How to put a Russian keyboard on Xiaomi Redmi: 5 proven ways

You bought a new Xiaomi Redmi, but instead of the usual Russian layout, the screen displays an English or Chinese keyboard? Or the keyboard is there, but it does not work correctly - does not tell the words, does not switch between languages or disappears at all when you type? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi smartphones, especially if the device was purchased abroad or stitched with an informal version of MIUI.

In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions for all Redmi versions (from Redmi 9A to Redmi Note 13 Pro+), including solutions for cases where:

• 🔹 Russian language is not in the list of languages;
• 🔹 Gboard keyboard or MIUI Keyboard does not save settings;
• 🔹 When you enter the text, hieroglyphs or Latin characters appear;
• 🔹 Auto-replacement does not work or T9 (word-prediction).

We will also discuss hidden MIUI settings that allow you to force Russian as your primary language, even if it is not displayed on the menu, all of which are tested on current firmware versions (up to MIUI 14 inclusive) and do not require root rights.

1. Method: Adding Russian through MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which are suitable for 90% of users and take no more than a minute.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the section Additional → Language and input (on some models the path may differ: Settings → System → Language and input).
3. Slip on the current keyboard (or keyboard management).
4. Select an active keyboard (such as MIUI Keyboard or Gboard).
5. Click Languages and find Russian on the list. If there is none, tap Add Language and select Russian (Russia).

After adding the language, go back to the text input and hold the space or click on the globe icon (🌐) on the keyboard to switch to Russian layout.

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. Global) ROM Russian may not be on the list, in which case use Method 3 or Method 4 of this article.

Check out the MIUI version (Settings → About the phone)

Connect to Wi-Fi to download language packs

Close all applications that use the keyboard (messengers, browser)

Make a backup of settings (Settings) → The phone. → Backup)-->

2. Installation of the Russian keyboard via Gboard (Google Keyboard)

If the standard MIUI Keyboard doesn't suit or support Russian, the best alternative is Google's Gboard.

• 🔹 T9 with word prediction in Russian;
• 🔹 Handwriting and voice dialing;
• 🔹 Themes and customizable design;
• 🔹 Synchronize the dictionary with a Google account.

To install the Gboard:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. After installation, open any field to enter text (for example, in Notes).
3. Click on the keyboard icon in the notification bar and select Gboard.
4. In the Gboard settings (cog icon on the keyboard), go to Languages → Add keyboard and select Russian.

For convenience, you can disable the standard MIUI Keyboard:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find MIUI Keyboard and click Disable.

💡

If the Russian layout does not appear after installing Gboard, try clearing the app cache (Settings → Apps → Gboard → Storage → Clear the cache).

3. Forced installation of the Russian language through the region

If Russian is not available, the problem may be related to the region of the device, for example, Russian is often hidden on firmware for India or China.

1. Open Settings → Additional → Language and Region.
2. In the Region section, select Russia or Ukraine (if Russia is not on the list).
3. Reboot your phone (required!).
4. After the reboot, go back to the Language and enter → Keyboard and check for Russian.

If the region is not on the list, use the workaround:

• 🔹 Install. VPN with a server in Russia (for example, ProtonVPN).
• 🔹 Reset network settings: Settings → Connections → Resetting the network.
• 🔹 Repeat the steps to change the region.

⚠️ Note: Change of region may affect some services (e.g. Google Pay or Mi Video) and return the region to the previous one after setting the keyboard.

4. Manual addition of Russian via APK (for Chinese firmware)

On Chinese ROM devices, Russian is often absent even after a region change, and manually installing the language package will help:

1. Download. APK-file with Russian language for MIUI (for example, MiuiLanguagePack_ru.apk) from a verified source (recommended xiaomi.eu).
2. Install APK through any file manager (e.g. Mi File Manager).
3. Reboot the phone.
4. After the reboot, Russian will appear in the keyboard settings.

If the installation is blocked, allow installation from unknown sources:

1. Settings → Applications → Special Rights → Installation of Unknown Applications.
2. Select the file manager and enable permission.

5. Auto-replacement and T9 settings for Russian

Even after adding the Russian layout, users often face problems:

• 🔹 Auto Replacement works only for English;
• 🔹 T9 (Word hints) does not offer Russian options;
• 🔹 Keyboard "forgets" language after restart.

To fix this:

If the hints still don't work, clear the keyboard details:

1. Settings → Applications → Application management.
2. Choose MIUI Keyboard or Gboard.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data (Warning: This will reset all settings!).

💡

For better T9 work in Russian, it is recommended to disable synchronization of the dictionary with the Mi Account (Settings → Synchronization → Disable Keyboard).

6. Solving keyboard issues on specific Redmi models

Some Xiaomi Redmi models have unique keyboard bugs, and here are the solutions for the most popular devices:

Redmi Note 10/11/12 series series

Problem: After upgrading to MIUI 13/14, the Russian layout in the MIUI Keyboard disappears.

Decision:

1. Install Gboard (see Method 2).
2. Or roll back to the previous firmware version via Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Dots → Select an update pack.

Redmi 9/9A/9C

Problem: When you enter text, characters appear instead of Russian letters.

Decision:

• 🔹 Remove all Asian languages from the keyboard list.
• 🔹 Reset the keyboard settings: Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings.

Redmi K50 / POCO F4

Problem: The MIUI Keyboard keyboard slows down when typing in Russian.

Decision:

1. Turn off animations: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to turn on Developer Mode), then Settings → Additional → Developer → Animation = 0.5x.
2. Clear the system cache: Settings → Storage → Clear the cache.

7.Alternative keyboards for Xiaomi Redmi

If standard solutions don’t help, consider alternative keyboards that support Russian:

To install any of these keyboards:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Activate it in Settings → Language and input → Current keyboard.
3. Configure Russian in the keyboard settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Russian keyboard on Xiaomi Redmi