How to change layout on Xiaomi: from basic settings to hidden features

Switching the keyboard layout on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task – until you encounter unexpected bugs MIUI Even experienced users sometimes lose minutes looking for hidden settings, especially after updating the firmware or resetting to factory settings. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the layout, from standard switching to manual installation. APK-keyboard.

The myth that Xiaomi “everything is intuitive” is debunked already at the first collision with a multilingual keyboard Gboard or branded MIUI Keyboard. for example, after upgrading to MIUI 14 Many users lose the language switching button — and this is not a bug, but a feature of the new interface. We will show how to return to normal control and even set up automatic switching in the context of text.

We will focus on the problems that arise when you try to add a third language or when the system persistently resets the keyboard settings, which are rarely covered in standard instructions, but they are critical for users who actively communicate in multiple languages.

1. Standard method: switching through the keyboard panel

The most obvious method is to use a built-in language change button on the keyboard itself. On Xiaomi, it can look like a globe. 🌐, current-language (RU, EN) Or even just arrows. But it depends on the version. MIUI and keyboard type.

By default on Gboard (keyboard from Google), the switch button is to the left of the space, and on the branded MIUI Keyboard - top right next to settings. If there is no button at all, then only one language has been added - you need to install additional ones (more on this in the next section).

• 🔹 For Gboard: Hold your finger on the switch button (🌐), to see the list of available layouts and choose the right one.
• 🔹 For MIUI Keyboard: One short press of the language button cyclically switches layouts. Hold opens the settings menu.
• 🔹 Switching gesture: on some firmwares, a swipe is running on the left / right space (you need to turn on the keyboard settings).

If the switch button disappeared after the update, check if it is disabled in the settings. MIUI 14 developers hid this option in Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → keyboard → Settings of the current keyboard → Displaying the language switch button.

2. Adding a new language to the system

Before you switch layouts, you need to make sure that all the necessary languages are installed on the system. On Xiaomi, this is done in two steps: first add the language to the phone's settings, then activate it for the keyboard.

Step 1: Adding language to the MIUI

1. Open the Settings. → Additional settings → Language and input → Languages.
2. Click Add language and select the one you want from the list (for example, Ukrainian, English (US)).
3. Drag the languages in the list to set priority (the first language will be used by default).

Step 2: Activate the language for the keyboard

• 📌 For Gboard: Go to Settings → System system → Language and input → Virtual keyboard → Gboard → Languages and turn on the right ones.
• 📌 For MIUI Keyboard: The Settings Path → Additional settings → Language and input → Current keyboard → Settings → Input languages.

Important: on some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T For the European market, the list of languages is limited to firmware.To add a rare language (for example, Kazakh or Hebrew), you will need to install an alternative keyboard from Google Play.

3.Tune gestures for quick switching

If you're tired of poking at a small tongue button, adjust the gestures to switch the layout, which is especially convenient for users who are typing in two or three languages at the same time.

Method 1: Swipe by space (Gboard)

1. Open Gboard settings (through the gear on the keyboard or Settings) → System system → Language and input).
2. Go to the Input Settings → Gestures.
3. Enable the Swipe option on the space for switching the language.
4. Select the swipe direction (left/right) for each language.

Method 2: Double pressing on Shift (MIUI Keyboard)

• 🔧 Go to the settings. MIUI Keyboard.
• 🔧 Select Key Functions → Double tap on Shift.
• 🔧 Set the action to switch language.

Method 3: Switching to voice (for MIUI 14+)

In recent versions of the firmware, a voice-switching feature has been introduced. → Special facilities → Voice control → Switch the keyboard language. Once you've set up, you can say, "Change to English," and the system will execute the command.

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If gestures are not working smoothly, try calibrating the touch screen in Settings. → Display. → Sensor calibration. This often solves the problem of false positives.

4. Problem Solving: Why the layout doesn't switch

Sometimes the language switching button disappears, or the system persists in returning to one language, and let's look at the typical causes and ways to fix them.

