How to change the language in the settings of Xiaomi: all ways and solutions to problems

Changing the interface language on Xiaomi devices is a challenge that every second user faces after buying a gadget, especially for devices purchased abroad or through international platforms like AliExpress, where smartphones often come with Chinese or English firmware. Even if you bought Redmi, Poco or Xiaomi in an official Russian store, you may need to add a second language or return Russian after accidentally changing the settings.

In this article, we will look at all possible ways to change the language on Xiaomi devices, from the standard method through settings to alternative solutions for cases when the desired language is not on the list. We will focus on common errors (for example, when the MIUI disappears after the MIUI update) and how to fix them. Instructions are relevant for MIUI 12, MIUI 13, MIUI 14 and HyperOS (2026).

1. Standard method: change the language through the MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in system settings, which are suitable for most models, including the Redmi Note 12/13, Poco X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14 and older devices on MIUI 11+.

To change the interface language:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Scroll down and select the Additional section (or Additional settings in English firmware).
3. Go to Language and Input (Language and Input).
4. Click on the first item - Language.
5. In the list of available languages, select the desired one (for example, Russian or Russian).
6. Confirm the change by clicking Ready or Apply.

If the list does not include Russian, it means that it is not installed in the system, in which case move on to the next section.

2 What to do if Russian is not on the list?

The lack of Russian in the settings is a common problem for devices purchased abroad.

• 📦 Global firmware without Russian (for example, Global) ROM for India or Europe).
• 🇨🇳 Chinese firmware (China) ROM), where Russian is not pre-installed.
• 🔄 Resetting settings or updating MIUI, after which the tongue disappeared.

There are several solutions, and they depend on the type of firmware:

Installation of the language package through the "Region"

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13/14 Global) Russian is hidden and activated after a region change.

1. Go to Settings. → About the phone (About phone).
2. Tap the MIUI version several times until you get a message: You are a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and open additionally → Region (Region).
4. Select Russia and restart the device.
5. After the reboot, check the list of languages – Russian should appear.

Manual installation of the language package (for advanced users)

If the region change didn’t work, you can try installing the language pack manually through ADB or third-party utilities, a method that works for MIUI 12-14, but requires an unlocked bootloader and super-user rights (root).

Instructions:

1. Download the localized archive for your version of MIUI (for example, from the 4PDA forum or XDA Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and activate USB Debugging in the developer settings.
3. Use the command to install the package: adb install -r -d /path/file/ru_pack.apk
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Installing the language pack incorrectly can result in a cyclic bootloop.Before the procedure, back up via Mi Cloud or TWRP.

3. Change of language to Xiaomi with Chinese firmware (China ROM)

Devices with China ROM (such as Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60, bought in China) often do not support Russian out of the box.

3.1. Flashing on Global ROM

The most reliable solution is to install the official global firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 💻 Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers.
• 📥 Officially ROM-package for your model (downloaded from en.miui.com).

Step-by-step:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Mi Account binding and wait 72-168 hours).
2. Download Fastboot ROM for your model (for example, tissot_global_images... For the Redmi Note 7).
3. Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power when the device is off).
4. Start the Mi Flash Tool, select the downloaded ROM and press Flash.

⚠️ Warning: Fastboot flashing erases all data from the device, including photos and apps. Pre-save important information on your PC or in the cloud.

Use of third-party launchers

If the firmware is difficult to flash, you can temporarily fix the problem with an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher) that supports Russian, which does not change the system language, but makes the interface partially Russified.

How to determine:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (if installed) or through APK-file.
2. Open the launcher and select Russian in its settings.
3. Set the launcher as default in the system settings (Settings → Applications → By default).

4.How to return Russian after the MIUI update?

Sometimes, after an automatic system update (OTA-update), the interface language is reset in English or Chinese.

• 🔄 Update failure (incorrect packet installation).
• 📦 Installation of unofficial firmware without language packs.
• 🇨🇳 Forced switching to Chinese locale (relevant to China) ROM).

To get the Russian back:

1. Check the list of languages in Settings → Additional → Language and input. If you have Russian, just select it.
2. If you don’t have a language, try resetting your localization settings: adb shell pm clear com.miui.system After this command, restart your device.
3. If it doesn't work, reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) This will return Russian, but delete all data from the phone.

💡

Before resetting, save a list of installed apps using the App List Backup utility from Google Play. After resetting, you can quickly restore them.

Table: Compatibility of methods with different firmware

Not all language change methods work on any firmware, and here is the compatibility table for popular versions of MIUI:

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When changing language to Xiaomi, users often face typical problems, and consider the most common and ways to solve them:

After the change of language, some applications remained in English.

This is because some system applications (e.g. Mi Browser, Mi Video) have their own language settings.

1. Open the problem app.
2. Go to its settings (usually in the upper right corner).
3. Find the Language section and select Russian.

6.2. You cannot select Russian in MIUI 14 on a new device

In MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the language selection algorithm changed.

• 🔍 Check if it is hidden under the Edit item (pencil in the upper right corner of the list of languages).
• 📱 Try adding Russian as a second language in the keyboard settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Language and input → keyboard).

Data was lost after flashing it.

Fastboot flashing always erases user data to avoid losses:

• 📁 Backup with Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
• 🔄 Use it. TWRP To create a backup NANDroid (requires root).
• 📎 Save it. IMEI phone number (can be accessed via the app) MTK Engineering for devices on MediaTek).

💡

Before any firmware manipulation, check the device model through Settings → About Phone → Model. Installing the wrong firmware can “brick” the phone!

7. Alternative methods: Google Translate and Mi Remote

If none of the methods worked, and the flashing seems too difficult, you can use temporary solutions:

7.1 Translation of the interface through Google Translate

Google Translate can translate text from the screen in real time:

1. Download Google Translate from the Play Market.
2. Open the application and select languages: from Chinese/English to Russian.
3. Click on the camera icon and hover it over the text on the screen.
4. Enable the Instant Translation option for convenience.

7.2 Remote management via Mi Remote

If the phone doesn’t respond to touch at all (for example, after a failed firmware), you can try to control it via Mi Remote from another device:

• 📱 Install Mi Remote on the second Xiaomi smartphone.
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 🎮 In Mi Remote, select the phone management option and follow the instructions.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions