How to stretch the keyboard on Xiaomi: all the ways from standard to hidden

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the problem of having a keyboard that is too small - especially on devices with large screens (6.5" and above). Tiny buttons make typing harder, increase the number of typos and cause discomfort with prolonged use. Fortunately, MIUI has both obvious and hidden ways to scale the keyboard, and solutions are available for advanced users through ADB or third-party applications.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, from basic settings to little-known tricks, including resizing the Gboard system keyboard, adjusting the scale in MIUI and even manually editing configuration files. We will focus on the nuances for different versions of the firmware (in MIUI 14+, the zooming algorithm has changed — standard methods may not work without additional manipulation). If you are tired of squinting at tiny characters, read on.

1. Standard keyboard settings in MIUI

To start with, most users will have enough built-in MIUI tools to enlarge the keyboard without installing additional programs, a method that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models with MIUI 12 and later firmware.

Open any application where the keyboard appears (such as Messages or Notes (⚙️) And then you go to the top row of the keyboard to go to its settings:

• 🔍 Find the Size and layout section (in some versions – The appearance of the keyboard).
• 📏 Move the slider Keyboard Height to the right to increase the size. The Gboard also has the option of button size.
• 🎨 In the Topics section, select the option with large characters (for example, "Big buttons" or "contrast buttons").

If you don't have a slider, you have a third-party keyboard installed (like SwiftKey), in which case the scale settings are searched in the menu of a particular application.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (Xiaomi) 12T Pro, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) post-update MIUI 14.0.5, the standard slider may disappear. So the solution is to reset the keyboard settings to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Gboard → Warehouse → Clear the data.

2.Scaling the entire MIUI interface

If the keyboard seems small compared to the rest of the interface, the problem may lie in the global system-scale settings. MIUI has a hidden setting that allows you to zoom in on all the elements, including the keyboard, without losing the display quality.

Go to: Settings → Screen → Text size and display.

• 📱 Select font size – set the value Large or Very Large.
• 🔄 Turn on the display scale option and move the slider 120% or 130%.
• 🔧 Activate the Mode for the visually impaired (in some firmware it is called Convenient Mode) - this will automatically increase the keyboard on the device. 15-20%.

After you make the changes, reboot your device. The keyboard and other interface elements will become noticeably larger, but note that FHD+ (2400×1080) screens at a scale of 130% can show artifacts in some applications (for example, Instagram or TikTok).

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If some applications are not displayed correctly after zooming, try to disable the option “Follow system scale settings” in their settings (usually located in the “Special features” section).

3.Use of third-party keyboards with a customizable size

If the built-in MIUI tools don’t work, you should look at alternative keyboards, some of which offer flexible adjustments to button size, string height, and even key spacing.

Top.-3 Keyboard for Xiaomi with the ability to scale in detail:

• 🔹 SwiftKey – allows you to change the height of the keyboard in the range 70-150% There are separate settings for portrait and landscape modes.
• 🔹 Fleksy supports dynamic resizing gestures (swipe up/down on the toolbar.
• 🔹 Chroom is an open source keyboard where the button size is manually adjusted in a configuration file (suitable for advanced users).

To install a third-party keyboard:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Current keyboard.
3. Select the keyboard installed and activate it.
4. In the settings of the new keyboard, find the Size or Layout section.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and above, when you first start a third-party keyboard, the system can request permission to display on top of other windows. Without this permission, the keyboard will not scale correctly.

Install SwiftKey from Google Play|

Activate in Settings → Language and input |

Launch the application and get training |

Insert the option "Allow resizing" |

Reboot your smartphone to apply changes-->

4. editing configuration files (for advanced)

If none of the previous methods worked, you can try manual editing of system files, which requires root rights or access to ADB, but gives maximum flexibility in configuration, suitable for devices based on MIUI 13/14 with an unlocked bootloader.

Instructions for changing the size of the keyboard via ADB:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and activate Debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Open the command line on PC and type: adb shell settings put secure default_input_method com.google.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME (This will tie Gboard as the default keyboard).
3. Next, run the command to scale: adb shell settings put global keyboard_height_scale 1.5 where 1.5 — scaling factor (you can set the value of the 1.0 before 2.0).
4. Reset the device.

For root devices, you can edit the file /data/data/com.google.android.inputmethod.latin/shared_prefs/com.google.android.inputmethod.latin_preferences.xml, found a line in it: <string name="keyboard_height_scale">1.0</string>

and replacing the value with the desired one (e.g. 1.8).

5. Special opportunities for enlarging the keyboard

MIUI has a hidden feature section called Special Features, which allows you to zoom in on individual interface elements, including the keyboard, which is particularly useful for users with vision or motor problems.

Go to: Settings → Special Opportunities → Increase.

• 🔎 Enable the option Large pointer - this will visually increase the area of pressing on the keyboard.
• 📱 Activate the scale with gestures (triple tap to zoom in). After activation, tap the keyboard three times, it will increase by 200%.
• 🎯 Enable Item highlighting – this will add a colored frame around the keyboard buttons, making it easier to press.

For devices with MIUI 14, the Adaptive Scale option is available, which automatically adjusts the size of the keyboard to the current application, for example, WhatsApp buttons will be larger than Chrome.

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Adaptive Scale.
2. Select Enable for the keyboard.
3. Set the sensitivity with a slider (recommended value is 70%).

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The special features in MIUI not only increase the keyboard, but also improve its contrast, which is especially important in bright sunlight or for users with color blindness.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When changing the keyboard size to Xiaomi, users often encounter common errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

If the keyboard is still too small after all the manipulations, check:

• 🔄 Updated to the latest version (Settings) → Updating the system).
• 📦 Are there any conflicts with other applications (for example, Nova Launcher or Tasker can reset the interface settings).
• 🛠️ Is the developer mode with forced scale activated (Settings) → For developers → Minimum width - must be turned off).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions