How to increase the keyboard font on Xiaomi Redmi: from system settings to hidden MIUI chips

Small fonts on the Xiaomi Redmi keyboard are a common problem, especially for visually impaired users or those who are used to large characters on the screen. Unlike resizing the system font, which adjusts in the display settings, the keyboard often ignores global settings, which is because the virtual keyboard in MIUI (the Xiaomi branded shell) works as a separate application with its own settings.

In this article, we will examine 3 proven ways to increase the font of the keyboard: through standard settings MIUI, using third-party keyboards (for example, Gboard or SwiftKey), as well as little-known tricks for the Redmi Note 12/13 and Redmi 10/11 models. We will pay special attention to nuances that are not mentioned in the official instructions - for example, why the keyboard settings may be reset after the MIUI 14/15 update, and how to fix it.

If you find that the letters on the keyboard are too small and the standard methods do not help, do not rush to change your smartphone. 90% of the time, the problem is solved in 5 minutes without root rights or complex manipulations. Next, you will find step-by-step instructions with screenshots (for current versions of MIUI), a comparison table of keyboards and answers to frequent questions.

1. Enlarge font through settings of the standard MIUI keyboard

By default, Xiaomi Redmi smartphones use the branded Mi Keyboard (or Xiaomi Keyboard in newer versions). Unlike Gboard, there is no direct slider to change the font size, but there are indirect ways:

1. Change the size of the keyboard itself (automatically increases the font proportionally).
2. Enabling the "Large Text" mode in the special features settings.
3. Resetting keyboard settings to factory (sometimes helps if the font has become shallow after updating).

To change the size of the keyboard:

1. Open any field to enter text (for example, in Messages or Notes).
2. Touch the gear badge (⚙️) on the keyboard to open its settings.
3. Go to the size and layout → Keyboard size.
4. Drag the slider to the right to enlarge the keys (and the font on them).

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Make sure the keyboard is updated in Google Play

Take a screenshot of the current keyboard settings (in case of reset)

Restart your phone before changing-->

If this method has not produced enough effect, try to turn on the large text mode:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Text size.
2. Activate the switch Large text.
3. Select the maximum value of the slider.

⚠️ Warning: Large text mode affects the entire system interface, not just the keyboard. If the desktop icon or menu has become too large after activation, return the slider to the average and use alternative methods from the following sections.

2. Installation of an alternative keyboard (Gboard, SwiftKey, Fleksy)

If the standard MIUI keyboard doesn't work, the best way to do this is to install a third-party app.

• 🔹 Gboard (Google Keyboard) – supports smooth adjustment of font size and keys, integration with Google Translate.
• 🔹 Microsoft SwiftKey – offers themes with large characters and adaptive input.
• 🔹 Fleksy specializes in large keyboards and gesture control.

Let’s look at the Gboard (the most universal option):

1. Download Gboard from Google Play and install it.
2. Activate the keyboard in Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Open any text box, tap the globe icon (🌐) on the keyboard, and select Gboard.
4. Click on the gear (⚙️) → Themes → Keyboard setting → Size.
5. Adjust the sliders Keyboard height and text size.

Important for Redmi Note 12/13 owners: Some MIUI 14+ firmware may display a warning when you install a third-party keyboard. This is standard system behavior — just press OK and allow access. If the keyboard does not appear after installation, restart the phone.

Standard Mi Keyboard|Gboard (Google)|SwiftKey|Fleksy|Another.-->

3. Hidden MIUI settings to change keyboard font

MIUI 12-15 firmware has hidden settings that allow you to fine-tune the font display on the keyboard. These options are not dokumented in the official guides, but work on most Redmi models (tested on Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi 11 Prime, Redmi 12C).

To access hidden settings:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information.
3. Scroll down to the Other Settings block and click on Keyboard Settings (may be called Input Settings).
4. Here you will find additional sliders for adjustment: 🔘 Font Scaling - font scale (values from 0.85 to 1.3). 🔘 Key Text Size - keyboard text size (if available).

On Redmi models with AMOLED- screens (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+) after changing the hidden settings, you may need to recalibrate the display.

1. Go to Settings → Display → Colors and contrast.
2. Select a Standard Profile (even if you use another one).
3. Go back to the keyboard settings and check if the changes are still in place.

To prevent discharge:

1. Before updating, back up your keyboard settings via Settings → Memory → Backup (select System Settings).
2. If the font has reset, try rolling back the keyboard update: Go to Google Play → My app → Keyboard MIUI. Click on three dots (⋮) → Remove updates.
3. If the problem persists, install Gboard or another keyboard (see Section 2).

💡

If the keyboard is lagging or hanging after the MIUI update, clear its cache: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Keyboard → Storage → Clear the cache. This will not delete your settings, but it can eliminate the freezes.

5. Features for specific Redmi models

Some Xiaomi Redmi models have unique nuances when setting the keyboard font. Below are proven solutions for popular devices:

Redmi Note 12 / Redmi Note 12 Pro / Redmi Note 12 Pro+

On these models with AMOLED- screens and MIUI 14+, the standard keyboard can ignore the global font settings.

1. Install Gboard and activate Adaptive Contrast (helps with poor readability on dark topics) in its settings.
2. If the characters are blurred, turn off font smoothing in Settings → Display → Text Improvement.

Redmi 10 / Redmi 10A / Redmi 10C

On budget models with HD+- screens (720p resolution), enlarging the font can lead to character trimming.

• 📱 Use a bold keyboard theme (e.g. Bold Black in Gboard).
• 📱 Reduce the height of the keyboard in the settings, but increase the size of the text.

Redmi 11 / Redmi 11 Prime

These devices sometimes don't work with resizing the font through standard settings.

1. Install SwiftKey.
2. In the keyboard settings, select the High Contrast theme.
3. Activate the option Show the boundaries of the keys – this will visually increase the perceived size of the characters.

💡

On the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and Redmi 13 Pro with MIUI 15, the standard keyboard supports dynamic font change depending on the lighting. To enable this feature, go to Keyboard Settings → Responsive Design and activate Text Auto Adjustment.

6. Additional tricks: color, contrast and accessibility

If enlarging the font didn’t solve the readability problem, try improving the contrast and color scheme of the keyboard, which is especially true for users with color blindness or astigmatism.

Here's what we can do:

• 🎨 Change the theme of the keyboard to high contrast (e.g. Black with white text or Yellow on black). In Gboard, these are called High Contrast and Dusk.
• 🔦 Enable keylighting (in SwiftKey: Settings → Appearance → Keylighting).
• 👁️ Activate color filters in the special features settings (Settings → Special features → Color correction).This will change the display of all interface elements, including the keyboard.

For models with OLED- screens (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+), it is useful to turn off automatic brightness in the display settings. In low light, the system can overshadow the keyboard, making the text unreadable.

If you use the Mi Keyboard but want to improve character visibility, try this life hack:

1. Install the black MIUI theme (Settings → Display → Dark Theme).
2. In the keyboard settings, select the theme Transparent Light.
3. This will create a “reverse contrast” effect, where the keys are light on a dark background and the font is clear.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you change the typeface of your keyboard, you often make mistakes that reverse the effect of the characters becoming even less readable. Here are the most common mistakes and how to fix them:

Another common problem is the font blur after the size change, which is because MIUI uses bitmap fonts, which don't always scale properly, to fix:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Text Size.
2. Select a value one division less than the maximum (for example, not 150%, but 140%).
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Some firmwares MIUI 13 for Redmi 9/10 may miss the word prediction prompt if you over-enlarge the keyboard font. If critical, reduce the text size to 120–130%.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions