How to Remove Chinese Characters from Xiaomi Phone: A Complete 2026 Guide

Chinese characters on Xiaomi’s screen are a common problem that users face after buying a device from unofficial stores or when a firmware update fails. The characters can appear in the settings menu, notifications, app names, or even on the desktop, most often due to regional settings installed by the Chinese version of MIUI or a failure in the system language.

In most cases, the problem is solved without drastic measures – just change the language settings or reset settings. However, on devices with global firmware purchased in official stores, characters are extremely rare. If you purchased Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO on Chinese sites (for example, AliExpress, Taobao), the chances of encountering this situation increase by 80%.

Why are Chinese characters appearing on Xiaomi?

The main reason is that MIUI version does not match the region of use: Chinese firmware (MIUI China) by default contains characters in the system menu, even if you choose English or Russian, this is due to the fact that some features (for example, Mi Pay, Mi Video) are optimized only for the Chinese market and do not have full localization.

Other possible causes:

• 🔄 Incorrect software update – if the firmware was installed via Fastboot or Recovery with errors, system fonts could get corrupted.
• 📱 Buying a device with “gray” firmware – some sellers deliberately install Chinese versions MIUI, to circumvent regional restrictions.
• 🛠️ Reset settings without changing the region – after Hard Reset, the phone can return to factory settings with Chinese by default.
• 📲 Install unofficial themes or fonts – some themes from the Mi Theme Store contain hieroglyphics in the design.

Importantly, newer models (Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12) are less likely to have problems with improved multilingual support, while older devices (Mi 8, Redmi 5) are more likely to have manual fixes.

Method 1: Change the system language in settings

The easiest method is to change the interface language through a standard menu, which works if the characters appear after accidental clicking or crashing, but will not help on devices with Chinese firmware MIUI China.

Instructions:

1. Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
2. Scroll down and select Additional settings (or Additional settings).
3. Slip on Language and Input (Language and Input).
4. Click on the first item - Language.
5. Find Russian or English in the list and select it.
6. Confirm the change by pressing OK or Apply.

If there is no Russian in the list of languages, try adding it manually:

• 🌐 Click Add Language (Add Language).
• 🔍 In the search box, enter Russian or Russian.
• 📌 Choose the option marked Russia (not Ukraine/Belarus).

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If some apps (such as Mi Community or Mi Video) still display characters after changing the language, try updating them via Google Play or removing unnecessary ones.

⚠️ Attention: Some firmware may need to reboot after a language change, and if the characters return after a restart, the problem is deeper, and you need to move to the following ways.

Method 2: Changing the region of the device

Chinese versions of MIUI are tied to the China (CN) region, which blocks full localization, and to unlock all languages, you need to change region to Russia or Global.

How to do this:

1. Open the Settings. → About the phone (About phone).
2. Tap the MIUI version several times until you get a message: You are a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional settings → Region.
4. In the list, find Russia or Russia and choose it.
5. Reboot the phone.

If the item Region is not on the menu, try an alternative route:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Google → Google services → Advertising.
• 🌍 Click Reset Advertising ID and select the region of Russia.
• 🔄 Return to the additional settings → Language and input and try to change the language again.

⚠️ Note: Change of region may cause data loss in some applications (e.g. Mi Fit, Xiaomi Cloud). → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Method 3: Removing Chinese Fonts by Hand

Sometimes the characters remain even after the language change due to the built-in Chinese fonts that the system uses by default, and can be removed via ADB (Android debugging tool).

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Platform Tools (the official tool from Google).
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Go to Settings → About Phone. 7 times click on MIUI Version. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

Command line.

Terminal

Platform Tools

adb devices

(The name of your device should appear).

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.systemfontprovider

Reboot the phone.

If the fonts are lost after the reboot (the text has become squares), restore the standard fonts with the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.systemfontprovider

⚠️ Note: Removing system fonts may cause text to be displayed incorrectly in some applications. If artifacts appear after the procedure, return the fonts back or reset the settings.

Method 4: Resetting settings to factory

If previous methods didn't work, try hard reset, which will return the phone to its original state, but will delete all data, including photos, contacts and apps. Make sure to back up before the procedure!

How to perform the reset:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Factory Data Reset (Factory Data Reset).
3. Read the warning and click Reset Settings.
4. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.
5. Wait for the process to be completed (5-10 minutes).
6. Install firmware: Download the firmware (.tgz or.zip) to a folder. Open the Mi Flash Tool and select the firmware folder. Connect the phone in Fastboot mode. Press Refresh, then Flash. Wait for completion (5-15 minutes).

Russia

⚠️ Warning: Flashing will void warranty if the device was purchased from an official store, there is also a risk of "bricking" (breaking) the phone if you do not act correctly.

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Reflashing to MIUI Global is the only way to permanently remove Chinese characters on devices with the Chinese version of MIUI. However, it is a complex process that requires preparation.

Table: Comparison of methods for removing hieroglyphs

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users make mistakes when they try to remove characters, which only makes the problem worse.

1. Installation of unofficial firmware without unlocking the bootloader

Some people try to flash MIUI Global through Recovery without first unlocking it, which leads to a phone that says, "This MIUI version cannot be installed on this device," and the solution is to unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool.

2. Use of left-handed themes and fonts

Themes from unverified sources may contain Chinese characters in the design. Remove them through Settings → Screen → Themes and choose official options.

3. Reset settings without changing the region

If you reset the region of China, the characters come back. Always install Russia or Global.

4. Update firmware via OTA on the Chinese version

Air-to-air updates for MIUI China do not include multilingual support. If you want to upgrade, download MIUI Global manually and stitch through Recovery.

5. Ignoring backup

Resetting or flashing erases all data. Always save important information on your PC or in the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).

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Before any firmware manipulation, check the phone model in Settings → About Phone → Model. The firmware from another model can bring the device down!

FAQ: Answers to popular questions