How to Russify Xiaomi TV: 5 working ways (including hidden ones)

Xiaomi TVs are gaining market value for money, but many users are faced with one problem: devices from global lots often come with Chinese or English firmware. Even if you bought a model with official Russian support (for example, Mi TV P1 or Redmi Smart TV X Series), after resetting, the system can “forget” localization. In this article, the current ways of Russification for all modern Xiaomi TVs, including those that do not have Russian in the standard menu.

We will consider both official methods (through settings and updates) and alternative methods - using third-party firmware or other methods. ADB-We'll focus on the Mi models. TV 4A/4S/5, Redmi TV A Series and Xiaomi TV Q2/Q1E, Because their firmware most often requires manual adjustments, if your TV is stuck in Chinese after upgrading or buying it. AliExpress/Gearbest — Here you will find a solution.

1. Check the current firmware version and available languages

Before you start Russification, make sure your Xiaomi TV is Russian-friendly at all, depending on the regional firmware and model. For example, devices for the Chinese market (CN) are often devoid of European languages, whereas global versions (Global or EEA) include them.

To check the current firmware:

1. On the remote, press Settings (⚙) → On TV (About).
2. Find the Model (model) and Android TV Version (OS version) lines.
3. Note the suffix in the model name: CN – China, IN – India, EEA – Europe.

If the list of languages (Settings → Preferences → Language) is not Russian, but the global model is a problem in the firmware. If the model is Chinese (CN) – radical measures will be required (see the section on custom firmware).

2.Official method: changing the language through settings

The easiest method is if the Russian language is already installed in the system, but not activated. This is true for global firmware (Global/EEA).

1. Press the Settings button on the remote (⚙) (or Settings on English firmware).
2. Go to Preferences → Language & Input → Language.
3. In the list, find “Russian” (or Russian) and select it.
4. Confirm the change and restart the TV (Restart).

If Russian is not on the list, but the model supports it (see the table below), try updating the firmware via the Internet:

• 📲 Go to the Settings → About → System update.
• 🔄 Click Check for updates and wait for the download.
• 🔧 After updating, re-check the list of languages.

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If the TV is “hanging” while searching for updates, try connecting to the network via an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi – this will speed up the process.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Mi) TV 4A PatchWall 3.0 may be lost after changing the language. To return it, press the Menu buttons. + Home for 5 seconds.

Russification through ADB (for advanced users)

If the Russian language is not available in the system, but the TV supports it at the Android TV level, you can force localization through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which works for most models on Android TV 9.0+, including Mi TV 5 and Redmi Smart TV.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Utility. ADB Tools (download from Android site).
• ⚙️ Included debugging by USB TV-wise.

Steps:

1. Activate USB debugging: Go to Settings → About → Android TV OS build. Click on Build number 7 times until you see the message “You’re a developer.” Go back to Settings → Preferences → Developer options and turn on USB debugging.
2. Connect your TV to your PC via USB (use the USB 3.0 port on your TV).
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and execute: adb devices If the device is detected, type: adb shell pm install-existing com.google.android.tvlauncher adb shell setprop persist.sys.locale ru-RU adb shell setprop ctl.restart zygote
4. Reboot the TV (Settings → Restart)

⚠️ Note: On TVs with PatchWall (Xiaomi shell) after ADB-To get it back, do adb shell pm enable com.mitv.tvhome.

4. Installation of custom firmware with Russian language

For Chinese models (CN) or outdated firmware, where Russian is not available even after ADB, the only way out is to flash the TV with alternative firmware, a method that is risky (may result in a loss of warranty or a build-up of the device), but often the only solution.

Popular sources of firmware:

• 🌍 Xiaomi.eu – Modified Global Firmware.
• 🛠️ 4PDA — Russian-speaking community with patches.
• 📦 XDA Developers - firmware for enthusiasts.

Instructions for firmware via USB:

Download firmware for your model (e.g. Mi TV 4A 32" global)

Format the flash drive in FAT32 (size up to 32 GB)

Copy the firmware file (update.zip) to the root of the flash drive

Turn off the TV (remove the plug from the socket)

Connect the flash drive to USB-port-->

1. Put the flash drive in the TV turned off.
2. Press the buttons Menu + Volume Down on the remote and, holding them, connect the power.
3. Wait for the recovery menu (recavery) to appear.
4. Select the Apply update from USB and select the update.zip file.
5. Once completed, select Reboot system now.

It's going to take 5 to 15 minutes. Don't turn off the power until you're fully restarted. If the TV doesn't turn on after you've done the firmware, try doing it with a different version of the firmware.

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Firmware through the Recovery is the most reliable way, but requires an exact match of the model and the version of the software. An error in choosing a file can lead to the inoperability of the device.

5. Alternative methods: changing the region and Google Account

If Russification through Settings or ADB didn't work, try changing the TV region, which works for Android TV models where the language is tied to the country of your Google account.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts & Sign in → Google.
2. Delete your current account (if it is linked).
3. Create a new Google account with the region (or use a VPN to change location).
4. Sign in to a new account on the TV.
5. Restart the device and check the list of languages.

You can also try to change the region directly:

• 📍 Go to the Settings → Preferences → Location.
• 🌐 Choose the country Russia or Belarus.
• 🔄 Restart the TV.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (PatchWall 2.0), changing the region may block access to Google Play and some applications. → Device Preferences → Reset).

6. Russification through third-party apps (for Android TV)

If you can’t change the system language, but you need Russian in separate apps (like YouTube or Netflix), use alternative launchers or interpreter apps.

Ways:

• 📱 Install. ATV Launcher or TV Bro – they allow you to change the interface language regardless of the system.
• 🌐 Use Google Translate with Screen Translate (you will need a smartphone).
• 🎮 Connect the keyboard/mouse via Bluetooth and use a browser with an interpreter (e.g. Yandex Browser with autotranslation).

To install apps on Xiaomi TV without Google Play:

1. Download. APK-file on a flash drive (for example, with APKPure).
2. Connect the flash drive to the TV.
3. Open File Manager (or Explorer) and start the installation.
4. Allow installation from unknown sources (Settings → Security & restrictions → Unknown sources).

This method will not Russify the system completely, but will make the use of the TV more comfortable, for example, in Kodi or Plex you can set Russian regardless of the language of the OS.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Russification of Xiaomi TV