How to translate the keyboard from English to Russian to Xiaomi: all ways

Why Xiaomi is switching layout and how to fix it

Have you just bought a new Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ or upgraded your firmware to POCO F5 and your keyboard is stubbornly typing in English? Or, worse, does layout spontaneously switch between languages while typing? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi’s MIUI-branded smartphones, and the reasons range from trivial settings to system application conflicts.

80 percent of the time, it's not the smartphone itself, it's the default keyboard, whether it's the standard MIUI Keyboard or Google's Gboard. Sometimes the problem is with the regional settings of the device, or even with a bug in a particular firmware version. For example, after upgrading to MIUI 14, many users complained about resetting their language preferences, but the good news is that you can fix this in 2-3 minutes without having to reset your settings.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to switch layouts to Xiaomi in 2026, including hidden settings for models with HyperOS, as well as solve the problem of sticking to English. If you use Black Shark or other gaming smartphones of the brand, the instructions will also work, but with some nuances.

Method 1: Standard switching through the keyboard panel

The most obvious method is to use the built-in language change button right on the keyboard, but many users don't notice it because of its small size or its non-standard location.

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. Find the globe button (🌐) or an abbreviation of the current language (for example, EN It's usually next to a space or in the lower left corner.
4. Press it once, it changes to Russian (RU), and when you press it again, it returns to English.

If no button:

• 🔍 Check if multiple languages are included in the keyboard settings (see Method 2).
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T) The button appears only after adding a second language.
• ⚙️ In Gboard, the button can be moved: press it and drag it to a convenient place.

Method 2: Configure languages in keyboard settings

If you have a switch button, but Russian is not in the list, you need to add it manually.

1. Open Settings → Additional → Language and input.
2. Slip on the Current Keyboard (or Keyboard Management in newer versions of MIUI).
3. Select your keyboard (such as MIUI Keyboard or Gboard).
4. Go to the languages (or input languages).
5. Click Add Language and select Russian from the list. Gboard may require you to download the language pack (about 10 MB).

After adding Russian:

• 📌 Return to the keyboard – the switch button should appear.
• 🔄 If the language doesn’t change, restart your smartphone (sometimes required to apply the changes).
• ⚠️ On some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for global version) Russian can be called Russian (Russia) or Russian (Ukraine) - choose the first option.

Update the keyboard in Google Play (for Gboard)|Check your Internet connection (for downloading languages)|Restart your phone if no language is added|Make sure the keyboard is set as the main one.-->

Method 3: Reset keyboard settings to factory

If the keyboard is buggy — it spontaneously switches to English, it doesn't save the language it's chosen, or it forgets words — resetting it will help, and it won't affect the other data on the phone, but it will return all the keyboard settings to the "after-purchase" state.

Instructions for MIUI Keyboard:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In search, type in MIUI Keyboard and select the app.
3. Slip the Warehouse → Clear the data → Confirm the action.

For Gboard:

1. Go to Settings → System → Language and input.
2. Select Gboard → Reset settings (or Clear data in application information).

⚠️ Note: After reset, you will have to re-add all languages and configure auto-replacement. If you use SwiftKey or other keyboards, look for the reset option in their settings (usually in the Additional section).

Method 4: Change the system language of the device

If the keyboard stubbornly ignores the Russian layout, the problem may be the system language of the smartphone, for example, if the device is bought abroad or stitched under a different region, some features may be limited.

1. Open Settings → Additional → Language and Region.
2. Select the language and set up Russian (Russia).
3. In the Region section, set Russia (this is important for the correct operation of Google services).
4. Reboot the phone.

After the system language change:

• 🔄 The keyboard will automatically pick up the new language (if it was added earlier).
• 📱 On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) may need to re-add Russian in keyboard settings.
• ⚠️ If there is no Russian on the list, your firmware does not support it, so the solution is to install custom firmware or use Gboard.

Method 5: Install an alternative keyboard (Gboard, SwiftKey)

If the standard MIUI Keyboard refuses to work properly, the best solution is to install a third-party keyboard.

• 📱 Gboard (from Google) – supports gestures, voice input and more than 100 languages.
• ⌨️ SwiftKey (from Microsoft) – known for accurate word prediction and dark topics.
• 🎨 Fleksy – Minimalist keyboard with gesture support.

How to install and configure Gboard:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open Settings → System → Language and input.
3. Tap Current Keyboard → Keyboard Management → Turn on Gboard.
4. Go back and select Gboard as the default keyboard.
5. Add Russian to the Gboard settings (Section Languages).

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with Chinese firmware (such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 for the domestic market), Google Play may be blocked. APK-Gboard file from the official APKCombo website or use MIUI Keyboard with manual language installation through ADB (see below).

💡

If the keyboard doesn't switch after you install Gboard, try turning off the MIUI Keyboard in the settings (Language and input → Keyboard management). Sometimes the two keyboards conflict.

Method 6: Problem Solving with ADB (for power users)

If none of these things worked, and the keyboard is sticking to the English layout, the problem could be at the file level, and the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, is a method that is suitable for advanced users and requires a computer.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Installed drivers ADB and Platform Tools.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect the phone to your computer and type in the terminal (or command line):

adb shell settings put secure default_input_method com.google.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME

This command will set Gboard with the default keyboard. To reset the MIUI Keyboard settings, use:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.miuikeyboard

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you are not sure about your actions, you should contact the service center or use other methods in this article.

💡

ADB is a powerful tool, but it requires caution: always back up your data before making changes to your system settings.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When changing the layout, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common solutions.

• 🔄 The keyboard spontaneously switches to English → Turn off autoswitching in keyboard settings (Languages) → Automatic switching).
• 📵 No tongue switch button. → Add a second language in the settings (see Method 2) or install Gboard.
• 🔍 Russian language is not on the list → Check the system language of the device (see Method 4) or update the firmware.
• 📱 After updating MIUI squash → This is a well-known bug. Solution: Reset the keyboard (see Method 3) or roll back to the previous firmware version.

If the problem persists, check:

• 🛡️ Are there any "optimizers" like DU Speed Booster – They Can Block Keyboard Functions.
• 📡 Internet connection stability (for downloading language packets).
• 🔄 Availability of updates for the keyboard in Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions