How to Clean the Keyboard Dictionary on Xiaomi: From Auto Replacement to Personal Words

Have you noticed that the keyboard on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO has started to substitute ridiculous words, and auto-replacement has spoiled even simple messages? The reason is an overloaded user dictionary that has been hoarding typos, slang and randomly added terms for years. Unlike iOS, where cleaning the dictionary takes a couple of clicks, on Android (especially in the shell of MIUI), this process is hidden deeper - and often requires radical measures.

In this article, we will analyze 5 working ways to clean the dictionary - from standard settings to hidden commands through the dictionary. ADB. You will learn how to delete specific words, reset the entire dictionary to factory settings, and what to do if the Gboard keyboard or the Gboard keyboard is a good idea. MIUI Keyboard ignores changes. We'll focus on nuances for different versions. MIUI (12 to 14) and smartphone models – from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 13.

We warn you right away: some methods will require superuser rights or PC connectivity. If you're not ready to experiment, use the first two methods, they're safe and work without root. For advanced users, we've prepared instructions using ADB and editing system files - they give 100% results, but are fraught with failure if you do not care.

1. Standard dictionary cleaning in MIUI settings

To start with, the basics are built-in MIUI tools, which are suitable for most models (Redmi 9, POCO X3, Xiaomi 12T, etc.) and don’t require any additional software, but it has a limitation: it only removes manual additions, but it doesn’t reset auto-replace statistics.

Open any field to enter text (such as Messages or Notes) to activate the keyboard.

• 🔧 Press the gear icon (⚙️) in the upper right corner of the keyboard (for MIUI Keyboard or swipe down the toolbar (for Gboard).
• 📝 Select the dictionary or personal dictionary section (name depends on version) MIUI).
• 🗑️ Slip on Delete unused words or Clear dictionary. In some firmware, you need to manually select the language (Russian/English) and click Delete all.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – it will apply changes (without rebooting words can remain in the cache).

⚠️ Note: If words continue to be substituted after cleaning, they are stored in a cloud dictionary (if you use Xiaomi Account). → Xiaomi account → Synchronization → Keyboard dictionary.

2. Reset keyboard settings to factory

If standard cleaning doesn't work, the next step is to completely reset the keyboard, which removes not only the dictionary, but also all user settings (themes, gestures, layouts) and works on MIUI 12/13/14 and works on all models, including the POCO F4 and Redmi K50.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type in the keyboard and select MIUI Keyboard (or Gboard if you use it).
3. Slip the Warehouse → Clear the data and Clear the cache.
4. Go back to the main settings menu and select System → Language and input → Virtual Keyboard.
5. Click Reset Settings (in some versions this item is called Reset Default Settings).

Once reset, the keyboard will return to factory status and all added words will be deleted, but this method does not affect the Android system dictionary, which is used by some applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), and more radical measures will be required to clean it up.

3. Delete the dictionary through ADB (no root)

For users who are ready to connect a smartphone to a PC, there is a reliable way to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which cleans all system dictionaries, including those that are not visible in the keyboard settings, works on any Xiaomi models with an unlocked bootloader (does not require root!).

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version, then return to the additional → For developers).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and execute commands in order:

adb devices

(Your device should show up. If not, check the drivers and allow debugging on your phone.)

adb shell pm clear com.android.inputmethod.latin

(For Gboard)

adb shell pm clear com.miui.miuilatinime

(For MIUI Keyboard)

adb shell "su -c 'rm -rf /data/data/com.android.providers.userdictionary/databases/*'"

(Removes the user's system vocabulary. Requires root! If it's not available, skip this command.)

⚠️ Attention: pm clear will reset all keyboard settings, including themes and gestures. If you use Gboard, you'll have to reconfigure layouts after cleaning. MIUI Keyboard may also need to be rebooted.

4. Manual editing of dictionary files (for advanced)

This method is only suitable for root-rights or custom recovery (TWRP) users, and allows you to manually delete dictionary files, including those that are not cleaned in standard ways. Careful: improper editing of system files can lead to keyboard collapse or complete flashing of the device.

The dictionary files are stored in the following folders:

To clear the dictionary:

1. Open Root Explorer (or any file manager with root access).
2. Follow one of the paths from the table above.
3. Delete *.db files (or rename them by adding the.bak extension).
4. Clear the cache folder for the selected keyboard.
5. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: If after deleting files, the keyboard stopped working, restore deleted files from backup or reinstall the keyboard via Settings → Apps: In a pinch, a factory reset will help (but it will delete all the data on the phone!).

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Before editing system files, back up /data/data/ via TWRP or an application like Titanium Backup to restore the keyboard if something goes wrong.

5. Alternative method: reinstalling the keyboard

If none of these methods worked, the radical solution is to completely reinstall the keyboard, which is suitable for Gboard and other third-party keyboards, but doesn’t always work for the built-in MIUI Keyboard (which can’t be removed without root).

For Gboard:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Gboard.
2. Press Remove (or Disable if the Remove button is inactive).
3. Install the keyboard again from Google Play.
4. When you first start, select Do Not Restore Data to avoid migrating the old dictionary.

For MIUI Keyboard:

• 🔄 If the keyboard is built-in, it can only be reset (see section 2) or disable in Settings. → System system → Language and input by selecting another default keyboard.
• 📦 In extreme cases, it will help to update the firmware through Settings. → The phone. → System update. Sometimes, after an update, the dictionary is automatically reset.

If you use a POCO Launcher or custom firmware (like Pixel Experience), the process may be different, and in such cases, we recommend that you consult your firmware documentation or forums like 4PDA.

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Reinstallation of the keyboard is the most reliable way to get rid of “junk” words, but it requires re-configuring all parameters (layouts, themes, gestures).

6.How to prevent dictionary clogging in the future

Cleaning the dictionary is good, but it's even better to keep it from clogging, and here are some tips to keep the keyboard clean:

• ❌ Turn off auto-add words: in keyboard settings (MIUI Keyboard or Gboard) find the option to Add new words or Save new terms and deactivate it.
• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly: once a month, go to Settings → Annexes → keyboard → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• ☁️ Control cloud sync: If you use Xiaomi Account, turn off dictionary sync in your account settings.
• 📱 Use alternative keyboards: SwiftKey or Fleksy, for example, have more flexible dictionary settings and do not clog the system.
• 🔍 Delete words immediately: if the keyboard substituted the wrong word, tap it in the sentence bar and choose Remove or Do not offer.

If you often write in multiple languages, we recommend setting up separate dictionaries for each language. In Gboard, this is done in Settings → Dictionary → Personal Dictionary, where you can add and delete words for a particular language.

For MIUI 14 users, the good news is that recent firmware versions have introduced the dictionary optimization feature, which automatically removes rarely used words. To enable it, go to Settings → Additional → Special Features → Text Optimization.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the dictionary on Xiaomi