How to change the keyboard on Xiaomi: from selection to installation

Standard keyboard MIUI Xiaomi smartphones do not always suit users: someone lacks functionality, someone does not like the design, and someone faces bugs when entering text. Fortunately, Android allows you to install third-party keyboards with advanced features, from gesture input to support multiple languages at once. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to change the keyboard on Xiaomi devices, including Redmi, POCO Black Shark and also consider the nuances of working with MIUI 14/15.

It's important to understand that the process of replacing the keyboard on Xiaomi is slightly different from pure Android because of the features of the firmware. MIUI The standard com.miui.mms keyboard can block third-party activation, we’ll show you how to get around these limitations and customize input to make it as user-friendly as possible, and you’ll learn which alternative keyboards are best for Xiaomi devices in 2026.

Why users want to change the keyboard to Xiaomi

Standard keyboard MIUI There are several disadvantages that cause users to look for alternatives:

• 🔍 Limited functionality: no gesture input (swipe), weak support for several languages at the same time, no themes.
• 🐌 Low speed: on budget models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) The keyboard can slow down with fast dialing.
• 📱 Inconvenient interface: too large buttons on small screens (Redmi Note 10), no customization of the location of characters.
• 🔒 Privacy issues: Keyboard MIUI It collects input data (including passwords), which is a concern for some users.
• 🌍 Poor localization: some regions (for example, Ukrainian or Kazakh) lack quality dictionaries.

In addition, many Xiaomi users are faced with a bug when the keyboard itself switches to the English layout or disappears from the system after an update. MIUI. In such cases, installing a third-party keyboard becomes not desirable, but a necessary measure.

Top.-5 Alternative keyboards for Xiaomi in 2026 year

Before you change the keyboard, you need to choose the right alternative, and we tested dozens of applications and selected the best options for Xiaomi devices based on their features:

Important: On devices with MIUI China (Chinese firmware) some keyboards may not be installed due to Google Play restrictions. APK-files or alternative app stores.

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Before installing a new keyboard, check if it supports your main language. For example, SwiftKey does not have full-fledged Russian localization, and Fleksy offers only English in the free version.

Step-by-step: how to change the keyboard to Xiaomi

The keyboard replacement process for Xiaomi consists of three steps: installing an alternative application, activating in the system settings, and setting up the default.

1. Installation of a new keyboard

Download the selected keyboard from Google Play (or via Google Play) APK, if MIUI China):

1. Open the Play Store.
2. Enter the keyboard name (e.g. Gboard).
3. Click Install and wait for the download to be completed.
4. After installation, open the application for initial setup.

Download an alternative keyboard from an official source|

Check compatibility with the Android version (MIUI 14/15)|

Close all applications that use text input|

Backup your dictionary (if it is important to keep your entries history)-->

2. Activation of the keyboard in the MIUI settings

Now you need to allow the system to use the new keyboard:

1. Go to Settings → System and Device → Language and Enter.
2. Select Current Keyboard (or Keyboard Management in older versions of MIUI).
3. Activate the switch next to the keyboard installed (such as Gboard).
4. Click OK in the data collection warning (if it appears).

If the new keyboard is not on the list, restart the device or check if it is blocking it. MIUI Optimizations (in the developer settings).

3.Setting the keyboard by default

To open the new keyboard automatically:

1. Back to Settings → Language and input.
2. Press the Current Keyboard (or the default Keyboard).
3. Select the installed keyboard from the list.
4. Confirm your choice by clicking Ready.

If after this the old keyboard MIUI It still appears, try to disable it in the settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the keyboard. MIUI (or com.miui.mms).
3. Click Disable (Do not delete!).

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If you have switched off the standard keyboard MIUI Some system functions have stopped working (for example, search in settings), turn it back on and just prioritize the new keyboard.

Solving problems when changing the keyboard to Xiaomi

Even after installation, Xiaomi users may face problems, and we will examine the most common and ways to solve them.

