How to switch keyboard on Xiaomi phone to English: 5 ways + problem solving

Switching the keyboard layout to Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO seems like a simple task — until you encounter unexpected nuances. The system stubbornly returns Russian after the reboot, the English layout is not at all on the list of available, the Gboard keyboard conflicts with the proprietary Mi Keyboard. This article will not only show how to change the input language, but also help to understand the typical mistakes that make the switching process painful.

Xiaomi smartphones have two keyboard types: the standard Mi Keyboard (default) and Google’s Gboard (if you installed it separately), and the switching algorithm is different for them, as is the set of features available. We’ll look at both options, and we’ll also talk about how to add English if it’s not on the list, and why sometimes the keyboard “forgets” the layout after the MIUI update.

It is important that you use it. POCO Launcher or custom firmware like Xiaomi.EU, some menu items may be called differently. FAQ-Block at the end of the article – there are specific cases.

1. Quickly switch layout on the standard Mi Keyboard

If you've never changed your Xiaomi keyboard, the default is the Mi Keyboard, which you can switch to English right while typing, without diving too deep into the settings.

Here's how to do it:

1. Open any application where you can type text (such as Messages or Notes).
2. Tap the input field so that the keyboard appears.
3. Find a button with a globe on the keyboard (🌐) or russian/ENG — It is usually located in the lower row to the left of the space.
4. You can click on it once, and if you've already added the English layout, the language changes instantly.

If you don't have a switch button or if you press it, you don't have English activated in your keyboard settings.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) the tongue switch button may be hidden. To return it, go to the keyboard settings → Appearance → Toolbar and enable the option of the Tongue Switch button.

Check if English is added to the keyboard settings

Reboot your phone (sometimes helps with MIUI glitch)

Update Mi Keyboard to Google Play

Remove the keyboard cache in the application settings-->

2. Add English to Mi Keyboard settings

If you don't have a quick switch or no English layout, you need to add it manually.

1. Open the phone settings.
2. Go to Additional → Language and Input → Current Keyboard (on some versions of MIUI, the path may be System and Device → Language and Input).
3. Choose the Mi Keyboard (or Xiaomi Keyboard).
4. Slip on the input languages.
5. In the list of available languages, find English (US) or English (UK) and activate the switch next to you.
6. Return to the input field and check if the layout switch button appears.

If English is not listed, click Download Languages (or Add Language) and select the option you want. Please note that some regional versions of MIUI (e.g. India) may not support English (UK) in which case choose English (US).

Mi Keyboard (standard)

Gboard (from Google)

SwiftKey

Another.-->

3. Switching the language to Gboard (if installed)

Many Xiaomi users prefer Gboard because of advanced features like gesture input or built-in translator, and if you use it too, the language change algorithm will be different:

1. Open any text box to allow the Gboard keyboard to appear.
2. Find a button with a globe on the keyboard (🌐) or RU.
3. Hold it with your finger for 1-2 seconds and a list of available languages will appear.
4. Choose English (US) or any other option you want.

If English is not on the list, add it as follows:

1. Press the button to switch the language → press the settings of the keyboard (cog).
2. Select Languages → Add a keyboard.
3. Scroll through the list to English and select the region you want (US, UK, Canada, etc.).
4. Go back to the text and check the switch.

Tip: You can set up automatic language switching on the first characters you enter in Gboard, go to Settings Gboard → Text Input → Auto-Replacement and turn on Auto-Switching.

💡

If you often type in two languages, you can set up a gesture to switch in Gboard: swipe the space to the left or right to change the layout.

4.Why the keyboard doesn't keep English after the reboot

One of the most common problems with Xiaomi is that the keyboard forgets the language it chooses after rebooting or updating the MIUI, which is due to the way the Mi Keyboard works and how it interacts with system services.

• 🔄 Resetting keyboard settings: After updating MIUI Some settings are reset. Solution: Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Mi Keyboard → Storage and click Clear Cache.
• 📱 Conflict with other keyboards: If you have multiple keyboards installed (e.g. Gboard) + Mi Keyboard, the system can arbitrarily select one of these.Solution: Set Mi Keyboard with default keyboard in language and input settings.
• 🌍 Regional restrictions: On some firmware (especially China or India) English may be blocked.Solution: change region of the phone to the US in Settings → Additionally. → Language and region.
• 🔧 Mistake in MIUI: In versions. MIUI 12.5-14, there was a bug that didn't save your keyboard settings, so you can either upgrade to the latest version of the firmware or roll back to a stable branch.

Critical information: If after all the manipulations, English still resets, try removing the updates for the Mi Keyboard in Google Play. To do this, open the application page in the Play Market, click on the three dots in the top corner and select Remove Updates, which will return the keyboard to the factory version, which can work more stable.

5. set up auto-switching languages (for those who type in two languages)

If you often combine Russian and English when typing, constantly manually switching layouts can be annoying. Fortunately, both the Mi Keyboard and Gboard keyboards support automatic context-switching.

For Mi Keyboard:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Language and Enter → Mi Keyboard → Text Input.
2. Turn on the option of automatic language switching.
3. Below, select the languages you want to switch between (e.g. Russian and English (US)).

For Gboard:

1. Open any text field and call the keyboard.
2. Press the globe button (🌐) → gear (Settings).
3. Go to Text Input. → Auto-replacement.
4. Activate automatic language switching.

Note: Autoswitching doesn’t work perfectly – sometimes the keyboard can make the wrong choice of language, especially if you use mixed words (like “helloh”).

💡

Auto-switching languages saves time, but can create errors in Latin words (such as nicknames or brands).

6. Solving problems with lack of English on the list

If English is not in the keyboard settings, it may be due to one of three reasons:

1. Firmware for a specific region (e.g. Indian or Chinese version of MIUI) where English is disabled by default.
2. Corporate policy restrictions (if the phone was issued by the employer)
3. The keyboard malfunction after the update.

Here's what we can do:

• 🌐 Change the region of the phone: Open Settings → Additionally. → Language and region. Select Region and install U.S. or U.K. Reset your phone and check for English in your keyboard settings.

Install Gboard:

Mi Keyboard

Gboard

Reset the keyboard settings:

Settings → Applications → Mi Keyboard → Storage

Clear the data

Check the phone:

MIUI

Xiaomi.EU

⚠️ Note: Changes in region may affect some services (e.g. Mi Pay or Mi Cloud) and if you use local banking applications, check if the change in region will block them.

7. Alternative methods of entering English text

If you can’t switch the keyboard or you need to enter only a few English words, you can use alternative methods:

• 🗣️ Voice input: Press the microphone button on the keyboard and dictate the text in English. Recognition works even if the English layout is not added.
• 📋 Clipboard: Type text on another device (such as a computer), copy and paste into the desired field on the phone.
• 🌍 Built-in translator: Gboard has a translation function – type text in Russian, highlight it, click Translate and select English.
• 🔤 Special characters: For individual English letters, you can use the?123 key on the keyboard, where Latin characters are available.