Find the Virtual Keyboard in the list and select your current keyboard.
3. Go to its settings (usually Text Input or Correction).
4. Turn off the options: 🔘 Autocorrection (or Auto-Replacement) 🔘 Prediction of words 🔘 Adaptive input (if any)

Some keyboards (such as SwiftKey) may require:

• 📲 Delete training data in the section Learning engine.
• 🔄 Reset the dictionary to factory settings.

If the keyboard is unstable after the T9 is turned off (for example, buttons disappear or artifacts appear), try reinstalling it. Also check if it conflicts with the MIUI optimizer - sometimes the system blocks background activity of third-party keyboards.

What to do if settings are reset after the MIUI update

One of the most common problems with the Redmi Note 8 Pro is that the T9 automatically turns on after a firmware update, which is because MIUI resets some keyboard settings to standard.

If MIUI updates come in often and reset settings every time, you can try:

• 📱 Delay updates: in Settings → The phone. → Update the system to disable automatic booting.
• 🔧 Use it. ADB-command to fix settings (requires an unlocked bootloader).
• 🔄 Backup your settings through Mi Cloud (although it doesn’t always help with the keyboard).

How to get the T9 back if you need it

If you have changed your mind and want to turn on auto-replacement again, do it simply:

1. For MIUI keyboard: Open the keyboard settings (cog on the keyboard). Go to Auto Replace and turn the sliders back on.

Gboard

• Go to Settings → Text input → Auto-replacement.
• Activate the options you need.

If the T9 starts to work incorrectly again after turning on (for example, it does not take into account new words), try:

• 📚 Train your keyboard: Type in a few sentences manually so it “remembers” your style.
• 🔄 Reset the dictionary in the keyboard settings and start over.
• 📲 Update the dictionary through Settings → System system → Language and input → Dictionary.

Remember: the more often you reject the T9 options (click the cross on the hint), the less the keyboard will insist on its “fixes”.

Alternative solutions: if you can not disable the T9

In rare cases, auto-replace settings may be blocked (e.g. on corporate devices or in some regional firmware).

• 🔧 Installing another keyboard: Try Simple Keyboard (no auto-replacement by default) or AnySoftKeyboard with manual settings.
• 📱 Use of voice input: in Google Assistant or MIUI Voice no auto-replacement.
• 🖥️ Connecting the physical keyboard through USB OTG Bluetooth.
• 📝 Manual input with hints disabled: In some keyboards, you can leave word prediction, but turn off automatic replacement.

If the problem is regional settings (for example, the keyboard persistently suggests words in another language), check:

1. Settings → Additional → Language and Region.
2. Make sure that the main language of the system matches the keyboard language.

💡

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your keyboard to factory settings through Settings → Apps → [Your Keyboard] → Warehouse → Delete Data. This is a radical method, but it often solves problems with “big” auto-replacement.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the T9 on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Gboard

• Open Settings → Applications → Gboard → Storage → Delete data.

⚠️ Warning: This will delete all your added words and input histories! make a backup of important texts in advance.