The Emoji Keyboard (or Sogou Input in some firmware) keyboard is often installed by default on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones along with the proprietary MIUI shell. Despite being convenient for emoji lovers, it interferes with many users: it takes up space in memory, conflicts with other keyboards (for example, Gboard or SwiftKey), or just annoys with constant prompts. Unfortunately, standard removal through the application menu does not always work - the system can block the uninstallation of system components.
In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to get rid of the Emoji Keyboard on the Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13C and other models, from simple shutdown to complete removal via ADB. Also, we’ll find out why the keyboard can reappear after the MIUI update, and how to avoid it. All methods are tested on MIUI 12-14 firmware (including global and Chinese versions).
⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications can cause your smartphone to run unsteady.If you are unsure of your actions, use disabling techniques (sections 1–2) instead of completely uninstalling (sections 3–5).
1. Disable Emoji Keyboard via keyboard settings
The safest way to do this is to deactivate the keyboard in the settings, not to free up the memory, but to remove it from the list of active input methods and stop interfering.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → System and device → Language and input.
- 🔍 Find the Emoji Keyboard (or Sogou Input) and tap it.
- 🔘 Press Disable (or move the slider to the off position.).
- ⚙️ In some versions MIUI You need to remove the box Use for all languages.
If after disabling the keyboard still appears when you enter text, clear the application cache:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the Emoji Keyboard and select Warehouse.
- Click Clear the cache and Clear the data.
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If the keyboard continues to pop up, check the default settings: in the Language and Entering section, select another keyboard (such as Gboard) as the primary one.
2. Remove updates (if the keyboard was installed separately)
On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro+), the Emoji Keyboard may not be a system application, but installed via Google Play or Mi App Store, in which case it can be removed as a regular application.
How to check and delete:
- 🔍 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 📌 Find the Emoji Keyboard and look at the button: if there is Delete (not Disable), then the application is not system-based.
- 🗑️ Click Remove and confirm the action.
- 🔄 If there is no Remove button, but there is Remove updates - use it to return the keyboard to the factory version (it will take up less space).
⚠️ Note: After removing updates, the keyboard may update again via the Play Market. To avoid this, open its page in the store and click Remove from Auto Update (or disable auto-update for all apps in the Google Play settings).
3. Complete removal via ADB (for power users)
If the keyboard is a system application, it can only be removed using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and enabling debugging over USB.
Step-by-step:
- 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on the computer (Windows/macOS/Linux).
- 📱 On your smartphone, turn it on: 🔧 Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode). 🔌 Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB.
Redmi
File transfer
Terminal
adb devices(Your device name should appear – if not, check the drivers.)
adb shell pm list packages | grep -i emoji(This command will output an exact keyboard package, such as com.sohu.inputmethod.sogou.xiaomi.)
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.sohu.inputmethod.sogou.xiaomi(Replace com.sohu.inputmethod.sogou.xiaomi with the name of the package from the previous step.)
✅ Once the command is executed, the keyboard will be deleted for the current user (without root permissions). To return it, you just need to reinstall it from the Play Market or reset the settings.
Install ADB Tools on PC|Enable the developer mode on Xiaomi|Activate debugging by USB|Connect the phone in file transfer mode|Check the connection of the team `adb devices`-->
4. Remove via TWRP (unlocked bootloader required)
If you have a bootloader unlocked and custom recovery TWRP installed, you can manually remove the Emoji Keyboard as a system application, a method that is suitable for advanced users, as it requires firmware manipulation.
Instructions:
- 📲 Boot in. TWRP (clamp down on power. + Volume up when switched on).
- 🗃️ Go to Advanced. → File Manager.
- 🔍 Find the file. /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/ and find a folder with a name that contains emoji or sogou (e.g. SogouInput).
- 🗑️ Delete the folder (or move it to another directory, for example, /sdcard/ in case of restoration).
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone.
⚠️ Note: Delete system files through TWRP This can lead to bootloop if you remove critical components. TWRP → Backup!
What if the keyboard is returned after removal?
5. Reset to factory settings (last resort)
If none of these methods worked, and the keyboard continues to interfere, you can perform a hard reset, which will delete all user data, but return the smartphone to the “out of the box” state, where the Emoji Keyboard will be disabled by default (on some firmware).
How to drop Redmi:
- 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Resetting settings.
- 🔐 Select to erase all data and enter a password (if required).
- ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed (it will take 5-10 minutes).
⚠️ Attention: After discharge:
- 📱 All apps, photos and files will be deleted (backup in advance!).
- 🔄 The Emoji Keyboard can reappear after the first Internet connection (if it was pre-installed via the Mi App Store).
- 🔧 To avoid re-installation, immediately after setting up, disable auto-update apps in the Play Market.
| Method | Difficulty | PC required | Risk to the system | Removing it completely? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnection in settings | ⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ No (only deactivate) |
| Removal of updates | ⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ❌ Partially (returns to factory version) |
| ADB-team | ⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ Yes. | ⚠️ Medium (with error - without consequences) | ✅ Yes, for the current user) |
| TWRP | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ Yes. | ⚠️⚠️ High (bootloop risk) | ✅ Yes (fully) |
| Resetting settings | ⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Average (data loss) | ❌ No, she might come back) |
Why does Emoji Keyboard return after being deleted?
Many Xiaomi Redmi users are faced with the fact that the keyboard appears again after:
- 🔄 Updates MIUI — The system restores remote system applications.
- 📥 Install apps from the Mi App Store – some programs (such as Mi Community or Themes) can automatically install the keyboard.
- 🔧 Dalvik cache reset – if you use Magisk or TWRP, Cache cleanup can bring back system applications.
The only reliable way to prevent a return is to disable MIUI Optimization via ADB or Magisk (see spoiler section 4). Also check your auto-update settings in the Play Market and Mi App Store after each major firmware update.
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If you don’t plan to get root rights or unlock a bootloader, the safest way to get rid of the Emoji Keyboard is to disable it in the settings and prevent auto-update.