Many Xiaomi smartphone users experience discomfort when typing because of the too small size of the screen buttons. Especially relevant is the question of how to increase the keyboard on a Xiaomi phone, for people with large fingers or reduced vision. Standard system settings often offer limited functionality, but there are proven ways to rescale the input elements.
With MIUI and the new HyperOS, the size of the virtual print tool is directly dependent on the system font settings and screen resolution, and changing these settings affects not only the keyboard, but the entire interface, making text more readable. Before you start, it is important to understand what parameters you plan to change so that you do not disturb the proportions of the display in other applications.
There are several ways to solve the problem, from simple adjustment of the height of the panel in the keyboard itself to deep system calibration. We will consider the most effective and safe options that will help make typing convenient. Careful follow the instructions will avoid errors and quickly adapt the device to your individual needs.
Adjust the height of the keyboard in Gboard
The easiest and most common way to change the size of the buttons is to use the built-in features of Google’s Gboard app, which is installed by default on most Xiaomi smartphones.This method does not require superuser rights and is safe to guarantee the device. You need to open any application that requires text input to activate the input panel.
When you have a keyboard, look at the top of the settings icon that looks like a gear. If there's no button, press and hold the comma or space key until the quick access menu appears. In the list that opens, select Settings, then go to Preferences, and that's where the slider adjusts the height of the panel is.
⚠️ Note: When the keyboard height in the Gboard app is maximized, the top row of buttons can block the text input field in some applications with a non-standard interface.
When you move the slider, you can choose from five of them: very small, small, normal, large and very large, and you can choose "big" or "very big" for maximum comfort, and you can change it instantly, and you can see the result immediately on the screen.
Change the font size in the MIUI system
Global proliferation of interface elements, including virtual keyboard buttons, is achieved through system font settings. This method affects all text elements of the MIUI operating system. To get to the desired menu, open Settings and select the Screen section. In some versions of firmware, this item may be called the Display or be located inside the tab Additional.
Inside the menu, find text size and fatness (or simply text size). You'll see a slider scale. Moving the slider to the right increases the size of all the characters in the system. It's important to note that, along with the letters on the keyboard, you'll see more app icons, contact names, and text in your messages.
The system will offer several standard sizes, marked with letters from A to E or numbers. Selecting the maximum value (XL or 5) will make the keyboard font as large as possible. However, if the text becomes too large, it may not fit in the designated fields in some third-party applications, such as Telegram or Viber.
☑️ Checking font settings
Use of Simplicity Mode (Lite Mode)
For older people or users with severe vision problems, Xiaomi smartphones have a special mode that drastically changes the interface, called Simplicity Mode (or Lite Mode), which not only increases the font and size of keyboard buttons, but also simplifies the structure of the desktop, disappears unnecessary widgets and animations.
To activate this feature, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Simplicity Mode. Once turned on, the screen will blink, and all elements will become significantly larger. The keyboard in this mode also adapts, becoming more bulky and easy to hit with a finger. This is the only regular way in MIUI that is guaranteed to increase the keyboard in all system applications without exception.
In the mode of simplicity, the logic of some functions also changes: the menu of all applications is removed, and only the most necessary shortcuts remain on the main screen.
What happens to productivity in simplicity mode?
Third-party keyboards with flexible settings
If the standard Gboard or MIUI Keyboard keyboard doesn’t suit you with its limitations, you can always install an alternative app from the Google Play store. Third-party developers often offer more flexible zoom settings. Popular options are Yandex Keyboard, SwiftKey or TouchPal.
Unlike system solutions, third-party keyboards allow you to change not only the height, but also the width of the buttons, as well as their location. For example, in SwiftKey you can choose a One-Hand mode, which shifts the keyboard to the side and increases the buttons by reducing the overall width of the layout, this is especially convenient on smartphones with large screen diagonals.
To install a new keyboard, download the app, launch it, and follow the instructions on the screen. Android will require you to confirm permission to use the new keyboard input and switch to it. Once activated, go to the new app settings and find the section responsible for the appearance or theme.
- 📱 SwiftKey: allows you to stretch the keyboard in height and width independently of each other.
- ⌨️ Yandex Keyboard: offers major themes and the ability to change the layout with a swipe.
- 🎨 TouchPal: has a huge shop where you can find keyboards with giant buttons.
Comparison of scaling methods
The choice of how to increase the keyboard depends on your goals: whether you need to increase only the input buttons or require a global interface change to improve the readability of the entire smartphone. Below is a table that will help you compare the main methods and their impact on the operation of the device.
| Method | Impact on the system | Difficulty setting up | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gboard settings | Just the keyboard. | Low. | Medium |
| Systemic font | The whole interface and text | Low. | Tall. |
| Simplicity mode | A complete restructuring of the UI | Medium | Maximum |
| Third-party annexes | Only text input | Medium | Tall. |
As you can see from the comparison, Simplicity Mode gives the best visual result, but changes the usual logic of the smartphone. Altitude setting in Gboard is the safest and fastest solution for those who are bothered only by small buttons. Systemic change of font is a compromise option.
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Combining methods (e.g., increasing the system font + adjusting the height of the Gboard) gives the best result for users with poor vision.
Frequent problems and their solution
When you change standard zoom parameters, users sometimes encounter interface artifacts: Text can be cropped, buttons can bump into each other, and in some applications, input fields can become too small for large fonts, which is because application developers do not always test their products on extreme values of system fonts.
If you notice that text has become unreadable in a particular application after enlarging your keyboard, try reducing the system font by one step, leaving the keyboard height as high as possible. Cleaning the problem app's cache through the App menu → All Apps → Selected App → Memory → Clear the cache also helps.
⚠️ Note: Do not use applications from unreliable sources to change system files (dpi), this can lead to unstable sensor operation or a cyclical reboot of the smartphone.
In rare cases, after updating the MIUI firmware, the keyboard settings may reset, in such a situation, you need to recheck the Preferences section in the keyboard settings. You should also make sure that the Advanced Settings → Special features do not include touch-reducing features such as “Pocket Mode” with excessively high sensitivity.
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If you use a black-framed safety glass, make sure that the enlarged keyboard does not overlap with this frame, otherwise the extreme buttons will become unavailable to press.