Owners of Xiaomi POCO M3 smartphones, especially those bought on popular marketplaces or ordered from abroad, often face the same intrusive problem: After the first device is turned on or another system update, characters suddenly appear on the keyboard screen, and standard text input begins to offer unfamiliar characters instead of the usual Cyrillic or Latin alphabet. This is because the global MIUI firmware installed at the factory, by default activates regional input methods focused on the Asian market. For the Russian user, this creates a tangible rhythm with the device switching between the device.
To make matters worse, the standard MIUI shell has a complex menu hierarchy, where the settings are often hidden deep in system partitions. Many users try to solve the problem by randomly removing keyboard updates or resetting to factory settings, which does not always yield the desired result and can lead to loss of personal data. However, deactivation is a regular function of the Android operating system, and it does not require superuser rights or complex technical manipulations.
In this article, we will take a look at all the possible ways to get rid of the Chinese layout on your POCO M3 forever. We will look at both standard methods of disabling through system settings, and alternative options with installing third-party applications if standard tools are not available for some reason. You will learn how to manage input methods, clear the cache of system applications and customize priority languages so that your smartphone prints exactly as you need, not as engineers in China decide.
Why is the Chinese layout on the POCO M3
The main reason for the unwanted characters is the logic of the Android operating system in conjunction with the MIUI shell. When you first turn on the phone or change the region in the settings, the system automatically loads the language package corresponding to the selected location, and also leaves active global default input methods. Often, Sogou Input or a modified version of Gboard with an expanded character set that includes characters is chosen as the main or additional input method.
Another factor is the update of system components through the GetApps app store or the built-in MIUI update mechanism. Sometimes, with security patches or new shell features, additional language packages are installed on the device silently, especially for devices purchased under gray import schemes, where the Chinese version of the firmware originally could be located, which was then reflashed to a global one, but did not completely clean up the system residues.
⚠️ Warning: Do not try to remove keyboard system applications through third-party root file managers unless you are an experienced user, which may result in you having no unlock password to boot, and the phone turning into a brick».
Also, some versions of the firmware for the POCO M3 have a bug where, after resetting or hard reset, the keyboard defaults to the "out of the box" state, in which case Chinese again appears in the list of available languages, even if you previously removed it. Understanding the nature of this phenomenon helps you choose the right method of combating: either completely disabling the input method or carefully adjusting it.
Disabling Chinese through system settings
The safest and most appropriate way to remove unnecessary characters is to use the built-in input management menu. You don't need to download additional programs, you just need to carefully follow the settings path. First of all, open the settings menu of your Xiaomi POCO M3 smartphone and find the Additional settings section. This is where the key system management options are hidden.
In the menu that opens, select Language and Enter. You'll see a list of all the input methods available. You'll need to be careful, and you'll see a few options, like Gboard, Google Voice Typing, and maybe Sogou Input, or just "MIUI Keyboard," and if you see an app with a name that contains Chinese characters or the word Sogou, you'll have to deactivate it.
☑️ Checking input settings
Click on the name of the suspicious keyboard. In the menu that opens, find the Languages or Preferred Languages switch. In the list of active languages, search for Chinese and click on the basket icon or switch next to it to remove it from the list, after which only Russian and English will remain on the list, which completely solves the problem.
If the problem isn't with the specific application, but with Chinese being stuck in the main Gboard keyboard, the algorithm changes a little bit, so you have to go to the settings of the Gboard keyboard itself, select the Languages, and remove the Chinese layout from the active list, and the system will remember that choice, and the next time you type, the characters will no longer appear.
Setup and Clean Up the Gboard App
In most cases, the POCO M3 has a standard Google keyboard, Gboard, which is a powerful tool, but it has the ability to accumulate data and offer unnecessary languages if not configured correctly. Sometimes even after deleting the language from the list, it can come back due to cached data or synchronization with a Google account. To guarantee that you remove the Chinese keyboard, you need to perform a deep cleaning of the application settings.
Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find Gboard (could be called Google Keyboard). Click on it and select Memory. Here you have the Clean button (or Clear Data) available. Press it and confirm the action. This will return the keyboard to factory status by removing all custom dictionaries and temporary files that may have caused language glitches.
