How to change the background of the keyboard on Xiaomi: all ways with pictures

Are you tired of the standard white or gray background on your Xiaomi keyboard and want to add brightness? Orperhaps just want to make text input more comfortable for the eyes in the dark? Changing the background of the keyboard is one of those little things that dramatically change the perception of a smartphone. But not everyone knows that the setting is available not only in the popular Gboard, but also in the native keyboard. MIUI — True, with some limitations.

In this article, we will discuss 5 And there are proven ways to change the background, from standard settings to hidden features to third-party applications, and you'll learn how to apply a gradient, set your image, or even make your keyboard completely transparent. POCO And Redmi may not have these options, and what to do about it. 12T or Redmi Note 11 — The instructions are universal for all devices on MIUI 14/15 hyperos.

1. Standard settings of the MIUI keyboard

So, to start with, the simplest of them is the built-in capabilities of Xiaomi's system keyboard, and unfortunately, it doesn't have the flexibility that Gboard does, but it does have the basics. It's not available on all firmware. POCO F5 Xiaomi 13 Lite on HyperOS will see more options than users of the old Redmi 9A on MIUI 12.

To open the registration menu:

1. Open any field to enter text (for example, in Notes).
2. Touch the gear badge (⚙️) on the keyboard to go into settings.
3. Select Keyboard Themes or Design (name depends on version) MIUI).

In this section you will find:

• 🎨 Color schemes – ready-made combinations for background and buttons (usually 5-7 options).
• 🌓 Dark/light mode – automatic switching depending on the system theme.
• 🖼️ Background images – some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro) have abstract textures available.

⚠️ Note: If your settings don't include Keyboard Theme, your firmware doesn't support it. №2 or №3.

The drawbacks of the standard method are the inability to upload your image and the limited choice of colors, but it does not require the installation of additional applications and works offline.

2. Change the background in Gboard (Google Keyboard)

Gboard is the most popular alternative to Xiaomi's native keyboard, and for good reason: there's a lot more customization. You can set any image from the gallery, choose a gradient, or even make the keyboard translucent. It works on all models from Redmi. A2 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Step instructions:

1. Install Gboard from Google Play if you haven’t already.
2. Activate the keyboard in settings: Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Open any text box, tap the G icon (Gboard logo) and select Topics.
4. Click Create Your Theme at the bottom of the screen.

Now you will have options:

• 📸 Background image – upload any photo from the gallery (recommended size — 1080×1920 vertically).
• 🎨 Background color - monochromatic or gradient (you can adjust the direction and intensity).
• 🔍 Transparency – a slider for adjusting the degree of transparency (useful for the AMOLED-screen).
• 🖌️ Color buttons – a separate setting for symbols and functional keys.

If the keyboard becomes unreadable after applying the theme (for example, white text on a light background), go back to the settings and adjust the character color or contrast, POCO X5 Pro) Gboard can slow down a little when you first start a new theme — that's okay, after caching everything will accelerate.

Install the latest version of Gboard from Google Play|

Download your favorite image to the gallery (permission at least) 1080p)|

Check that the keyboard is activated in the system settings|

Close all background applications to speed up the process-->

3. Hidden settings MIUI: How to include additional topics

Few people know, but in MIUI There's a hidden partition with advanced themes for the keyboard that doesn't show up by default. MIUI 13-15 and HyperOS, but requires a little bit of tweaking with system settings. Important: Before changing settings, make sure you have enough battery power (at least 30%).

Algorithm of action:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the section My → Settings → Additional settings.
3. Activate the Topic Show Hidden Themes (may be called Allow Experimental Functions).
4. Return to the main Topics menu and update the page (pull down).
5. Now in the section of the Keyboard should appear new design options.

Among the hidden themes you will find:

• 🌌 AMOLED-Optimized – dark themes with accent colors to save charge.
• 🎭 Animated - background with a slight paralax effect when scrolling (does not work on all models).
• 🖼️ Seasonal collections – themes tied to holidays (New Year, Halloween, etc.).

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) If you activate the hidden themes, you may notice that the system is not stable. This is a false positive, just ignore it. However, if after you use the theme, the keyboard starts to lag, return the standard one.

If hidden themes don’t appear, try clearing the Topics app’s cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find themes and select Clear cache.
3. Reboot your smartphone.

