How to Remove Keyboard Update on Xiaomi: 5 Ways to Work (2026)

After the next MIUI update, many users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO are faced with an unpleasant surprise: the Gboard or Mi Keyboard system keyboard changes the design, the location of the buttons, begins to slow down or completely stops supporting familiar gestures. Most often this happens after automatic updating through Google Play or System Update in MIUI. Unlike conventional applications, the keyboard can not just “roll back” with one tap - the system blocks this ability.

Complicating the problem is that the manufacturer does not provide an official way to return the previous version, but there are several workarounds, from simple manipulation of the settings to use. ADB-In this article, we'll look at all the current methods that work on the factory. MIUI 12/13/14 Important: some methods require developer rights or PC connectivity, so prepare in advance.

Before you start, check which keyboard you have installed:

• 🔹 Gboard (from Google) – Updated via Play Market, rollbacks can be standard ways.
• 🔹 Mi Keyboard (system from Xiaomi) – updated via MIUI, requires other.
• 🔹 Third-party keyboards (SwiftKey, Microsoft Keyboard, etc.) – removed and installed as normal applications.

1. Method: Gboard rollback via Google Play (the easiest)

If you have a Gboard keyboard installed, you can return the previous version directly through Google Play — but only if the update was no more than 48 hours ago.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Play and find the Gboard app.
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner → select Remove Updates.
3. Confirm action. The keyboard will go back to the factory version that was pre-installed in MIUI.

⚠️

Note: After a rollback, Google Play may update Gboard again automatically.To avoid this, disable the auto-update for this app: Google Play → Profile → Application management → Gboard → ⚙️ → Auto-update → Off.

If the Remove Updates button is inactive or absent, it means:

• 🕒 It’s been more than 48 hours since the update.
• 📦 The keyboard was installed as a system application (typical for Mi Keyboard).
• 🔄 You've tried to roll back before.

💡

Before rolling back, back up the Gboard dictionary: Gboard Settings → Dictionary → Export. This will save your custom words and phrases.

2. Method: Remove Mi Keyboard updates via MIUI settings

The Mi Keyboard system keyboard is not updated through the Play Market, but along with the MIUI firmware. It is more difficult to roll it back, but in some cases, resetting the application settings or deleting the cache helps.

Procedure:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search, type in Mi Keyboard (or “Xiaomi Keyboard”).
3. Slip on the application → Storage → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reboot the phone.

If that doesn’t work, try turning off the keyboard and turning it on again:

• 🔘 In the same application settings, click Disable. → confirm.
• 🔄 Reset the device.
• 🔘 Return to the settings and turn on the keyboard again.

⚠️

Note: Clearing the keyboard data will delete all saved words, input history, and personal settings. If you sync with your Xiaomi account, some of the data can be restored after you re-enter.

Make sure to export the dictionary (if there is a function)

Take screenshots of the current keyboard settings

Make sure you have a backup keyboard (Gboard, SwiftKey)

Turn off MIUI auto-update in Settings → About Phone → System Update-->

Method 3: Recoil through ADB (for power users)

If previous methods have failed, you can try removing keyboard updates via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which is suitable for both keyboards (Gboard and Mi Keyboard), but requires a computer connection and USB debugging enabled.

Steps:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the commands:

adb shell pm list packages | grep keyboard # find the name of the keyboard package


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mi.keyboard # example for Mi Keyboard




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.inputmethod.latin # for Gboard

⚠️

Attention: Uninstall Team -k Remove updates only for the current user, without affecting system files. -k) This method may not work on newer versions either. MIUI constraint MIUI Optimizations.

After you've done the commands, restart the phone, the keyboard should go back to the factory version. ADB misstep DELETE_FAILED_DEVICE_POLICY_MANAGER, This means that security policies (e.g., corporate profile) are in place on the device and no rollback is possible.

4. Method: Install an older version of APK manually

If the rollback through settings or ADB didn’t help, you can try manually installing the old version of the keyboard.This method is suitable for Gboard and some versions of the Mi Keyboard, but requires caution – an incompatible version can cause crashes.

Where to get APK:

• 📥 APKMirror – a trusted source with a history of versions.
• 🔍 Look for versions marked (nodpi) or (universal) for compatibility.
• ⚠️ Avoid sites with suspicious permissions (such as those requiring registration).

How to determine:

1. Download the old version of APK to your phone.
2. Remove the current keyboard (if possible) or clear its data (see Method 2).
3. Install the downloaded APK. If the error "Application not installed", turn on the Installation from unknown sources in the security settings.

⚠️

Attention: Installing third-party APKs may violate MIUI security policies. If the keyboard doesn't appear in the list of available ones after installation, restart the phone and check the default settings: Settings → Additional → Language and Type Input → Current Keyboard.

5. Method: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of these methods work, the most radical way is to completely reset your phone, which will bring the keyboard back to the original version, but delete all the data from the device, and only use this method if:

• 🔄 Other ways didn't help.
• 📱 You have a backup of the data (MIUI Google Drive, Titanium Backup, and Google Backup).
• 🔧 You are ready to reset your phone.

How to reset:

1. Make a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Resetting settings.
3. Choose Delete all data and confirm.

After discharge:

• 🚫 Disable Auto-Update for the keyboard immediately (see Method 1).
• 🔄 Restore data from backup (but not app settings – this can bring back the problem).

⚠️

Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13 Ultra), a reset can activate the bootloader lock if you previously unlocked it, in which case you will need to re-unblock through the Mi Unlock Tool.

💡

Factory reset is the last chance to get your old keyboard back, only if all other methods have failed and you're ready to lose data.

6.How to prevent automatic keyboard updates in the future

To avoid recurring problems, set your phone so that the keyboard doesn't update without your knowledge.

For Gboard:

• 📱 Turn off auto-update in Play Market (see Method 1).
• 🔍 Check regularly for updates manually to avoid missing the critical version.

For Mi Keyboard:

• 🔄 Turn off automatic updates MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-downloading updates → Off.
• 🛠️ Install a third-party keyboard (like SwiftKey) and make it the default keyboard.

Additional measures:

• 🔒 Use a update blocker (like the App Block app from F-Droid) to disable updates for specific apps.
• 📦 If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), turn off updates via Magisk or Lucky Patcher (root required).

⚠️

Attention: Blocking system updates can lead to security issues as you won't receive important patches.Weigh the risks: sometimes it's better to adapt to a new keyboard than risk system stability.

FAQ: Frequent questions about keyboard rollback on Xiaomi