What happens when Gboard data is cleaned?
Once cleaned, run any typing app again. Gboard will prompt you to re-select the language. At that point, watch the screen carefully: select "Russian" and make sure the tick opposite "Chinese" is removed. Also, in the keyboard settings, in the Predictive Input section, you can turn off the "Error Correction" function, which sometimes mistakenly changes Russian letters to similar Latin or Chinese characters if there is such confusion in the dictionary.
For advanced users, it's helpful to know that Gboard can set language priority. If you only use Russian and English, delete all the others. This will not only remove the Chinese layout, but also speed up the keyboard, since it won't have to load extra dictionaries into the device's RAM.
Installing an alternative keyboard as a solution to the problem
If standard methods don’t help, or the built-in MIUI keyboard doesn’t work well after updates, the most radical and effective solution is to install a third-party text-entry app. Google Play offers dozens of great options that completely replace the system keyboard and ignore the settings of regional shell languages.
One of the best options is Microsoft SwiftKey, which is famous for its smart autocorrector and excellent support for multilingual input without the need for constant switching. Once installed and activated as the main one, you can choose only Russian and English in SwiftKey settings, completely forgetting about the existence of the Chinese layout.
- 🚀 Yandex.Keyboard is an excellent choice for Russian-speaking users, with powerful voice input and word prediction, sharpened under the Russian language.
- 🎨 Facemoji Keyboard – if you are interested in customization, this keyboard allows you to change themes and fonts, while having simple language settings.
- 🛡️ OpenBoard is an open source keyboard that does not collect user data and has a minimalist interface without unnecessary “garbage».
Once you install a new keyboard, Android will require you to give it permission to access the input data, which is standard security. Once confirmed, go to the language and input settings and make the new application the default keyboard. The old Chinese keyboard will remain in the system, but will no longer be used, as the analogue you choose will become active.
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Tip: When you install a new keyboard, go to its settings immediately and turn off Internet access in the application permissions if you are concerned about privacy, although most popular keyboards (Gboard, SwiftKey) require a network to work with predictive input.
Comparison of problem-solving methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right way to eliminate the Chinese keyboard on the Xiaomi POCO M3, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you assess the risks and effectiveness of each method depending on your situation and level of technical training.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnection in settings | Low. | Tall. | Absent. |
| Gboard data cleanup | Medium | Tall. | Loss of word dictionary |
| Installation of analogue | Low. | Maximum | You need to get used to the interface. |
| Change of region | Medium | Medium | Change the operation of some applications |
As you can see from the table, installing an alternative keyboard is often the most reliable way, as third-party developers are better at adapting their products to local markets than Xiaomi’s global firmware. However, if you prefer using standard functionality, the combination of turning off the language in settings and clearing the cache gives a great result in 95% of cases.
Try changing the region in the Additional → Region settings, after which the phone may need to reboot.This action updates the content lists and can automatically remove unnecessary language packs.
Preventing the appearance of unnecessary languages
Once you successfully remove the Chinese keyboard from your POCO M3, it is worth taking care to keep the problem from returning. Often users will trigger the return of the characters by accidentally clicking on the language switching globe and choosing "Add keyboard" in a fit of curiosity or by mistake. Be careful when working with the input menu.
It is also not recommended to install questionable optimizer or accelerator apps from unverified sources. Often, such programs contain advertising modules that can change system settings, including input methods, to show more advertising.
Check system updates regularly. Xiaomi engineers are constantly working to improve global firmware, and in new versions of MIUI, the bug with spontaneously turning on Chinese is often fixed. Go to Settings → About Phone and click on the MIUI version to check for updates.
⚠️ Note: If after all the manipulations, the Chinese keyboard returns by itself after each reboot, this may indicate the presence of malware in the system. In this case, it is recommended to check the phone with antivirus or perform a full reset (Factory Reset) with prior data storage.
Following these simple rules of smartphone hygiene will allow you to enjoy a comfortable work with text without unexpected surprises in the form of hieroglyphics. Your POCO M3 should be a convenient tool, not a source of constant irritation due to incorrect settings.
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The main conclusion: The problem of the Chinese keyboard is solved by software methods without flashing the phone, just once you correctly configure the input methods or replace the standard application with a quality analogue.