How to replace the keyboard on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from standard MIUI to third-party solutions

Why Change the Keyboard to Redmi 9 and What You Need to Know Before You Start

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 keyboard is not just a typing tool, but a key element of smartphone interaction. The standard MIUI Keyboard, preinstalled in the firmware, offers basic functionality, but many users lack flexibility, speed or additional features, such as the lack of swipe typing in early versions or limited language support can seriously slow down work.

Replacing the keyboard with Redmi 9 can solve several key problems: improve word recognition accuracy, add design themes, integrate a translator, or even use specialized layouts for programming. However, before installing a new keyboard, it is important to consider compatibility with the MIUI version, the amount of memory occupied, and the impact on autonomy. Some alternative keyboards (such as SwiftKey or Fleksy) consume more power due to background input analysis processes.

Another nuance is data security: Third-party keyboards often request access to all the input (including passwords and bank details) before installing, check the developer's reputation and reviews on Google Play. For example, Google's Gboard keyboard is considered one of the most reliable, but even it collects anonymous statistics to improve predictions.

Method 1: Install the keyboard through Google Play – Step-by-step instructions

The easiest and safest method is to download an alternative keyboard from the official Google Play store, which is suitable for most users, since it does not require root rights or complex manipulation of the system. Consider the process with the example of Gboard (Google Keyboard), which supports swipe input, voice dialing and integration with Google Translate.

Steps for installation:

• 📱 Open Google Play Store on your Redmi 9.
• 🔍 In the search bar, type the name of the keyboard, for example, Gboard – Google keyboard.
• 📥 Click Set and wait for the download to be completed (file size) ~50–70 MB).
• 🔧 After installation, open the application and follow the setup wizard: select languages, enable swipe input (Slide input) and allow access to the microphone for voice input.
• 🔄 Back to Settings → System system → Language and input → Virtual keyboard and activate the new keyboard by dragging the slider.

Important: Once you activate a new keyboard, you need to select it as your primary keyboard, so when you next open any input field (such as WhatsApp or your browser), click on the keyboard icon in the bottom notification bar and select the installed alternative. If the icon does not appear, check if the option to Show the keyboard icon in the language and input settings is enabled.

Check the free space on the device (minimum 100 MB)

Disable Battery Optimization for Keyboard in MIUI Settings

Download APK only from official sources (Google Play, APKMirror)

Backup the dictionary of the standard keyboard (if necessary)

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Method 2: Replace the keyboard through APK-File (for experienced users)

If the desired keyboard is not available on Google Play (for example, beta or modified build), it can be installed manually through the use of the keyboard. APK-This method requires caution, as downloading from unreliable sources can lead to the installation of malware.

Installation instructions:

1. Download. APK-Keyboard file on Redmi 9 (for example, via browser).
2. Before installing, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings → Install unknown applications and allow APK installation for your browser or file manager.
3. Open the downloaded file and confirm the installation. If a lock warning appears, check if the MIUI Optimization option is disabled in the developer settings (if enabled, some APKs may not be installed).
4. After installation, activate the keyboard in Settings → System → Language and input as described in the first method.

Warning: Some modified keyboards (such as those with pre-installed themes or layouts) may contain advertising SDKs or collect data without the user's knowledge. Before installing, check the hash file (MD5) on the developer's website and compare it to the downloaded APK.

Comparison of popular keyboards for Xiaomi Redmi 9: the table of characteristics

The choice of keyboard depends on your priorities: speed of typing, language support, design or additional features like translator. Below is a comparison table of the most popular options compatible with MIUI 12/13/14 on Redmi 9.

Important for Redmi 9: Keyboards with heavy graphics (such as SwiftKey with animated themes) can cause lags on devices with 3-4 GB of RAM. If you notice slowdowns, turn off animations in the keyboard settings or choose a lighter alternative like Chroom.

Method 3: Set up the standard MIUI Keyboard – Hidden features

Not everyone knows that the standard MIUI keyboard on Redmi 9 has hidden features that can be enabled without installing third-party apps, such as one-handed support, resizing keys, and even manually adding words to the dictionary.

How to set up MIUI Keyboard:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → System system → Language and input → Virtual keyboard → MIUI Keyboard.
• 📏 In the section Size and layout can be:
• 🌐 In the Input Languages add additional languages (e.g. English layout with emoji).
• 🔍 In Text Input, enable Auto Replacement and Word Prediction if disabled.

Tip: If you don't have enough swipe input in your standard keyboard, upgrade your MIUI to the latest version. Starting with MIUI 12.5, Redmi 9 has support for gesture input, but you need to enable it manually in your keyboard settings (Swipe Enter → Enable).

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After the update MIUI Have disappeared saved words in the dictionary of the standard keyboard, try resetting it: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → MIUI Keyboard → Warehouse → Clear the data. The dictionary will recover after a few days of use.

Method 4: Replace the keyboard via ADB (for advanced users)

If you want to completely remove the standard MIUI keyboard and leave only the third-party keyboard (for example, to free up memory), you can do this through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires you to turn on Developer Mode and connect your smartphone to your computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Redmi 9: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB drivers (if not already installed), and open the command prompt in the adb.exe folder.
4. Enter the command to disable the standard keyboard: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.miuikeyboard After that, the MIUI Keyboard will disappear from the list of active keyboards.

⚠️ Note: If you turn off the standard keyboard and the third-party keyboard stops working (for example, due to a failure), you will not be able to type in text to turn it back on, in which case you will have to reset your settings via Recovery or re-activate it. MIUI Keyboard through ADB:

adb shell pm enable com.miui.miuikeyboard

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Use ADB only if you are confident in your actions. Incorrect commands can cause system applications to fail.

Solving problems after replacing the keyboard with Redmi 9

Even after installing the new keyboard correctly, Redmi 9 can have problems ranging from accidental crashes to the complete disappearance of the input field.

Problem 1: The keyboard does not appear when you type text

• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes it helps to reset temporary errors.
• 🔧 Check if the keyboard is activated in Settings → System system → Language and input.
• 📱 Remove the keyboard app cache: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Keyboard name] → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 If the problem persists, try switching to another keyboard and back.

Problem 2: The keyboard is slowing or hanging

• 🛠️ Turn off animations in the keyboard settings (if there is such an option).
• 🗑️ Clear the app data (along with the cache) – this will reset user settings, but can eliminate lags.
• 🔋 Check if the keyboard is optimized by the system: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → Find the keyboard and turn off optimization.

Problem 3: Emojis are gone or the gestures are not working

• 🔄 Update the keyboard to the latest version on Google Play.
• 🌍 Make sure that emoji support is enabled in language settings (for example, Gboard needs to activate Emoji layout).
• 📱 Reset the keyboard if the problem persists.

⚠️ Note: If voice commands stop working after you replace your keyboard (e.g. Google Assistant), check the microphone permissions in Settings → Annexes → [keyboard] → Permissions: Some keyboards block microphone access for other applications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing the keyboard with Xiaomi Redmi 9