How to turn on the keyboard on Xiaomi Redmi 9C: from basic settings to hidden features

Keyboard issues on Xiaomi Redmi 9C smartphones are one of the most common user complaints, and the on-screen keyboard suddenly disappears when you type in, stops responding to touch, or doesn't appear in messengers or browsers, most often due to MIUI failures, application conflicts, or accidental shutdown of system services, but the good news is that 90% of the time, the problem is solved without going to the service center, you just need to know where to look for the settings.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can turn on your Redmi 9C keyboard, from the elementary (device reset) to the advanced (MIUI reset or Gboard reinstallation), focusing on hidden features that aren’t written about in the official instructions, such as how to return the keyboard through safe start mode or why it can be blocked due to battery optimization, and you’ll find a standard and Gboard comparison table, a checklist to diagnose the problem, and answers to frequent questions.

If your Redmi 9C suddenly stopped showing the keyboard when you tapped the input fields, don't panic. It's more likely a software glitch than a hardware breakdown. Start with simple steps and gradually move on to more complex solutions.

Why the keyboard doesn’t appear on the Xiaomi Redmi 9C

Before you try to turn on the keyboard, it's important to understand what caused it to disappear. On the Redmi 9C, there may be several factors involved:

The most common reason is that the system keyboard is accidentally disabled in the settings, for example, a user could deactivate it when installing a third-party application (such as Gboard or SwiftKey) and then delete the application, resulting in the system not knowing which keyboard to use by default.

Another common scenario is application conflict: Some programs (especially optimizers or antiviruses) may block keyboard operation as “suspicious activity,” and the problem may arise after a MIUI update, when new settings reset old settings.

Less commonly, but accurately, hardware problems are to blame: touch screen damage, plume malfunction, or even factory defects in the 2020-2021 Redmi 9C batch (display contacts are known to detach), but other failures will occur in addition to the keyboard, such as broken screen parts or spontaneous touches.

Method 1: Reboot your phone and check basic settings

Start with the simplest thing, rebooting the device, which helps 30 to 40 percent of the time when the keyboard disappears because of a temporary MIUI failure.

How to restart the Redmi 9C:

1. Press the power button on the right side of the smartphone.
2. In the menu that appears, select Reboot (or Restart).
3. Wait 1-2 minutes until the phone is completely turned off and re-energized.

If the keyboard does not appear after the reboot, check the basic input settings:

1. Make sure that at least one keyboard is active in the Keyboard and Types section (e.g. MIUI Keyboard or Gboard).

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If there are no keyboards on the list, try installing Gboard from Google Play. Link: Install Gboard.

Method 2: Enable keyboard via MIUI settings

If the reboot didn't help, it's time to dig deeper. MIUI has hidden settings that can block the keyboard display.

Instructions for activation:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System.
3. Find the MIUI Keyboard (or MIUI Keyboard) and open it.
4. Make sure the app is on (the button must be active).
5. Click on Permissions and check that all permissions (especially Display over other windows) are enabled.

If MIUI Keyboard is disabled and cannot be enabled, try resetting the application settings:

1. In the same app management menu, click Storage.
2. Choose Clear Data and Clear Cache.
3. Reboot the phone.

Method 3: Use of Safe Start Mode

If the keyboard is not working due to a conflict with third-party applications, Safe Mode will help. In this mode, the phone only loads with pre-installed programs, which allows you to identify the “culprit” of the problem.

How to run Safe Mode on Redmi 9C:

1. Press the power button until the shutdown menu appears.
2. Press the “Switch Off” (or “Power Off”) point with your finger and hold for 3-5 seconds.
3. There will be a suggestion to go to safe mode - confirm.

In Safe Mode, check if the keyboard is working, and if so, the problem is in one of the apps installed.

• 🔍 Remove recently installed programs (especially optimizers, antiviruses or keyboards from third-party developers).
• 📱 After removing each application, restart your phone and check the keyboard.
• 🔄 If the problem is gone, you find the culprit. Install this app again (maybe the failure was temporary).

⚠️ Warning: In Safe Mode, some features (such as a fingerprint or Face Unlock) may not work. This is normal – after leaving Safe Mode, everything will recover.

Method 4: Reset keyboard and cache settings

If the keyboard appears, but works incorrectly (for example, buttons are not pressed or it brakes), resetting its settings and cleaning the cache will help.

For the standard MIUI Keyboard:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Keyboard and open it.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reboot the phone.

For Gboard (if installed):

1. Open Settings → Apps → Gboard.
2. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
3. Then click Space Management → Clear all data.
4. Restart the app.

Once reset, the keyboard will have to be reconfigured (choose language, enable auto-replacement, etc.), but this often solves problems with freeze, incorrect input or lack of response to touch.

Back up important texts (e.g. screenshots of chats)

Remember Auto Replacement and Dictionary Settings

Make sure Gboard syncs with your Google account are enabled (if used)

Restart the phone after cleaning-->

Method 5: Completely reset your phone (last resort)

If none of these things work, the last thing you can do is reset the phone to the factory settings, and that will delete all the data, but it will put the keyboard back in working order.

How to reset Redmi 9C:

1. Make a backup copy of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Reset All Settings (or Factory Reset).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Once reset, the phone will be like a new one, with the MIUI Keyboard preinstalled. If the problem was software, the keyboard will work. If it isn't, it's probably a hardware malfunction (e.g., a damaged screen plume).

⚠️ Warning: Reset deletes all data, including photos, messages and installed apps. Unless you have sync with Mi Account or Google enabled, it will be impossible to restore the information.

MIUI Keyboard and Gboard Comparison: Which One to Choose

If you're going to switch from a standard keyboard to a third-party keyboard, you should compare the features. Below is a table with key differences:

If you want stability and minimalism, stay on MIUI Keyboard. If you need advanced features (like real-time translation or GIF search directly from the keyboard), install Gboard.

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Gboard consumes more RAM but offers more features.If your Redmi 9C only has 2GB of RAM, a standard keyboard can run smoother.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the keyboard on the Redmi 9C