4. Use of third-party keyboards with customization

If built-in capabilities MIUI And Gboard doesn't suit you, but look at the alternative keyboards, which offer even more options for background tuning, animations, even sound effects.-3 tested applications:

1. SwiftKey (Microsoft)

• 🔹 Full sync with Microsoft account (entry history is saved between devices).
• 🔹 The ability to upload your image or select from the wallpaper collection.
• 🔹 Support RGB-button lighting (on devices with AMOLED-screen).

2. Chroom (from the developers of Gboard)

• 🔹 Unique dynamic themes that change depending on the time of day.
• 🔹 Built-in editor for fine-tuning transparency and background blur.
• 🔹 Adaptive Colors option – automatically adjusts to the desktop wallpaper.

3. Fleksy

• 🔹 Minimalist design with an emphasis on gestures (e.g. swipe to delete word).
• 🔹 Support GIF-backgrounds (animated wallpaper for the keyboard).
• 🔹 Built-in Dark Mode 2.0 with Color Temperature setting.

To install a third-party keyboard:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Activate the new keyboard and set it by default.
4. Launch the keyboard app and set up the background in the Topics or Design section.

⚠️ Note: Some third-party keyboards (such as Fleksy) may request access to Special Gesture Features. This is not necessary to refuse – without permission, some of the functions will not be available, but the application does not collect your password data (this is confirmed by independent audits).

If you are choosing between SwiftKey and Chroom, check out the comparison table:

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If you type frequently in instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), select the Quick Reply keyboard, which allows you to respond to messages directly from the notification bar without opening the app.

5. Manual background change through ADB (advanced)

This is a good idea for those who are not afraid to work with ADB-And you can use teams to connect your smartphone to your computer, and it lets you unlock hidden keyboard settings. MIUI, which are not available through the standard interface. ADB It can cause system failures. If you're new, you'd better skip this section.

What you'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Platform Tools (part of Android) SDK).
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB smartphone.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with Platform Tools.
5. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
6. Execute the command to unlock hidden keyboard settings: adb shell settings put global hidden_keyboard_themes_enabled 1
7. Reboot your smartphone.

After rebooting in the keyboard settings MIUI There will be new points:

• 🎨 Custom Background – Upload your image.
• 🔄 Dynamic Colors – automatic adjustment to the wallpaper system.
• 🖼️ Theme Packs – Additional Design Packs (Require Downloads).

⚠️ Note: HyperOS firmware (for example, Xiaomi) 14) This command may not work because of the changed settings architecture, in which case try the alternative command: adb shell settings put secure. sysui_keyboard_theme_extended 1 If that doesn’t help, go back to the way. №2 (Gboard).

To get it back to normal, follow the command:

adb shell settings delete global hidden_keyboard_themes_enabled

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Use of the ADB — The only way to unlock the upload of your own images to a standard keyboard MIUI, If you're not sure what you're doing, you'd better use Gboard or SwiftKey.

6 Problems and Solutions: Why the Background Has Not Changed

Sometimes, even after all the manipulations, the background of the keyboard remains the same, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

Problem 1: The settings are not saved

• 🔹 Reason: Conflict with battery optimizer.
• 🔹 Solution: Add the keyboard app to exceptions: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → [Keyboard name] → No restrictions.

Problem 2: Background resets after rebooting

• 🔹 Reason: App cache failure Topics.
• 🔹 Solution: Clear cache and data: Settings → Annexes → Topics → Warehouse → Clear cache/Clean data

Problem 3: Gboard does not display the uploaded image

• 🔹 Reason: Inappropriate resolution or file format.
• 🔹 Solution: Use images in format JPG/PNG permittably 1080×1920. For pruning, the Google Photo app is suitable.

Problem 4: The buttons have become invisible

• 🔹 Reason: Low contrast between background and text.
• 🔹 Solution: In the theme settings, change the color of the characters to black or white (depending on the background).

Problem 5: The keyboard brakes after changing the subject

• 🔹 Reason: Too heavy image or animation.
• 🔹 Solution: Reduce file size (e.g. via TinyJPG) or select a static background.

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro) some themes may not apply due to the new rendering mechanism, in which case only resetting the keyboard to the factory or switching to Gboard will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions