Switching the language on the Xiaomi keyboard seems like a simple task — until you encounter a bug when the layout suddenly disappears or the language change button does not respond. In MIUI (even in the latest versions 14/15), this process is different from standard Android, and some models (for example, Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5) have their own nuances. In this article, current ways to change the language for all keyboards (Gboard, MIUI Keyboard, SwiftKeyboard), including solving typical problems.
We'll look at not only the basic settings, but also the hidden features: how to add a third language without deleting the current one, why the switch button disappears after the update, and how to return the Russian layout if the system "forgot" it after the reset. All instructions are tested on MIUI 13-15 firmware (including global and Chinese versions).
1. Standard method: through keyboard settings
The most reliable method is to use system settings, which works on all Xiaomi models, regardless of the version of MIUI or the keyboard installed.
Open Settings → Additional Settings → Language and Input → Current Keyboard. Here you will see an active keyboard (such as Gboard or MIUI Keyboard). Click on its name, then select Languages or layouts. In the list, mark the languages you want (such as Russian and English (USA)).
- 🔹 For Gboard, the language change button is an icon with the letter "G" or the globe. Hold it to select the layout.
- 🔹 For MIUI Keyboard: the switch button is hidden behind a long click on the space (in some versions - swipe on the space left / right).
- 🔹 For SwiftKey: Languages swipe over space or click on the language icon in the upper left corner.
⚠️ Note: If there is no Russian in the list of languages, check the phone's regional settings. → The phone. → Region and choose Russia or Ukraine (depending on firmware). Without this, some layouts can be hidden.
Make sure the keyboard is updated to the latest version|
Check the phone's regional settings |
Clear the keyboard cache in the application settings (if the language is not displayed)|
Reboot your phone after the changes-->
2. Quick switching during typing
Do you want to climb the settings every time?Most keyboards on Xiaomi support hot keys to change the language right while typing.
For Gboard and MIUI Keyboard, use these combinations:
| keyboard | Switching method | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gboard | Hold the space and swipe left/right | It only works if enabled in the keyboard settings (Settings → Gboard Panel → Gestures) |
| MIUI Keyboard | Double tapping on a space or swipe on it | Some versions of MIUI require this feature to be enabled in Keyboard Settings → |
| SwiftKey | Click on the tongue icon in the upper left corner | You can configure the display of the button in Settings → Layout and keys |
| Any keyboard | Hold the tongue/globe icon (if any) | The list of available languages will appear in the pop-up window |
If the gestures don't work, check their settings. For example, in Gboard, go to Settings → Gboard Panel → Gestures and enable the Swipe space option to change the language. In MIUI Keyboard, a similar setting may be called Quick Switching.
Gboard (Google)|
MIUI Keyboard (standard)|
SwiftKey (Microsoft)|
Another.|I don't know.-->
3.If the language is gone: Recovering hidden layouts
A common problem after the MIUI update is that the language switch button disappears, even though the keyboard settings have added languages, due to cache failure or version conflict.
Here's how to bring back a lost language:
- Clean keyboard cache: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, find your keyboard (like Gboard or MIUI Keyboard), click Storage → Clear cache.
- Reset keyboard settings: In the same app settings, select Reset settings (or Delete data). ⚠️ Note: This will delete all saved words and auto-replacement settings!
- Reinstall Keyboard: For Gboard or SwiftKey, uninstall the app through Settings → Apps and install again from Google Play.
- System Languages Check: Sometimes the problem lies in system settings. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Languages and make sure that the desired language is added to the system list.
If you don't see the language after that, try adding it to another keyboard, like installing SwiftKey from Google Play, adding Russian, and then going back to the main keyboard, which sometimes will wake up hidden settings.
What to do if the Russian language is lost after resetting?
4. Features for different Xiaomi models
Some Xiaomi smartphones have unique nuances when changing the keyboard language.
- 📱 Redmi Note 10/11/12 Series: In the standard MIUI Keyboard language change button may be hidden. To return it, go to Keyboard Settings → Appearance → Toolbar and enable the option to Show the language button.
