Changing the interface language on Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco smartphones is one of the first tasks that users face after buying a device or flashing it. Often, it happens that the phone is bought in China or brought from another country, and the menu meets the owner with a set of incomprehensible characters or English terms. In such situations, it is important to understand the logical structure of the menu, so that you quickly adapt the gadget to your needs.
The process of changing the language settings in the shells of MIUI and the new HyperOS is almost identical, but the visual design of the icons can vary depending on the version of Android. Regardless of the model, whether it is a budget Redmi Note or flagship Xiaomi 14, the algorithm of actions remains the same.
In some cases, especially on global firmware versions, Russian may be missing from the default list or hidden.This does not mean that it cannot be activated, but it may require additional steps or a special language package. In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of the configuration, including working with Chinese versions of devices.
Basic algorithm for changing the language in settings
The standard interface language change procedure takes less than a minute and doesn't require root rights or a computer connection. All the tools are already built into the operating system. First, you need to find a settings icon that looks like a gear on most devices. If the interface is in English, look for the word Settings, if in Chinese it's a gray gear, usually located on the first screen or in a folder with system utilities.
Once you enter the settings menu, you scroll down to find the partition that handles the extra settings of the system. In the English version, it's often referred to as Additional settings or simply System. In the Chinese version, the characters for this partition look like this. This is where the key device management options are hidden.
Inside this section, you'll find Language & Input or Language & Region, and if you click on it, you'll see the current language, which is the first language on the list, and it allows you to keep multiple languages active at the same time, switching between them for different applications or keyboards, but the main one will be the one at the top of the list.
To change the main interface language, click on the top line of Language, open a full list of available localizations, search in the list of Russian or Russian and click on it. The interface will instantly reset, and all menus, notifications and system messages will go to the selected language.
☑️ Language change algorithm
It's worth noting that on some HyperOS shell models, the language selection can be placed at the top of the settings menu for user convenience. If you don't find the right section in the bottom of the menu, take a closer look at the first settings screen, and developers often put quick access to changing regions and languages there.
Features of Chinese versions and the lack of Russian
The situation is very different if you own a Chinese version of a smartphone, devices designed for the domestic market of China often do not have Russian pre-installed in the firmware, in the list of available localizations, you can find only Chinese and English, this is due to the marketing policy of the company and the peculiarities of licensing services.
If Russian is not on the list, simply changing the settings will not help, because owners of such devices need to either reflash the smartphone to the global version (Global ROM), which is a complex and risky procedure, or use software methods to add a language package, the first option is preferable for ordinary users, since it ensures stable operation of all services.
⚠️ Warning: Flashing the Chinese version to the global version without unlocking the bootloader can result in a full lock of the device (Hard Brick.
There is also a method of installing a language package through special launcher applications or system modifiers, but they often work unstable. Once the system is updated, such "crutches" may cease to function and the menu will become English or Chinese again.
Risks of using Chinese firmware
For those who are not ready to flash it, the English interface is still used. It is not as scary as it seems: the basic terms are universal, and navigation through icons allows you to quickly master the basic functionality, and many applications have their own built-in translator or customizable language, independent of the system.
Setting the language in the new shell HyperOS
With the release of HyperOS, which is gradually replacing MIUI on new devices, the settings interface has undergone some changes, the logic has remained the same, but visual elements have become more minimalist, the language selection point is now often integrated into the General section or separated into a separate category during the initial configuration.
HyperOS has improved multilingualism, smarter SIM region detection, and can suggest language change when you first activate it. If that doesn't happen, the path to settings remains classic: Settings → Additional settings → Language & input. However, icons have become flatter and contoured, requiring careful search for the right item.
One of the new features is the ability to fine-tune the date and time formats for each language separately. By choosing Russian, you can additionally specify in which format the numbers (DD.MM.GYG or MM/DD/GY) and time (24-hour or 12-hour format) should be displayed.
HyperOS also has a feature that automatically translates the interface of some third-party applications if their primary language is different from the system one, which doesn't work perfectly, but helps you navigate the menu of programs that weren't localized by the developers, and you can activate this feature in the Advanced Language Settings section.
Table of correspondence of menu items in different languages
To make it easier for you to navigate if the interface is already bundled into a language that you don't understand, we've prepared a table of basic terms, so knowing what the item looks like in English or Chinese, you can blindly get into the right menu.
| Russian | English | Chinese (simplified) | Location. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settings | Settings | Main screen / gear | |
| Additionally. | Additional settings | Inside the settings, down. | |
| Language and input | Language & input | In the section Additional | |
| Language | Language | Inside Language and Input | |
| Region | Region | In the section Additional |
Note that characters may differ visually depending on the font, but the overall character structure remains recognizable. For example, the settings symbol is often found on the menu. By remembering key characters or English names, you can easily regain control of the phone even after an accidental reset.
The use of a table is especially relevant when buying devices at auctions, where sellers do not always indicate the real version of the firmware. If you see Chinese characters on the menu, knowing that you need to click on the second item from above (usually WLAN) or find a gear will save you from panic.
Changing the language for keyboard and voice input
Often users change the interface language but forget to set the language of input, and as a result, the keyboard continues to type in English or Chinese, ignoring the Russian layout. To correct the situation, you need to go to the keyboard settings. In the standard Gboard or MIUI Keyboard keyboard, this is done through a long-term space tap or through the settings in the Language & input section.
In the keyboard selection menu (Current keyboard or Manage keyboards), make sure that Russian is added to the active list. If it is not available, click Add keyboard and select Russian. Now, when switching languages on the keyboard (space swipe or special button), Cyrillic will appear.
Voice input is a special feature, and if you use Google voice typing, it's in a separate menu, and if you want it to understand Russian, you have to go to Google's settings, select Voice input, and add Russian to your preferred language, and without that, it's going to try to recognize English or Chinese commands.
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To quickly switch the layout on the Gboard keyboard, you can swipe left or right over the space, which works faster than clicking on the globe, and saves time when typing mixed text.
Some third-party keyboards, like Yandex Keyboard or SwiftKey, have their own language settings that are independent of the system. If you have installed such a keyboard, go to its application and check the "Languages" section.
Resetting language settings and problem solving
There are times when, after a system update or application malfunction, the language settings "fly"; the phone can spontaneously switch to English or another language, most often this is solved by re-selecting the desired language in the settings; however, if the problem repeats, the localization file may be damaged.
As a radical but effective method, you can reset all settings to factory settings, which will delete all user data, so make sure you back up before that, and when you reset, the phone will return to the "out of the box" state, and you can re-select Russian when you first set up.
⚠️ Warning: Wipe data deletes photos, contacts, and apps. Before doing this, make sure your data is synced to your Mi Cloud or Google account, or stored on an external medium.
If the language is only confused in certain applications, the problem lies in them. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find the problem program and choose Clear Data. This will return the application to its original state, and it should pick up the system language.
Sometimes it helps to just restart the device. As you boot the system, the configuration files are rereadable, and the language settings can be applied correctly. If nothing helps, check for system updates — new patches often fix localization errors.
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If the interface language is permanently reset after a reboot, this may indicate damage to the system partition or conflict of the newly installed application with the settings access rights.