Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where certain features of the MIUI or HyperOS shell become unavailable due to region restrictions, this may involve the absence of pre-installed apps, the inability to use the Xiao AI voice assistant, or even blocking some standard programs, such as Mi Home or Mi Video. Changing the region is not just changing the flag on the screen, but changing the system rules by which your device operates.
The procedure for changing the country in your phone settings is standard and safe if done correctly, but it is important to understand that this step can affect the work of Google Pay (now Google Wallet), change the list of available themes in the Themes store and reconfigure system time. In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of the transition between regions, possible risks and ways to solve typical problems that arise when changing the location.
Before you start taking action, you need to realize that changing the region to China can lead to the appearance of advertising in system applications and changing the format of the date on GGYG-MM-DD. This is not a bug or a virus, but the usual behavior of the firmware for the specified market.
Why Change the Region in Xiaomi Settings
The main reason smartphone owners are turning to region change is because of functional limitations: the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS adapt to the laws and habits of users in a particular country, for example, when choosing a region “India” or “USA”, certain widgets or lock screen functions that are hidden for users from the CIS or Europe can be unlocked.
Another important aspect is the work of multimedia content. Mi Video and Mi Music have licensing restrictions, so the video library and playlists change dramatically depending on the location you choose. If you move to another country or just want to access content of a particular market, changing this option in the Settings menu → Additional settings → Region is a must.
Sometimes system services may not work properly, and switching to another region and then returning back helps shake up the software and reset the geolocation services cache without fully restarting.
⚠️ Note: When you change region to China, some firmware versions may activate enhanced ads in standard applications. Be prepared for this or pre-disable the "Receive recommendations" feature in the ad settings.
It is worth noting that changing this setting does not affect the operation of GPS or GLONASS navigation systems directly, but can change the display of default maps and the operation of voice search, which focuses on the language packages of the selected country.
Step-by-step: how to change the country
The process of changing the region in Xiaomi smartphones is as simple as possible for developers and takes no more than a minute. You do not need super-user rights (Root) or connection to a computer. All actions are performed directly through the operating system interface.
Follow the algorithm to change the location:
- 📱 Open the main menu and find the Settings icon (cogs).
- 🌍 Scroll down the list and select Additional Settings (or Advanced Settings).
- 📍 Click on the first menu item - Region.
- 🔍 In the list that opens, find the country you want, and you can search by name or flag.
- ✅ Click on the country name to confirm the selection. The system will apply the changes instantly.
Once you select a new location, the interface may blink for a second, and the system applications will briefly restart. This is normal behavior, indicating the use of new configuration files. If you change region to country with a different language, the names of menu items may temporarily change until the appropriate interface language is selected.
☑️ Post-region verification
Usually, the user data is stored, but there will be no unnecessary verification.
Impact of changing the region on the work of applications
The change in location in the phone settings has a direct impact on the Mi Account ecosystem. GetApps (formerly the Mi App Store) will completely update its storefront by offering you software that is popular and available in the selected country, which can be useful for finding local counterparts of popular services.
Special attention should be paid to the application Mi Home, which manages smart home devices. If your account is tied to one region and the phone settings are selected for another, smart devices may become unavailable for management, in which case the application will suggest switching the server region, which may require reassignment devices.
The table below shows how key services change depending on the region chosen:
| Service/Function | Region: Russia/CIS | Region: China | Region: India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Video | Local content, online cinemas | Chinese TV series, access restrictions | Bollywood, Indian content |
| Topics (Themes) | Limited catalogue | Full access to exclusives | Specific Indian topics |
| Google Pay | It's stable. | There may be errors in certificates | It's stable. |
| Advertising in the system | Moderate. | Aggressive (requires disconnection) | Tall. |
Also, consider that Google services such as Google Assistant may change the language of communication or stop understanding commands if the selected region does not support your current interface language, in which case additional settings will be required in the Google → Settings → Language and input.
Dates, time and calendar problems
One of the most noticeable changes in the country is the format of the display of the date and time. whereas in European countries the format of DD.MM.GYYYYYYYYYYYY, in China, the USA and Japan, other standards are used, for example MM/DDD/GYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY-MM-DYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
In addition, the system calendar will automatically adjust to the holidays of the selected country, red dates may appear on the work calendar that are not relevant to your place of residence, and working days may shift, which is important to consider if you use your smartphone to schedule business meetings.
You don't have to change the region back to return the usual date format. In most modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS, you can change the date format manually. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time and choose the desired display format. If you don't have this option, installing a third-party calendar widget will help.
⚠️ Note: When changing time zones with a region (automatically), the time on your phone may be lost. If you are not physically traveling, make sure that the time settings check the "Use Network Time" box or manually set your real time zone.
Incorrect time can lead to errors in banking applications and services of two-factor authentication (2FA), as they check the time of the device with the server, a difference of even a few minutes can block access to accounts.
Features of the store Themes and wallpaper
Themes is one of the most popular features of Xiaomi smartphones. The catalog of available designs depends on the selected region. Users often change the region to "India" or "China" to download exclusive themes, fonts andAlways-On Display, which are not available in their country.
Be careful, though, because the themes created for the Chinese firmware version may not show correctly on the Global ROM, you may encounter no icons, the wrong font, or the wrong version, and always look at screenshots and reviews before installing.
And when you change region, you can change the theme store's start page, instead of the usual recommendations, you can be offered content in a foreign language, and to return everything to the place, it is enough to change the region within the application itself in the the theme store settings (profile icon → Settings), if such an option is available, or simply return the main region of the phone.
Return of settings and elimination of errors
If you notice a critical error in your smartphone after you change region, it’s best to go back to the original settings. The reverse switching process is identical to the direct one: Settings → Additional settings → Region → Your country. In most cases, it solves 99% of the problems.
In the rare cases when the system gets stuck or applications don’t start, it may be necessary to clear the cache of system services. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find in the list of Settings (cog icon), click Clear → Clear cache. This will not delete your personal data, but reset the interface settings.
If problems persist, check for system updates. Sometimes bugs related to regional anchors are fixed in security patches. Go to Settings → About phone and click on MIUI or HyperOS to check for updates.