- 📱 POCO F3/F4/F5: It's set by default here. POCO Launcher, which sometimes conflicts with the keyboard settings, the solution is to install Gboard and use it instead of the standard one.
- 📱 Xiaomi 12/13 series MIUI 14+): In the latest versions MIUI tongue-to-switch MIUI Keyboard is swiped by space. If it's uncomfortable, return the old button in the settings: Keyboard settings → Management → Method of switching language.
- 📱 Black Shark 4/5: On Xiaomi's gaming smartphones, the default keyboard is optimized for gaming, and language settings may be limited.Install Gboard or SwiftKey for full control.
On Chinese versions of smartphones (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro with China ROM firmware), Russian may not be available in the system settings.
- Install Gboard from Google Play (if available).
- Or run the global version of MIUI via Fastboot (instructions are available on the 4PDA or Xiaomi Community forums).
- Use devices with global firmware (the model name should be the letter Global, for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Global).
💡
On the POCO X3 Pro and other POCO Launcher models, changing the theme sometimes helps. Go to Settings → Themes, select the standard MIUI theme, and then go back to the keyboard settings - a language switch button may appear.
5. Additional chips: hot keys and automatic switching
If you are tired of manually switching layout, set up automatic language definition or create hotkeys.
For Gboard:
- Open any input field and click on the icon ⚙️ (gear on the keyboard.
- Select Settings → Text input → Automatic language definition.
- Turn on the option to automatically switch to the language of the input text.
Now the keyboard will switch to Russian if you start typing in Cyrillic, and back to English when entering in Latin.
For MIUI Keyboard, a similar feature is called Smart Switching and is located in Keyboard Settings → Layout → Automatic Switching.
If you need hotkeys to switch quickly, use apps like Tasker or MacroDroid. For example, you can configure:
- 🔄 Double tap on Volume Down to change language.
- 🔄 Swipe gesture across the screen (for example, from the right edge to the left).
- 🔄 Voice command via Google Assistant (OK, Google, switch to Russian»).
💡
Automatic language switching doesn’t work perfectly – if you use transliteration frequently (like “privet”), the keyboard may mistook to English, in which case it’s better to turn off the function and use manual switching.
6. Problem Solving: Language doesn't change or keyboard bugs
If after all the manipulations the language still does not switch, check these points:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The tongue button is gone. | Failure after MIUI update | Clear the keyboard cache or reinstall it |
| Language added but not activated | Conflict with regional settings | Change the region of the phone to Russia in Settings → About the phone |
| The keyboard switches by itself. | Automatic language definition is enabled | Turn off the option in the keyboard settings |
| No Russian language on the list | Chinese firmware or outdated version of MIUI | Install Gboard or update the firmware |
| The keyboard slows down when changing the language | Lack of RAM | Clean up background processes or restart your phone |
If none of the methods helped, try resetting the keyboard settings to factory:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find your keyboard (such as the MIUI Keyboard).
- Press Warehouse. → Delete the data.
- Reboot the phone.
After that, the keyboard will return to the standard settings, and you can re-add the desired languages.
7.Alternative keyboards: when the standard one does not fit
If the built-in Xiaomi keyboard is not satisfied (for example, there is no necessary layout or it is glitzy), consider alternatives:
- 🔤 Gboard (Google): Supports 100+ languages, including rare layouts (Tatar, Ukrainian, Belarusian) and there is a function of real-time translation and voice input.
- 🔤 SwiftKey (Microsoft): Can predict words in two languages at the same time and synchronizes the vocabulary between devices.
- 🔤 Fleksy: Minimalist keyboard with gestures for quick input and change of language.
- 🔤 AnySoftKeyboard: Open source, supports non-standard layouts (for example, for programmers).
To install an alternative keyboard:
- Download the app from Google Play (like Gboard).
- Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input → Current keyboard.
- Enable a new keyboard in the list and set it by default.
- Add the required languages in the settings of the new keyboard.
Some Xiaomi models (especially those with MIUI 12 and below) may have a warning about data collection when using third-party keyboards.This is a standard Android message – it can be ignored if you trust a developer (like Google or Microsoft).