Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer users a huge personalization experience, and the on-screen keyboard plays a role here. The standard input option, preinstalled in the shells of MIUI or the new HyperOS, can seem boring or not functional enough for advanced users.
The transformation process can range from simply changing the color theme to completely replacing the system application with a more advanced one. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to change the view of the keyboard on Xiaomi, affecting both built-in customization tools and installing third-party solutions from Google or independent developers, which will allow you to create a truly unique device interface.
It's worth noting that changing the way you enter affects the system's security and availability settings, so it's important to understand the difference between cosmetic changes and the deep integration of new predictive set algorithms. We'll look at the nuances so you can choose the best option for your needs without losing functionality.
Built-in options to change the theme to MIUI and HyperOS
The first and easiest way to change the visual perception of the keyboard is to use the standard shell functionality. Xiaomi smartphones often use the Gboard keyboard or the proprietary MIUI Keyboard, which support deep customization through the Themes system application, which allows you to maintain the usual logic of the work, but completely refresh the appearance.
To access these settings, you need to go to the configuration menu of the input application itself. Usually the path is: Settings → Additional settings → Language and input. Here you will see the active input method and you can move to managing its preferences. This section is where the main levers of control over the visual part are hidden.
If you use a standard keyboard from Google, which is most commonly found on global firmware versions, the process will be as follows:
- 🎨 Open any application that requires text input to call the keyboard.
- ⚙️ Click on the gear icon in the top keyboard toolbar.
- 🖌️ Select the “Theme” item in the settings menu that opens.
- 📥 Click on the plus or catalog icon to download new options from the store.
It is important to understand that not all themes can be displayed correctly on screens with cutouts or dynamic islets. Some graphic elements can be overlapped with system widgets. Always check what the chosen theme looks like horizontally if you often type messages while holding your phone horizontally.
⚠️ Warning: By downloading themes from unverified sources outside of an official store, you risk installing malware that can intercept passwords and bank card data you enter.
Once you've chosen your style, the system will suggest you apply it immediately, visual changes take effect instantly, without having to reboot the device, and this is convenient if you want to quickly adapt the interface to the time of day or mood.
Installation and configuration of alternative keyboards
If you think the standard features are limited, the most effective solution is to install a third-party app. The market offers a variety of options, from minimalist OpenBoards to feature-packed SwiftKey and Grammarly Keyboard. Replacing a standard input tool is not just a change of picture, it is a transition to a new level of ergonomics.
The process of installing a new input application on Android is unified, but Xiaomi devices have their own security confirmation features. APK-If you have a file or installation from Google Play, the system will automatically suggest you configure the new method.
Follow this algorithm to activate:
- 📲 Run the installed keyboard application from the smartphone menu.
- 🔐 Click “Enable in Settings” or a similar button that will take you to the system menu.
- ✅ Find the name of your new keyboard in the list and transfer the switch to the position "On».
- ⚠️ Read and accept the security warning that the application may access the text you type.
Special attention should be paid to allowing access to the clipboard and microphone if you plan to use voice input. Without these permissions, functionality will be reduced. Modern keyboards often require access to contacts for smart auto-complement of names, which increases the convenience of correspondence.
⚠️ Note: When activating a third-party keyboard, Xiaomi can warn you of the risks several times, a standard security procedure that should not be ignored if you downloaded the application from a questionable source.
Once activated, switch to the new tool, and in any input field, click on the globe icon or the keyboard icon at the bottom of the screen and select the one you just installed. Now you can enjoy the enhanced functionality.
☑️ Activation of the new keyboard
Deep Customization of the Gboard Interface
Google’s Gboard keyboard is considered the gold standard for Android, and is often pre-installed on Xiaomi, and its ability to change the look goes far beyond simply changing color schemes, allowing users to customize the height of the panels, the presence of a digital row, and even add a background image.
To get into the advanced settings, call the keyboard and click on the settings icon (cogs» → «Preferences: You can enable a single set of digits to be displayed, which is critical for those who often type in passwords or numerical data, and it changes the geometry of the keyboard to make it more functional.
For visual design, a powerful topic editor is available:
- 🖼️ Select the “Topic” item and click on the sign «+» create your own theme.
- 📷 Upload any photo from the gallery as a background or select a color from the palette.
- 🔊 Adjust the sound and vibration when pressing each key individually.
