Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi notebooks often face a situation where, after reinstalling the operating system or resetting the settings, the low-level I/O interface is in Chinese or English. For many users, this becomes a serious barrier, especially if you want to change the priority of the boot or activate virtualization. Understanding how to switch the Xiaomi Bios language is a key skill for competent device administration.
Modern laptops from the Chinese brand use the standard UEFI interface, which, unlike older BIOS, has a graphical shell and mouse support. However, localization is often limited, and the choice can only be between the two main options. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm of actions necessary to change language settings, and also consider hidden menu features that not all users know about.
It is worth noting that the procedure for changing the language on Xiaomi Mi Notebook and RedmiBook laptops is almost identical, since the devices use a similar architecture of the motherboard. Before starting any manipulations, make sure that the laptop is connected to the network, as accidental power outage while working with firmware can lead to serious consequences.
Features of the UEFI interface on Xiaomi devices
Before you start setting up, you need to understand what you are dealing with. Xiaomi laptops are not equipped with a classic BIOS, but with a more modern UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). This is a software layer that loads to the operating system and manages the hardware. Xiaomi’s UEFI interface is minimalist and often devoid of redundant features characteristic of gaming motherboards.
The main feature is the rigid binding of language packages. In most cases, the firmware contains only two languages: English and Chinese. Attempting to install Russian or any other language through the standard menu is impossible, since the corresponding localization files are not available in the factory firmware, this restriction is dictated by the marketing policy of the company, which is focused primarily on the domestic market of China and the English segment.
Navigation on the menu is done using the keyboard, although some versions also support touchpad management. The main tabs are usually located at the top of the screen or on the side, depending on the model of the laptop. To navigate between items, arrows or direction keys are used, and to select the Enter key.
⚠️ Warning: Changing settings in non-language partitions (such as Voltage or Frequency) without deep knowledge can cause a laptop to work unstable or boot to fail.
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If you accidentally changed an incomprehensible setting, look for the “Load Default Settings” option or press F9 to reset the settings to factory values.
BIOS login and menu navigation
The first step to change the language is to log into the settings menu itself. On Xiaomi and Redmi laptops, this is usually answered by the F2 key. However, there is a caveat: on some models, you must pre-press the Fn key, that is, the combination will be Fn + F2. You need to log in immediately after you turn on the laptop, before the Windows or Linux logo appears.
The login process requires some skill, because the system's response time is limited. If you miss a moment and start loading the operating system, you need to restart the device and try again. In the rare cases when fast boot is activated on Windows, keyboard input may be blocked.
In this case, you can use the software method of logging in through the system parameters, which is especially true for users who have a latency or defective keyboard, and the algorithm for actions through Windows is as follows:
- 🔹 Press the Start button and select the gear icon to open Settings".
- 🔹 Go to Update and Security, then select Recovery".
- 🔹 In the "Special Download Options" block, click the "Reboot Now" button".
- 🔹 After restarting, select "Finding and troubleshooting" →"Additional parameters" →"Parameters of embedded software UEFI".
After doing this, the laptop will restart and automatically open the BIOS/UEFI interface.
Algorithm of changing the language of the interface
When you're in the BIOS main menu, look at the top bar or side column. In most current Xiaomi models, the language switch is denoted by a globe icon or letter shortening. Most often, the item you're looking for is in the Main section or in a separate System tab.
If your interface is entirely in Chinese, it can take time to find the right item. Look for characters that visually resemble the "language" symbol or are located next to the time and date. When you hover over the right point, a pop-up prompt in English describing the function often appears at the bottom of the screen.
To switch, perform the following steps:
- 🔸 Use left/right arrows to navigate between the top menu tabs.
- 🔸 Find a clause signed as "Language" or having the appropriate icon.
- 🔸 Click Enter and select "English" (or" for Chinese) in the list that appears).
- 🔸 Confirm the choice, the interface should be instantly updated.
It is important to understand that changing the language does not require saving the settings via F10, it applies immediately, but if you have changed other settings, remember to save them before you exit.
☑️ Checking before exit
Table of correspondence of the main menu items
Even after switching to English, some terms may not be clear to a beginner. Below is a table that will help you navigate the main sections of the BIOS of Xiaomi laptops.
| Menu item (English) | Description of function | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Boot Mode | Operating system loading mode | UEFI (for Windows 10/11) |
| Secure Boot | Protection against downloading unlicensed software | Enabled (or Disabled for Linux) |
| Virtualization (VT-x) | Hardware virtualization technology | Enabled (for emulators) |
| Wake on LAN | Turning on the laptop via the network | Disabled (for battery saving) |
Changing these settings directly affects how your laptop behaves at launch. For example, modern Linux distributions often require you to disable Secure Boot, while virtualization is critical to running Android emulators on a PC.
What to do if the language doesn’t change
There is a situation where users do not find the language switch at all, which is typical for some budget RedmiBook models or specific versions of the BIOS, where the manufacturer hard-sewn only one language (most often English, less often Chinese), in which case software methods can not change the interface.
If you're faced with a Chinese interface and can't find the switch, try looking for a "language" item, and if there's no "Chinese" item on any menu, including the hidden ones, your firmware version doesn't support multilingualism.
The only legal way to fix this problem is to update the BIOS to the latest version from the official website, and manufacturers sometimes add language packs to new microcode revisions.
⚠️ Attention: Update BIOS — Make sure the battery is 100% and the laptop is connected to the charger, interrupting the upgrade process can turn the laptop into a brick".
How to Upgrade Your BIOS Safely?
Resetting and exiting the BIOS
Once you have switched the language or made the necessary configuration changes, you need to leave the settings system. To do this, the "Exit" or "Save & Exit" button is usually located in the lower or upper right corner of the screen. The standard keys for saving and exiting are F10.
When you click on the output, the system will ask for confirmation: "Save configuration and reset?". You must select "Yes" or press Enter. The laptop will restart and the changes will take effect. If you do not want to save changes (for example, just watched the settings), select "Discard changes and exit".
In some cases, after changing the language, you may need to reset the time and date, as when changing the regional settings, the time format may be confused.
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Save settings through F10 is a mandatory final step, without which all changes will be lost after the reboot.