Special case: reset layout after updating MIUI

Many users of the Redmi Note 11 and POCO X4 Pros are faced with the fact that after updating the firmware resets all language settings, this is due to the reset of the keyboard cache, to avoid the problem:

1. Before updating, back up the settings in Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. After the update, do not click "Clear Data" for the keyboard in Settings → Annexes.
3. If the languages are gone, add them again and restart the phone.

5. Installation of alternative keyboards for rare languages

If Xiaomi doesn’t have the language you want in the standard settings (such as Tatar, Armenian or Georgian), you’ll need to install a third-party keyboard.

• 🔤 SwiftKey supports over 150 languages, including regional dialects.
• 🔤 AnySoftKeyboard is open source, flexible layout settings (you can even create your own code).
• 🔤 Fleksy – minimalist keyboard with support for gestures and themes.
• 🔤 Multiling O Keyboard – specializes in rare languages (e.g. Kurdish, Urdu).

Installation instructions:

1. Download the keyboard from Google Play (like SwiftKey).
2. Activate it in Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual Keyboard → Keyboard management.
3. Turn on the switching of languages in the settings of the installed keyboard.
4. If necessary, download the language packs directly in the keyboard application.

Safety warning:

Do not install keyboards from unverified sources (APK-Forum files. They may contain keyloggers, programs that record everything you type (including passwords). Use only official stores (Google Play, Mi App Store).

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Third-party keyboards may conflict with Xiaomi’s branded services (such as Mi Cloud), if note synchronization or the use of a note is stopped after installation. SMS, Try to disable battery optimization for the keyboard.

6. Hidden functions: Automatic context switching

Few people know, but in MIUI You have a function that automatically switches the layout depending on the context, for example, if you start typing a word in English, the system will switch to the layout itself. EN, And then it comes back. It only works on the proprietary. MIUI Keyboard and switched on like this:

1. Open the settings. MIUI Keyboard.
2. Go to Advanced Settings → Automatic language switching.
3. Turn on the option and adjust the sensitivity (medium recommended).
4. Add exception words that don’t require automatic switching (e.g. Samsung brands, iPhones).

Limitations of function:

• ⚠️ Works only for pairs of languages: Russian ↔ English, Chinese ↔ English, Spanish ↔ Portuguese.
• ⚠️ It may be wrong with short words (for example, “ok” will be recognized as English “ok").
• ⚠️ Consumes additional processor resources (on weak models like Redmi). 9A may cause lag).

Alternative for Gboard:

Gboard doesn't have a full automatic switch, but it does have a multilingual input feature that allows you to type in multiple languages simultaneously without manually switching. → Multilingual input: The system will prompt words in different languages depending on the first characters entered.

7. Reset keyboard settings to factory

If all the ways have been tried and the layout is still not switched, the radical method is to reset the keyboard settings, which will help in cases where:

• 🔄 After updating MIUI All languages are missing except one.
• 🔄 The keyboard freezes when you try to change the layout.
• 🔄 Language settings reset after rebooting.

How to reset your settings:

1. For Gboard: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Gboard → Warehouse → Clear Data Attention: This Will Remove All User Dictionaries and Settings!
2. For MIUI Keyboard: Settings → Annexes → Application management → MIUI Keyboard → Additionally. → Resetting settings

After reset, you have to re-add languages and configure the keyboard. To avoid data loss, export the user dictionary before reset (in Gboard, this is done in Settings). → Dictionary → Exports).

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If the reset didn’t help, try reinstalling the keyboard: disable it in Settings. → Language and input, delete updates (if it is a system application), then turn on again.

8. Features for different Xiaomi models

Firmware MIUI This is what you need to know for a particular series of devices:

For devices with MIUI for Russia (e.g. Redmi) 10C):

These firmwares often lack the languages of the CIS countries (e.g. Uzbek, Tajik).

1. Install the firmware MIUI Global via Fastboot (instructions are available on the 4PDA).
2. Or use the SwiftKey keyboard with manual loading of language packs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the layout on Xiaomi