How to change region to Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the need to change geolocation settings in the system. This may be necessary to activate hidden features, access regional themes in the Themes store, or simply to correctly work certain applications tied to the location. The standard path through the settings menu seems obvious, but the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS have their own nuances that are not always clear the first time.

Changing this setting affects not only the date and time displayed, but also the list of available widgets, the performance of the Google Assistant voice assistant, and even the frequency of updating advertising notifications in system applications. It’s important to understand that changing your region won’t unlock geographic restrictions for services like Netflix or Disney.+, because they are attached to IP-address and account, but can fix errors in the operation of system services. In this article, we will discuss in detail all aspects of switching.

Why Change the Region in Xiaomi Settings

The main reason users are looking for an answer to the question of how to change region to Xiaomi Redmi is due to functional limitations: some features, such as advanced Second Space capabilities or specific desktop widgets, can only be available when selecting certain countries, such as India or Singapore, and in some regions, the system is less aggressive in managing background processes, which has a positive effect on autonomy.

Another important aspect is content management. MIUI Themes store and MI Video app often offer a different set of free content depending on the location you choose. By switching to another region, you can access exclusive wallpaper, fonts or ringtones that are not available in your default country.

Sometimes, after updating the firmware or resetting the settings, the smartphone may get stuck in the wrong time zone or offer incorrect services, in which case manual adjustment of the geoposition in the settings is a standard step of diagnosis and solving the problem.

Preparing a smartphone before making changes

Before you start changing system settings, you need to make sure that the device is ready. Although the procedure itself is safe for user data, some system applications may require a reboot of services, it is recommended to close all running background applications and save unsaved data in open documents.

Make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network or has a good mobile signal. After changing region, the system may try to download new data packets, update news feed lists, or check for updates for system applications specific to the selected country.

Also, if you change region, some firmware versions may change the set of preinstalled apps. If you use the global firmware version, the changes will be minimal, but the Chinese versions with Google Play Services installed may have nuances with account synchronization.

Step-by-step: Standard method through settings

The easiest and safest way to change location is to use the built-in settings menu, which does not require root rights or a computer connection and is suitable for the vast majority of users. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS, but the logic remains the same.

To start, unlock your smartphone screen and find the Settings icon (cogs). In the menu that opens, scroll down to the Additional Settings (or Advanced Settings) section. In some versions of the shell, this item may be simply called System Settings or be inside the About Phone section, although this is less common.

Inside the menu, find Region. When you click on it, you'll see a list of countries. Select the country you want from the list. The system can alert you that some applications may be restarting or that the date and time format will change. Confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: After changing the region, the interface of some system applications (for example, Security or Explorer) can switch to the language of the selected country if the Russian language of the interface is not available for it.

It takes less than a minute to do this. Once you've chosen a new location, the phone can freeze for a few seconds, rewiring system services. That's normal behavior. If the interface hasn't returned to its normal form, try rebooting the device.

Features of changing the region on different versions of MIUI and HyperOS

The MIUI 12, 13, 14 shells and the new HyperOS have different menu structures. In older versions of MIUI, the country selection was often in the About section or was put into a separate menu at first launch. In modern versions, Xiaomi aims to unify the interface by hiding this setting deeper in the Additional Settings section.

Users of Chinese firmware (CN ROM) may notice that their list of available regions differs from the global versions, China often lacks some Western countries on the list, and there may be restrictions on installing Google services when selecting specific locations. Global ROMs usually contain a complete list of countries.

It is worth noting that on devices with HyperOS, the process has become more transparent, but the system more closely monitors the matching of the SIM card region and the settings of the phone. If you insert a SIM card in one region and specify another in the settings, the system may periodically suggest returning the recommended settings.

The influence of the region on the work of applications and advertising

One of the most common questions is: does a change in region affect the amount of advertising? The answer is ambiguous. In some regions (for example, India or Indonesia), Xiaomi’s monetization policy involves more aggressive implementation of banner ads in system applications such as Explorer, Music or Cleanup. Switching to a region with less active advertising policies (for example, some European countries) theoretically can reduce the frequency of advertising, but does not guarantee its complete disappearance.

For third-party applications, changing the region of the phone settings changes the setting that apps read through the system's API, which can affect:

• 🌍 Language of content in news aggregators (e.g. Yandex.News or Google News).
• 💳 Affordable payment methods in the applications of stores and services.
• 📺 Content streaming services, which may vary depending on the device settings, although priority is given IP-address.

It's important to understand the difference between the Mi Account region and the system region. They may not match. The region of the system affects the local settings of the smartphone, while the account region determines which server your data is stored on (Mi Cloud), and changing it is much more difficult, often requiring the creation of a new account.

⚠️ Note: When changing region, the applications of banks may require re-authorization or security checks, as the geolocation of the device in their eyes will change.

Table: Comparison of settings for popular regions

To make it easier for you to make your choice, we've compiled a comparative table of how the system works across locations, and it's relevant to global firmware versions.

The choice of “Singapore” or “India” is often recommended for enthusiasts who want to access the maximum number of customization features, while European regions are chosen by those who prioritize data privacy.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

In rare cases, users experience problems after changing their region, the most common being missing widgets or changing fonts in the interface. If you notice that the font has become unreadable or icons have disappeared, try changing the theme to the standard one through the Themes app.

Another problem is time desynchronization, and if the time on the phone is no longer true after the region change, go to the Date and Time settings and force it to turn on and then turn off the Auto Time option, which will cause the phone to request data from the network operator again.

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If Google Pay (Wallet) stopped working after the region change, try clearing the cache of the Google Play Services app and adding the map again.

Sometimes apps stop receiving notifications, because when you change region, the system can reset permissions for background activity, and go through the list of important applications and check in the Battery section if they are not worth limiting background activity.

⚠️ Warning: Don't change region too often, frequent switching may temporarily block the ability to change location with security systems MIUI.

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Changing the region is a software setup that does not affect the hardware of the smartphone, but can significantly change the user experience and the set of available features.

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