1.The keyboard does not appear in the list of available

If the installed keyboard is not displayed in Settings → Language and input:

• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes a simple reboot helps.
• 📥 Update the app – check for updates in the Play Store.
• 🛠️ Clear the cache: go to Settings → Annexes → [Keyboard name] → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔧 Enable "Unknown Sources" (if installed through the APK): Settings → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications.

2. the keyboard spontaneously switches to MIUI

This problem often arises from Xiaomi. MIUI 12-14 because of system optimizations:

• 🔒 Block the standard keyboard in the application settings (as described above).
• 📵 Turn it off"MIUI Optimization": Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times to enable Developer Mode) Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Disable "Optimization" MIUI"
• 🔄 Reset the keyboard settings: Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings.

3.Gestural input (swipe) is not working

If you have installed Gboard or SwiftKey, but no gesture input is enabled:

• ⚙️ Check the keyboard settings: open the keyboard app → Settings → Gesture input and enable the option.
• 📱 Update the firmware: MIUI 13 and older, the gesture input is more stable.
• 🔄 Reinstall the keyboard - sometimes a clean installation helps.

⚠️ On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro), gesture input may conflict with system gestures. MIUI. In this case, turn off navigation gestures in Settings. → Display. → Full screen mode.

How to Get Back a Standard MIUI Keyboard

If the experiment with the alternative keyboard failed or it began to slow down, you can return the standard input. MIUI. For that:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Language and input.
2. Select the Current Keyboard.
3. Activate the keyboard. MIUI (or com.miui.mms).
4. Click Ready and confirm the selection.

If the standard keyboard has been disabled before, you must first enable it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the keyboard. MIUI and press Enable.
3. Return to the language and input settings to set it by default.

Important: On some firmware MIUI (Especially Chinese) the standard keyboard may not be in the list of applications, in which case only resetting or flashing the firmware will help.

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If you want to save the history of input from the standard keyboard MIUI Before you turn it off, export the dictionary through Settings → System system → Backup. But you can't import it into third-party keyboards, because the formats are incompatible.

Change keyboard to Xiaomi without Google Play (for Chinese firmware)

On devices with MIUI China (like Xiaomi 13 Pro for the Chinese market) doesn’t have Google Play, so you can’t install the keyboard in the standard way:

1 Installation via APK- file

Download. APK the desired keyboard from a verified source (for example, APKMirror) and install manually:

1. Download the.apk file to the device.
2. Allow installation from unknown sources: Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install unknown applications.
3. Open the file through Explorer and follow the instructions.

2.Use of alternative stores

V MIUI China preinstalled GetApps (or Xiaomi's App Store) and some keyboards (like Baidu Input or Sogou Input) are available there:

1. Open GetApps.
2. Enter the keyboard name in Chinese (for example, for Baidu Input).
3. Install and activate the keyboard in the settings.

⚠️ Chinese keyboards (such as Baidu Input or iFlytek) collect data and send it to servers in China, and it is not recommended to use it to enter passwords or sensitive information.

Customize the keyboard for maximum convenience

Just changing the keyboard is not enough, you need to set it up correctly. Let's look at the key parameters in the example of Gboard (other keyboards also configure):

1.Gest input (Swipe)

To include typing with gestures:

1. Open any keyboard and press on ⚙️ (gear).
2. Select Gesture.
3. Turn on the option and take a short training.

2 Multilingual support

Add a few languages for a quick switch:

1. Go to Settings. → Languages.
2. Click Add the keyboard and select the languages you want.
3. Turn on the option to Show the switching button of languages.

Themes and design

Change the appearance of the keyboard:

1. Open Settings → Themes.
2. Choose your favorite style or upload additional themes.
3. Set up transparency, button size and color scheme.

Additional functions

Include useful options:

• 🔍 Built-in translator (in Gboard): translates text directly during typing.
• 🎨 Emoji and GIF: Quick access to smileys and animations.
• 🔒 Secure Entry: Disables the saving of passwords and other sensitive information.
• 📍 One-handed mode: reduces the size of the keyboard for easy one-handed dialing.

Tip: If you type in two languages often, turn on the option Automatic Language Switching in the keyboard settings, which will allow the system to determine the language by the first characters and switch without manual selection.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the keyboard to Xiaomi