How to increase the keyboard on Xiaomi phone: a complete guide with pictures

The small keyboard on Xiaomi’s smartphone is a common problem for users with large fingers or poor eyesight. Tiny buttons lead to persistent typos, slow down typing and sometimes make instant messaging a real torture. Fortunately, the manufacturer has envisaged several ways to increase the size of the keyboard in both the standard MIUI application and popular alternatives like Gboard or SwiftKey.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the working methods, from basic settings to hidden firmware functions, and learn how to scale a keyboard without losing functionality, customize the display to your needs, and even return standard sizes if something goes wrong. The instructions are relevant for all modern models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO base MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS.

1. Increase Xiaomi system keyboard through settings

The easiest way is to take advantage of the built-in MIUI options. The manufacturer has added the ability to resize the keys directly in the keyboard menu, but not all users know where to look for this option.

Open any application where the keyboard appears (such as Messages or Notes).

• 🔧 Put the pin on the gear badge (⚙️) in the top row of the keyboard to open the settings.
• 📏 Select Size and layout (or layout settings in new versions) MIUI).
• 🔄 Pull the slider Keyboard Size to the right to enlarge the buttons.
• 🎨 Adjust the Transparency and Color Scheme if necessary so that the keyboard does not merge with the background.

If you don't have a slider, your version of MIUI might take a different path.

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Language and input.
2. Select the Current Keyboard → Xiaomi Keyboard.
3. Click on the layout settings → Size.

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If after changing the size of the keyboard began to crop at the edges of the screen, try to enable the option Full-screen mode in the same settings or restart the phone.

2. Scaling the entire interface (including the keyboard)

If the keyboard system settings don’t zoom in enough, you can scale up the entire MIUI interface, which affects not only the keyboard, but also icons, fonts, and menu items.

For this:

1. Open the Settings → Screen.
2. Select Text and Display Size (or Screen Size in HyperOS).
3. Pull the slider font size or display scale to the right.
4. Click Apply and confirm the changes.

Please note that this method has side effects:

• ⚠️ Some apps (especially games) may not display correctly.
• 📱 There will be less information on the screen.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI scale may reset.

3. Use of alternative keyboards (Gboard, SwiftKey)

Xiaomi’s standard keyboard doesn’t always offer enough flexibility. Third-party apps like Gboard (from Google) or Microsoft SwiftKey allow you to adjust button sizes more accurately and even reposition rows.

For Gboard:

• 📱 Install the app from Google Play and activate it in Settings → Language and input.
• 🔧 Open the Gboard settings (image) ⚙️ keyboard).
• 📏 Go to Topics. → Keyboard setting → Size.
• 🔄 Select High or Very High to increase buttons.

SwiftKey is a little different:

1. Launch the application and tap on the layout and keys.
2. Select the size of the keyboard and move the slider.
3. Activate the option with one hand if you want to move the keyboard left/right.

Install Gboard from Google Play|

Activate the keyboard in the system settings |

Select the "Very High" size |

Turn off vibration when pressed (if disturbed)|

Enable gestures (for quick dialing)

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4. Hidden MIUI features: One-hand mode and floating keyboard

Xiaomi has added some non-obvious features to MIUI that can help with the keyboard, one of which is a one-hand mode that not only reduces the size of the interface, but also allows you to move the keyboard to the convenient side of the screen.

How to turn on:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Special Opportunities.
2. Select One-Hand Mode.
3. Activate the switch and set the screen size on Mini.
4. Now swipe the keyboard icon (usually in the lower right corner) left or right to move it.

Another useful option is a floating keyboard, which allows you to move the input panel across the screen and resize it:

• 🔧 In the Xiaomi keyboard settings, find the Floating Keyboard.
• 🖱️ Activate it and pull the gray strip at the bottom to change size.
• 📍 Drag the keyboard to a convenient location (for example, closer to the center of the screen).

5 Manual modification of system files (for experienced users)

Attention! This method requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights. Wrong actions can lead to data loss or a device "brick." Use only if other methods have not worked.

If you are willing to take a chance, you can change the keyboard settings directly in the system files:

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer with root support.
2. Go to /system/usr/keyboard/ (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
3. Find the file. miui_keyboard_config.xml Open it in the text editor.
4. Change the parameters: <keyboard_height>1.5</keyboard_height> <key_size>1.3</key_size> (where 1.5 and 1.3 — scale-up).
5. Save the file, set the rights 644 (rw-r--r---).
6. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Before editing system files, back up the partition /system through TWRP Or OrangeFox Recovery. XML It can lead to a loading cycle!

6.Setting up the keyboard for people with vision problems

If you want to not just zoom in on the keyboard, but make it as contrast-like and readable as possible, MIUI has special options for the visually impaired, which combine zoom in with improved visibility:

• 👁️ Include large text in Settings → Special facilities → Vision.
• 🎨 Select High Contrast in Keyboard Themes (Black buttons on white background or vice versa).
• 🔊 Activate Voice Entering (Mic icon on keyboard) for dictation instead of typing.
• 📏 In the keyboard settings, enable hints when pressed (buttons will be highlighted when touched).

For users with color blindness, Gboard has color schemes with improved distinguishability:

1. Open the Gboard settings.
2. Go to Topics. → Colors.
3. Choose High Contrast or Black and White.

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For maximum convenience, combine the enlargement of the keyboard with voice input. MIUI has a built-in voice recorder in the keyboard - just tap the microphone icon and say text instead of typing.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you change the size of your keyboard, you often encounter unexpected bugs, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:

• 🔄 The keyboard is reset after rebooting → Clear the cache of the Xiaomi Keyboard app in the settings.
• ⚠️ Buttons are cut at the edges → Turn off Full-screen mode in keyboard settings or zoom down by 10%.
• 📱 Input gestures are not working. → Reinstall the keyboard via Google Play (even if it’s system-based).
• 🔧 No size slider. → Update. MIUI Up to the latest version or install Gboard.

If the keyboard began to slow down after increasing, try:

1. Turn off the key animation in the settings.
2. Reduce background transparency.
3. Clear the cache through Recover Mode (keep Power + Volume up when downloading).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro) POCO X3) When you maximize the keyboard, the bottom row with the numbers may disappear. To return it, reduce the size by 10-15% or activate the number series always visible in the settings.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions