Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to change the geographic region of a device, which can be caused by moving to another country, wanting to activate specific features not available in the current region, or the need to change the interface language and format of the date. In MIUI operating systems and the new HyperOS, the process of changing the region affects the operation of system applications, the GetApps store, and even the availability of certain design themes.
The procedure for changing a country is simple, but it has its own technical nuances that are important to consider before making changes, for example, changing a region can affect the work of the country. NFC-Module to pay for or change the list of available frequencies for mobile networks. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm of actions for global and Chinese versions of firmware, as well as discuss the consequences that can occur after switching.
Don’t ignore the importance of choosing the right location, as it depends on the correct operation of weather widgets, news feeds and recommendation services. If you plan to use a smartphone abroad or just want to Russify the Chinese version of the device, you will need a clear understanding of the process. We have prepared a detailed guide to help avoid typical errors and save all the important data.
Why change the region on the smartphone Xiaomi
The main reason why users choose to change their country in settings is to access content that is geographically limited. Xiaomi services are strictly tied to the chosen region: the GetApps app store, Mi Cloud cloud storage and even system themes can vary dramatically depending on what is specified in the settings. For example, Themes Store for the region of India or China will contain a completely different set of wallpapers and fonts compared to the version for Russia or Europe.
Another important aspect is the functionality of Google Assistant and Xiao AI, which are directly dependent on the location you choose. If you move to another country but leave the old region, navigation and voice search may not work properly, offering places and events that are not relevant to your current location.
⚠️ Change of the region to the Chinese version (CN) Global firmware can lead to ads in system applications and change notifications.
Also worth mentioning is the region’s impact on NFC. In some cases, banking applications or contactless payment services (Mi Pay, Google Pay) may require the device’s region to match the region of the bank card or account issue. While this is most often decided by Google account settings, the country’s system parameter also plays a role in determining the priorities of payment methods.
Preparing the device before changing settings
Before making changes to system settings, make sure the device is ready for this process. Although a standard change of region through the settings menu usually does not require a data reset, having an up-to-date backup will never be superfluous. In rare cases, especially when switching between radically different regions (for example, from China to Europe), the system may suggest a reboot or reset network settings.
Make sure your Mi Account is linked to your phone and you remember the password.This is critical, as after a region change, you may need to re-authorize to sync your data. SIM-card with the number tied to the akka-unt is active and is on the phone or on hand for reception SMS.
☑️ Checklist of preparations for the change of the region
Checking for free memory is also recommended: Reconfiguring system files and updating Google Play services after a region change may require time space; if the memory is full, the system may run slower or give errors when trying to apply new settings; delete unnecessary files or transfer them to the computer in advance.
Step-by-step: change of region in MIUI and HyperOS
The process of changing the country in the MIUI and HyperOS shells is almost identical, because the menu logic is saved. All the necessary settings are in the basic part of the system. First, unlock the smartphone screen and find the Settings icon, which usually looks like a gear.
In the menu that opens, scroll down to Additional settings. In some firmware versions, especially HyperOS, this item may be simply called General Settings or be placed in a separate submenu depending on the version of the android. Find Region. The default location will be the current country.
Click on the current region, and you'll see a list of all available countries, sorted alphabetically, and you can use the search bar at the top of the list to find the country you want, like Russia, Kazakhstan, or Germany, faster, and after you pick a new region, the screen may blink and the system will apply changes.
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If you can’t find Region, search within the settings menu by entering the word “region” or “region” in the search bar at the top.
Once selected, the system can automatically switch the interface language to the selected region language if supported. If you do not want to, immediately go back to the language settings (Language and input) and select your preferred one. Also note that the notification curtain and lock screen may change the format of the date and time display.
Table of the influence of the region on the functions of the smartphone
Different regions activate different feature sets, and here is a table showing how location-specific choices affect key services in the Xiaomi ecosystem.
| Region | GetApps Store | Topics (Themes) | Advertising in the system | NFC work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia/CIS | Full access | Limited choice | Minimum | Complete. |
| China (China) | Only Chinese Apps Only | Huge selection, exclusive. | Tall (built-in) | Limited (Mi Pay CN) |
| India (India) | Full access | Specific Indian topics | Medium | Complete. |
| Europe (EU) | Full access | Standard set | Absent. | Complete. |
As can be seen from the table, the choice of the region "China" gives access to a huge number of topics, but can bring unwanted advertising and problems with payment systems outside of China. the regions "Europe" or "Russia" are the most balanced for everyday use, ensuring stable operation without unnecessary information noise.
It is important to understand that changing the region does not change the physical location of the device for geolocation services, unless GPS is enabled. However, for app stores and news aggregators (for example, Mi Video or Mi Music), this parameter is crucial for the formation of content tape.
Change of region for Google Play and account
Many users confuse the change of region in the MIUI settings with the change of country in the Google Play profile. These are two different parameters. Changing the region in your phone does not automatically change the country of your Google account. To change the region in the Play Market, you need to perform a series of actions directly in the store app.
Open the Google Play app, click on the profile avatar in the upper right corner and go to Settings → General. → Account and device settings: Under Country and Profiles, you will see the current country. If Google determines that you are in a new country (by IP-Address, there will be an option to switch to a new store.
⚠️ Note: You can only change a country on Google Play once every 12 months, and after the change, you will lose access to the balance and subscriptions of the previous region for this period.
Activating a new country often requires linking a payment method (bank card) issued in that country, without which the step may not be available, a measure of protection against fraud and circumvention of geographical restrictions. If you just need to download applications from another region, sometimes it is easier to create a new Google account by selecting the right country when registering than changing the main region.
What if Google Play doesn’t offer a country change?
Possible problems and solutions
Once a region is changed, users may encounter a number of technical difficulties, one of the most common being the appearance of system notifications in the language of the region they choose, even if the interface language is left in Russian or English, because some system components load localized strings again.
Another problem is that the Weather widget may not work properly, and it may show data for the capital of a selected region or even stop updating if Xiaomi’s weather services in that region are unstable, in which case resetting the Weather app settings via the application management menu helps.
There may also be a temporary slowdown in the speed of the interface immediately after the switch, the system re-indexes to the new rules of the region, if the phone starts to warm or discharge quickly in the first 30-60 minutes after the shift, this is normal. Give the device time to verify the background processes.
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If after the change of region there were critical errors in the system, reset the network settings or, in extreme cases, a complete reset to factory settings (not forgetting about the backup).