How to change the keyboard language on Xiaomi: 5 ways for all models

Changing the keyboard language on Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge that every second user faces after buying a device or installing a new firmware. Even if you purchased a gadget with official localization, the standard MIUI Keyboard or Gboard keyboard can automatically switch to an uncomfortable language, ignore regional settings or not support the desired dialect at all. In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios, from the basic settings in the system menu to solving problems with sticking the language after an update.

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO have two default keyboard types: the MIUI Keyboard (formerly Mi Keyboard) and Google’s Gboard. The language change algorithm is different for them, as is the set of available features. For example, up to 5 quick-gesture languages can be added to Gboard, whereas in MIUI Keyboard this limit is often limited to 3 languages. It is also important to consider the firmware version: MIUI 14 and the newer keyboard settings interface has changed dramatically compared to MIUI 12.

If you find that the keyboard language resets after a reboot, does not save user words or is not at all in the list of available, do not rush to reset the settings. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by cleaning the app cache or installing an alternative keyboard from Google Play. Below you will find step-by-step instructions for all versions of MIUI, including devices based on Android One (for example, Xiaomi Mi A3).

1. How to change the language in the standard MIUI Keyboard

The MIUI Keyboard is the default keyboard on all Xiaomi smartphones except those with “clean” Android (Android One), which has the advantage of deep integration with system services (e.g. quick access to the Mi Cloud), but often suffers from language-switching bugs.

Open any application where the keyboard appears (such as Messages or Notes (⚙️) In the top row of the keyboard, to open the settings. If there's no icon, hold the space with your finger and select the keyboard settings.

• 🌐 Select Languages and layout (or Input Languages in older versions) MIUI).
• ➕ Click Add language and find the one you want in the list (for example, Russian, English (USA) or Ukrainian).
• 🔄 To quickly switch between languages, activate the option to Show the language icon on the keyboard.
• 📱 If the language you want is not on the list, check your phone’s regional settings (Settings). → Additionally. → Language and region).

One important caveat: MIUI Keyboard doesn’t use languages with different layouts (like Russian and Chinese) at the same time. If you need both, install Gboard or a third-party keyboard like SwiftKey.

Make sure the keyboard is updated to the latest version|Check the regional settings of the phone|Clear the app's cache MIUI Keyboard in Settings → Annexes|Restart your phone if your language is not saved-->

2. Setting up the language in Gboard (Google keyboard)

Gboard is an alternative keyboard from Google, often pre-installed on Xiaomi devices or manually installed by the user, with a key advantage of supporting up to 100+ languages simultaneously (including rare dialects) and flexible switching settings to add or change the language:

Open any text field, call the keyboard and tap the gear icon (⚙️) If you don't have one, swipe left over the space and select Gboard Settings.

• 🌍 Go to the Languages section → Add a keyboard.
• 🔍 Enter the name of the language in the search box (for example, Belarusian or Kazakh).
• ✅ Choose the desired option (pay attention to regional options, for example, English (UK) vs English (USA)).
• 🔄 Turn on the option to switch languages and set up a gesture (for example, swipe space).

Tip for multilingual users: You can set AutoReplacement separately for each language in Gboard. For example, disable autocorrect for English but leave it for Russian. Go to Settings → Text Correction → AutoReplacement and select the language.

MIUI Keyboard|Gboard|SwiftKey|Another |I don't know which one I have-->

3.Why is the keyboard language reset or not saved

One of the most common problems with Xiaomi is that the keyboard language spontaneously changes to English, Chinese or other after you reboot, update the system, or even lock the screen.

A critical error in MIUI 14: after upgrading to this version, many users encountered a bug where the keyboard automatically switches to Chinese when typed in some applications (such as WeChat or AliExpress).

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → MIUI Keyboard.
2. Select Warehouse and click Clear Data (not just cache!).
3. Reboot your phone and add the languages again.

4. How to make the default keyboard (if the language does not change)

If you have multiple keyboards installed (like the MIUI Keyboard and Gboard), the system can automatically switch between them, leading to chaos with the languages.

Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual Keyboard. Here you will see a list of all the keyboards installed. Click on the one you want to make the main one, and activate the Use this keyboard switch.