- 📐 Adjust the height of the keyboard with a slider if the standard size seems too large or small.
The unique feature of Gboard is the ability to create dynamic themes that change color depending on the time of day or the wallpaper installed on the desktop, which provides a harmonious combination of interface elements, this integration makes working with text more enjoyable and less tedious for the eyes.
Gboard's secret function
Comparison of popular input engines for Xiaomi
Keyboard selection is a matter of taste, but different engines offer different performance and feature sets. For Xiaomi owners, optimization is important so that animations do not slow down even on budget models of the Redmi or Poco series.
Below is a table that helps you decide on your priorities:
| keyboard | The main plus | Resource consumption | Best for you. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gboard | Stability and integration with Google | Average. | Daily use and voice input |
| SwiftKey | Best Predictive Set and Autocorrection | High. | Quick printing and multilingualism |
| Facemoji | A huge number of themes and emojis | High. | Lovers of bright design and stickers |
| OpenBoard | Complete confidentiality and ease | Low. | Old devices and paranoid security |
As you can see from the comparison, SwiftKey stands out for its word-prediction algorithm, which is trained on your communication style, and this is especially true for those who use slang or specific terms, but it comes at a slightly higher cost of RAM consumption.
On the other hand, OpenBoard is a choice for minimalist enthusiasts: it has no internet access, which ensures that your data doesn't leak anywhere. On older Xiaomi models, this can be a salvation when the system starts to run slower.
💡
For maximum print speed and smart autocorrect, choose SwiftKey, and for maximum privacy and ease, OpenBoard. Gboard remains the universal balance between these poles.
Setup of gestures and ergonomics of printing
Changing the look is often accompanied by a desire to improve ergonomics. On large screens of flagship Xiaomi like Mi 13 Ultra or Xiaomi 14, reaching the thumb to all the buttons becomes difficult, and here the functions of splitting the keyboard and gesture control come to the rescue.
Most modern keyboards support swipe (continuous typing), and to activate this function, you need to go to the keyboard settings and find "Swipe Enter" or "Glide typing", which allows you to write words without taking your finger off the screen, swiping letters in the desired sequence.
You should also pay attention to the following ergonomics settings:
- 🖐️ One-Hand Mode: Shifts the keyboard to the right or left, reducing its size for easy thumb access.
- ↕️ Altering height: Makes the keyboard more compact, freeing up more space for content on the screen.
- 🔢 Digital series: Enabling a constant string of numbers from above speeds up the entry of numbers, but reduces the height of the letter buttons themselves.
The right keyboard height setting is critical to preventing accidental pressing. If the buttons are too small, the print speed will drop, and if too large, you will lose usable screen area. Find a balance that is convenient for your fingers.
⚠️ Warning: When you turn on the One-Hand mode, make sure you choose the right side of the shift (left or right), otherwise the keyboard will go in the opposite direction from the thumb, which will make printing impossible.
Remember to periodically clear the keyboard dictionary of errors if autocorrecting has started to behave strangely, this is done in the section "Additional" → "Reset settings" or "Clear learned words", which will return the tool to its original accuracy.
💡
Use the floating keyboard (if available in your model) to move the input panel to any point on the screen, which is especially useful when using a tablet or smartphone with a huge screen in landscape mode.
Solution: The keyboard doesn't change or disappears
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after all the settings, the keyboard does not apply, freezes or disappears at all when calling. On Xiaomi devices, this is often due to aggressive energy savings or a conflict of system resolutions. Don't panic, the problem is solvable.
The first thing you need to do is check if the keyboard process has killed the system to save battery. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find your keyboard, and select No Limits mode in the Energy section, which will prevent the system from forcibly closing the application.
If the keyboard is completely missing:
- 🔄 Try to reboot your smartphone, it often resolves temporary failures of input services.
- 🗑️ Clear the keyboard app cache through the app menu.
- 🔙 In extreme cases, remove keyboard updates or remove the app completely and install again.
It's also worth checking if Do Not Disturb mode or special features that can block overlays used by some keyboard themes are enabled.Disabling these features will temporarily help diagnose the problem.
In rare cases, the problem lies in a specific update to the firmware MIUI or HyperOS. If after updating the system, the keyboard stopped working correctly, you should wait for a patch from the developers or roll back to the previous version of the software, if possible.