How to quickly switch keyboard to Xiaomi in English: all ways

Switching the keyboard layout on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO models) often raises questions among users — especially if English suddenly disappeared from the switching panel or the system stubbornly returns Russian after updating. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to change the input language, including hidden MIUI settings, solutions for cases when the English layout of the “disappearance”, and nuances for different versions of the firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14).

Complicating the problem is that the keyboard interface on Xiaomi may vary depending on the model and regional firmware. For example, on devices with the global version of MIUI, English is usually available by default, and on Chinese (China ROM) it has to be added manually. We will look at universal methods that work on most devices, from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

Important: If you use a third-party keyboard (like Gboard or SwiftKey), the switching process will be different from the standard one.

1. Standard method: switching through the keyboard panel

The most obvious method is to use a built-in language switching bar, which appears when typing and is usually located near the space or at the top of the keyboard.

🔹 Click on the globe icon (or current language abbreviation, such as "RUS") in the bottom of the keyboard. If there is no icon, swipe the space to the left or right.
📌 In the menu that appears, select “English (US)» or "English (UK)». If English is not on the list, go to the next section.
⚡ If the panel does not respond to the presses, try double tapping the tongue icon or hold it for 2 seconds to call the extended menu.

On some models (e.g., the POCO X3 Pro), the switching panel can be hidden to return it:

Open any text field (for example, in Notes or Messages).
Touch the gears (⚙️) keyboard → Settings → Input languages.
Activate the option to Show the language switching panel.

📊 What keyboard do you use on Xiaomi?

Standard MIUI

Gboard (Google)

SwiftKey

Another.

I don't know.

2. Adding English to the system settings

If English is not on the list of available layouts, it must be added through system settings.This method works on all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 14 for the Xiaomi 13/14 series.

Instructions:

Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Keyboard and input methods.
Select the Current Keyboard (usually Xiaomi or Gboard).
Press Tongues. → Add tongue.
In the list, look for English (US, UK, Australia, etc.) and tick.
Go back to typing and check for the English layout.

Important: on some firmware (e.g. China ROM), English may be hidden under Other Languages or Recommended. If the language is not even there, see the section on resetting keyboard settings.

☑️ Check before adding language

Make sure that the Xiaomi keyboard is set as the main oneCheck out MIUI updates in Settings → About the phoneRestart your phone if your language doesn’t appearTurn off VPN – it can block language packs from loading

Done: 0 / 4

3.The solution to the problem: English disappears after the reboot

A common complaint of Xiaomi users is that the English layout disappears after a device reboot or MIUI update. This is due to a cache error.

🔧 Cleaning the keyboard cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management.Look for Xiaomi Keyboard (or Gboard) → Storage. Click Clear cache (don't delete data!) Reboot phone.

Resetting keyboard settings:

If cleaning the cache did not help, reset the keyboard settings to factory:

Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Xiaomi Keyboard → Resetting settings

After resetting, add the English language again (see section 2).

⚠️ Attention: On firmware MIUI 13/14 Resetting keyboard settings can remove the user dictionary.We recommend pre-exporting it through the keyboard settings → Dictionary → Exports.

If the problem persists, check if you have a battery-saving app (such as Security or Battery Saver) that limits keyboard performance.

Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management → Select Keyboard → Without Limits

4. Switching the language on third-party keyboards (Gboard, SwiftKey)

If you use a keyboard from Google (Gboard) or Microsoft (SwiftKey), the process of adding English will be different.

For Gboard:

Open any text field and tap the icon. ⚙️ keyboard.
Select Languages → Add a keyboard.
Scroll down to English and select the region you want (such as US QWERTY).
Return to typing and hold the space to switch between languages.

For SwiftKey:

Launch the SwiftKey app from the menu.
Go to Languages → Click + Add Language.
Select English and download the language package (Internet required).
Activate the option to Show the language switching panel in the keyboard settings.

On China ROM devices, third-party keyboards can be blocked by security. To unlock them, go to Settings → Special Options → Special Options Management and enable Gboard/SwiftKey resolution.

5. Hidden MIUI settings: Forced language addition

Some of the firmware (especially China) ROM) English can be hidden from the user, and to unlock it, you need to use a hidden developer menu or ADB-team.

Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times in a row)
Return to Settings → Additional settings → For developers.
Find the Force allow language switch (or similar) option and turn it on.
Restart the device and check for English in the keyboard settings.

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If English is blocked at the system level, it can be forcibly added via ADB:

adb shell settings put secure selected_keyboard_layouts "en_US"


adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MAIN -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER -n com.android.settings/.LanguageSettings

After completing the commands, restart the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB requires an unlocked bootloader and can cause system failures. Use this method only if other methods have not worked.

Table 6: Method compatibility with MIUI versions

Switching method	MIUI 12	MIUI 13	MIUI 14	China ROM
Switching panel on the keyboard	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	❌ No (unlocking required)
Adding through Settings → Language and input	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	⚠️ Partially (needed) ADB)
Cleaning the keyboard cache	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.
Resetting keyboard settings	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.
ADB-team	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes.

Why is there no English on China ROM?

On Chinese firmware (China ROM), the manufacturer limits the default language list due to local regulatory requirements. English can only be added manually through hidden settings or ADB. In addition, such firmware often blocks third-party keyboards (Gboard, SwiftKey) - they must be unlocked through Settings → Special features.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even after adding English, users are faced with problems, and let's look at typical scenarios and ways to fix them.

🔴 Problem: English added, but when switching, Russian returns.Solution: Turn off auto-replacement and auto-correction in keyboard settings: Keyboard settings → Text input → Auto-replacement (disable)
🔴 Problem: Language switching icon disappeared from the keyboard.Solution: Enable the display of the panel in the settings: Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Keyboard Xiaomi → layout → Show the switching panel
🔴 Problem: Chinese characters appear when typing English (in China) ROM). Solution: Remove unnecessary languages (e.g. Chinese) through Keyboard Settings → Languages and leave only English and Russian.

💡

If English appears but is immediately reset to Russian, try turning off the Adaptive Input function in the keyboard settings. It automatically adjusts the language to frequently used words.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Can I add English without the internet?

Yes, the English language package is pre-installed in Xiaomi. The Internet is only required to download additional dictionaries (for example, SwiftKey).To add the language offline: Go to Settings → Additional Settings → Language and input → Xiaomi Keyboard → Languages. Select English (US) from the list (it should be available without a network connection).

Why did the MIUI update lose English?

MIUI updates sometimes reset the user's keyboard settings. To get English back: Remove the keyboard from the list of used (in language and input settings). Reboot your phone. Add the keyboard again and select English from the list of languages. If that doesn't help, reset the keyboard settings (see section 3).

How to make English by default?

To enable English automatically when you open text fields: Open keyboard settings (Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Xiaomi Keyboard). Select Languages and drag English (US) to the first position on the list. Activate the option to Remember language selection (if any).

Can I use the English QWERTY layout on the Russian keyboard?

Yes, on the keyboard Xiaomi can be enabled QWERTY-English layout: In the keyboard settings, select English (US). Click on the layout and select QWERTY (instead AZERTY Now, if you switch to English, the keys will be the standard American layout.

What to do if none of the methods work?

If English never came up: Check if you have modified firmware installed (e.g. custom MIUI from third-party developers). In this case, you may need to flash it back. Install a third-party keyboard (e.g. Gboard) from Google Play and add English through its settings. Contact Xiaomi support via the official Mi Community app and specify the phone model and MIUI version.

💡

If English is lost after each update MIUI, Turn off automatic update installation for system applications in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Auto-update of applications.