• 🔧 If the keyboard is not listed, install it from the Play Market (e.g. SwiftKey or Microsoft Keyboard).
• 📱 To reset the keyboard settings to factory, click Reset settings in the virtual keyboard menu.
• ⚠️ If the keyboard MIUI Keyboard is not listed, which may mean it is disabled as a system application. Restore it via Settings → Annexes → Show all applications (⋮) → Show system-based.

For root-access devices: if the keyboard language is stuck in Chinese due to system restrictions (relevant to Xiaomi on export firmware), you can manually edit the settings file.

1. Install a file manager with root access (e.g., Root Explorer).


2 Go down the path /data/data/com.miui.inputmethod.latin/shared_prefs.




3.Look for the settings.xml file and open it in the text editor.




4. Find a string with input_languages and manually write the languages you want in ru, RU;en, US.




5. Save the file and restart the phone.

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If you type in two languages often, set up the "Bilingual Input" function in Gboard, which allows you to mix words from different languages in one sentence without manually switching. Activates in Gboard Settings → Text Correction → Bilingual Input.

5. Solving problems on Android One devices (Mi A1/A2/A3)

Xiaomi Android One smartphones (Mi A series) use "clean" Android without a MIUI shell, so the keyboard settings are different. Here, Gboard is installed by default, and MIUI Keyboard is missing. If the keyboard language does not change or resets:

Open Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard. Select Gboard and go to its settings.

• 🌐 In the Languages section, add the languages you need (for example, Russian and Ukrainian).
• 🔄 Activate the option to switch languages and set up the gesture (space swipe is recommended).
• 📱 If the language is reset after the update, check if the regional settings are lost (Settings) → System system → Language and input → Languages).

Android One: You can’t completely uninstall Gboard on these devices, as it’s a system keyboard. If you want to use an alternative (like SwiftKey), install it first, then turn off Gboard in the virtual keyboard settings (but don’t delete!).

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On Android One devices (such as the Mi A3), the keyboard language is tied to the system language, and if you change the language of the phone, the keyboard will automatically pull it from the system settings.

6.Alternative Keyboards for Xiaomi: What to Choose

If standard keyboards (MIUI Keyboard or Gboard) don’t work well for functionality or stability, consider third-party options.

To install an alternative keyboard:

1. Download an app from the Play Market (like SwiftKey).
2. After installation, go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Activate the new keyboard and make it the default keyboard.
4. In the keyboard settings, add the desired languages and set up the switch.

Note: Some keyboards (such as Fleksy) may request access to the Special Features Services, which is necessary for gestures to work, but only allow access to trusted applications.

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If you often type in rare languages (such as Tatar or Bashkir), try the Multiling O keyboard.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you change the keyboard language, Xiaomi users often make the same mistakes that cause crashes.

⚠️ Note: Never remove updates to MIUI Keyboard through Settings → This can cause the keyboard to stop opening at all, and only recover it through resetting.

• 🚫 Mistake 1: Adding too many languages (more than 5) to the MIUI Keyboard. This leads to lags and spontaneous switching. Solution: Only leave the languages you use regularly.
• 🚫 Mistake 2: Using pirated versions of keyboards (such as a modified Gboard from unofficial sites).Solution: Install keyboards only from Play Market or AppGallery.
• 🚫 Error 3: Ignoring firmware updates that cause the keyboard to malfunction.Solution: Check for updates to Settings regularly → The phone. → Updating the system.

Another common problem is the conflict between the MIUI Keyboard and the Gboard, where both keyboards are trying to become the primary, and this is manifested as the keyboard blinks when you type in or reset your tongue, to fix:

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Find both keyboards and clear the cache for them.
3. In the Language and Enter menu, turn off the unnecessary keyboard (leave only one).

8. Reset keyboard settings to factory

If all of these methods didn't work, and the keyboard language is still unpredictable, the last option is to reset the settings, which will return the keyboard to factory status, but will delete all user words and auto-replace settings.

For MIUI Keyboard:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Keyboard and open its settings.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data (not just cache!).
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

For Gboard:

1. Open Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
2. Select Gboard and click Reset Settings.
3. Confirm the reset and add the languages again.

⚠️ Note: After resetting Gboard, you may need to re-authorize your Google account to sync your user dictionary. If the dictionary is not restored, check if the data sync option is enabled in your Google account settings.

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Resetting your keyboard settings is a last resort, so before you do that, try clearing your cache, updating your app, and restarting your phone, which is 90 percent of the time enough to fix the problem.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions