How to change the keyboard language on your Xiaomi TV: 3 working ways

You try to enter a Wi-Fi password or find a movie on a Xiaomi TV on YouTube, but instead of the usual layout, you see characters, Latin alphabets or characters of an unknown alphabet? The problem with the wrong keyboard language is one of the most common on Xiaomi smart TVs, especially after resetting or updating the firmware. Unlike smartphones, where changing the layout takes seconds, on TV this process may not be obvious: the menu is hidden in the depth of the settings, and control from the remote is not always intuitive.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the keyboard language on Xiaomi TVs (including Mi TV 4/5 Pro, Redmi Smart TV, Mi TV Q1/Q2 and others). You will learn how to fix the problem through the standard menu, what to do if the desired language is not on the list, and how to circumvent the system limitations with ADB. We will also reveal the hidden feature of the PatchWall firmware, which allows you to add layouts without completely resetting the TV.

Why is the Xiaomi TV keyboard incorrect?

Before we get into the instructions, it's important to understand why the keyboard language is getting confused.

• 🔄 After a hard reset, the TV returns to the region's default language (most often Chinese or English).
• 📥 Update firmware. New versions of PatchWall or Android TV can reset user settings, including layout.
• 🎮 Connecting third-party remotes/keyboards: some Bluetooth devices force the language to change.
• 🌍 Automatic region detection. If the TV is connected to VPN Or a proxy, the system can decide that you are in another country.

Interestingly, on Xiaomi TVs, the keyboard language and interface language are configured separately, so you can see the menu in Russian, but when you type in text, Chinese characters appear, and this is due to the Android TV architecture, where system services (including the keyboard) are managed separately from the PatchWall shell.

Method 1: Change the keyboard language through the settings of Xiaomi TV

The easiest method is to use a standard menu, which is suitable for most models, including the Mi TV 4A/4S, Redmi Smart TV X and newer devices.

1. Press the Settings button (⚙️) Xiaomi.
2. Go to Settings → Device → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Select the Input Languages (or Input Languages in English firmware).
4. In the list of available layouts, tick the desired language (for example, Russian or English QWERTY).
5. Press OK on the remote to save the changes.

If the language you want isn’t on the list, try adding it manually:

1. In the same menu, select Add Language.
2. Scroll the list to the desired option (use the buttons ↑/↓ on the remote).
3. Confirm the choice with the OK button.

Remote is charged and working |

TV connected to the Internet (to download new layouts)|

No menu item "Parental Control" (can block changes) |

Checked all sections of settings (on some firmware path is different)-->

Important! On PatchWall 3.0 and later, the path to keyboard settings may be different. If you don't find the Virtual Keyboard section, try an alternative route:

Settings → All settings → Personal → Language and input → Android TV keyboard

💡

If after changing the language, the keyboard still displays the old layout, restart the TV: press the Power button on the remote for 5 seconds and select Reboot.

Method 2: Reset the language through Android TV settings (for advanced)

If the standard method didn’t work, the reason could be a conflict between the PatchWall shell and the Android TV core system. In this case, resetting language settings at the OS level will help.

1. Open the settings → Device → About the TV.
2. Find the Build Number and click on it 5 times in a row until you become a developer!
3. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers (Developer Options).
4. Activate the ADB Debugging (ADB Debugging) option.
5. Connect the TV to your computer via Wi-Fi (instruction below) and follow the command in ADB:

adb shell settings put secure selected_keyboard_layouts "ru_RU"

Replace. ru_RU the required language code (for example, en_US english).

For Wi-Fi connection:

1. In the Developer Menu, find Network Debugging and turn it on.
2. Remember. IP-address and port shown on the screen.
3. On the computer, run the command:

adb connect [IP-address]:[port]

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you're not sure what you're doing, skip this one and move on to the next one.

Method 3: Install an alternative keyboard from Google Play

If the built-in Xiaomi keyboard doesn't support the desired language or is buggy, you can install a third-party solution, such as Gboard (keyboard from Google) or SwiftKey.

1. Open the Google Play Store on your TV (if you don’t have one, install it via APK).
2. Find the Gboard app and install it.
3. After installation, go to Settings → Device → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
4. Turn on Gboard and turn off the standard Xiaomi keyboard.
5. Return to the Input Languages menu and add the required layouts for Gboard.

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ Support for more than 100 languages, including regional variants (e.g. Ukrainian, Belarusian).
• ✅ Voice input capability (useful for content search).
• ✅ Sync the dictionary with your Google account (if you use it on other devices).

⚠️ Note: Some keyboards from Google Play may not support control from the Xiaomi remote.

What if the language is not on the list?

If you haven’t found your language in either standard settings or Gboard, there are a few ways out:

1. Update your TV firmware. The manufacturer regularly adds new languages to updates. Check the current version in Settings → About TV → System Update.
2. Use an external keyboard. Connect via Bluetooth or USB physical keyboard with the right layout. Xiaomi TVs support most HID-device.
3. Install APK with localized keyboard. On the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums, you can find modified versions of the advanced language-enabled keyboards. Install them via File Commander or Send Files to TV.

To install the APK:

1. Download the keyboard file (such as SimpleKeyboard.apk) to the flash drive.
2. Connect the flash drive to the TV.
3. Open the File Manager (or install it from Google Play).
4. Find the APK and confirm the installation.
5. Activate the new keyboard in the input settings.

💡

Before installing an APK from unknown sources, disconnect the TV from the Internet and check the file for viruses through VirusTotal.

Problem Solving: The keyboard doesn’t change or disappears

Sometimes, even after all the manipulations, the keyboard language stays the same or the keyboard disappears altogether.

If none of these methods work, the last resort is to reset the TV to the factory settings, warning that this will delete all installed apps, accounts and personal data, to make the reset:

1. Open Settings → Device → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Confirm the action by entering PIN-code (default 0000 or 1234).
4. After the reboot, reset the TV by selecting the desired language at the initial setup stage.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the keyboard language to Xiaomi TV