How to quickly and safely change the keyboard on Xiaomi Redmi 4: 3 proven ways

Why Redmi 4 owners want to change the standard keyboard and when it is really necessary

Xiaomi Redmi 4, released in 2017, is still popular with users due to its reliability and low price. However, the standard MIUI Keyboard, pre-installed in the firmware, is often discontent. The reasons range from the lack of familiar gestures to slow typing. But before you rush to replace it, it is worthwhile to understand — is it really necessary?

The main complaints about the native Redmi 4 keyboard are three key points: a limited set of design themes, no advanced features like predicting words in multiple languages at the same time, and periodic lags when you use it intensively. For example, if you are actively texting in messengers or working with documents, standard input may seem inconvenient. On the other hand, for basic tasks - calls and short messages - the native keyboard copes quite well.

Another important aspect: on Redmi 4 with MIUI 8-11 firmware, replacing the keyboard can lead to conflict with system services if you do not follow the right sequence of actions. This is not critical, but can cause small bugs like loss of vibration when pressing or auto-replace failures, so before installing the alternative, it is worth weighing the pros and cons.

Top.-3 Alternative keyboards for Xiaomi Redmi 4: Comparison of functions and compatibility

If you're determined to change your keyboard, the first thing you need to do is choose a replacement. Not all apps work equally well on Redmi 4 because of limited resources (2/3 GB of RAM and Snapdragon 435) We tested a dozen options and selected the three most stable ones:

• 🔹 Gboard (Google) is the leader in speed and integration with Google services. Supports gestures, voice input and synchronization of the dictionary between devices. ~100 MB of memory.
• 🔹 SwiftKey (Microsoft) is the best word prediction and personalization. Perfect for multilingual typing. Resource-intensive, but not for the most part. MIUI stable.
• 🔹 AnySoftKeyboard - lightweight option (weight) ~15 MB) open source, suitable for weak devices, but inferior in functionality.

For clarity, compare their key parameters:

It is important to consider that on Redmi 4 with 16 GB of memory, Gboard can take up to 10% of internal storage after installing all language packs. If there is not enough space, you should choose AnySoftKeyboard or clear the cache before installing. It is also worth checking the Android version: on MIUI 8 (Android 6.0), some SwiftKey features may not work properly.

Step-by-step: how to install a new keyboard on Redmi 4 without errors

The process of replacing the keyboard with Xiaomi Redmi 4 consists of three steps: installing the application, activating in the settings and setting by default. It is important to follow the sequence to avoid conflicts with MIUI. Here is a detailed algorithm:

1. Download an app from the Google Play Store (like Gboard). If there is no Play Store, use APK from trusted sources like APKMirror.
2. Open your phone’s settings and go to Settings → Additional → Language and Input → Current Keyboard.
3. Activate the new keyboard by turning on the switch next to its name, and the system can request permission to collect data — that's okay.
4. Set by default by clicking on the gear next to the keyboard name and selecting it as the main one.

Once activated, a data collection alert may appear, which is a standard requirement for text prediction keyboards. If you are concerned, you can turn off sending statistics in the app settings (in Gboard, this is done in Settings → Personal Data → Sending Statistics).

Clear the cache of the standard keyboard in Settings → Applications

Check the vacant space (minimum 200 MB)

Turn off battery savings for Play Store

Download APK Officially sourced only-->

Pay special attention to permissions: if the keyboard is not activated, check if it blocks MIUI Optimization (includes in Settings → For developers), and some firmware requires a reboot of the phone after changing the default keyboard.

Customizing the keyboard for yourself: themes, gestures and auto-replace

Installing a keyboard is half the job, and to make it work as efficiently as possible, you have to customize it to suit your habits, and let's take Gboard as the most popular option.

• 🎨 Design topics: Go to Settings → Themes and choose from preset or upload your own image. On Redmi 4, it is best to avoid animated themes - they slow down.
• ✍️ Gestures: Enable Swipe to enter into Settings → Sliding input. It'll speed up typing by 30 to 40%.
• 🌐 Languages: Add the required languages to Settings → Languages: For Russian and English, activate Multilingual Entering at the same time.
• 🔄 Auto-Replacement: Adjust the aggressiveness of the fixes in Settings → Correction of text → Auto-replacement. Weak devices are better off with a mid-range.

SwiftKey has a unique feature called Flow, which is a swipe-like feature, but with a more accurate prediction. To enable it, go to Settings → Enter → Flow and activate the slider. SwiftKey also allows you to import dictionaries from other keyboards (including MIUI Keyboard), which will save time learning the algorithm.

On Redmi 4 with 2 GB of RAM, you should disable unnecessary functions like the Emoji Offering or GIF-search to reduce the load on the system. This is done in the keyboard settings in the section Additional.

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If the keyboard started to brake after the upgrade, clear its cache to Settings → Apps → [Keyboard Name] → Storage → Clear the cache. This often solves the problem without reinstalling.

Common problems when changing the keyboard to Redmi 4 and how to solve them

Even when installed correctly, Xiaomi Redmi 4 users sometimes encounter bugs, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If after changing the keyboard, vibration disappears when pressed, check the settings in Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Vibration when pressed. MIUI Resets this parameter when system applications are changed.

• 🔄 The keyboard spontaneously switches to MIUI Keyboard: This is due to the Adaptive Keyboard function in MIUI. Turn it off in Settings. → Additionally. → Language and input → Adaptive keyboard.
• ⚡ Lags in typing: the reason may be background optimization MIUI. Add the keyboard to save battery (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications).
• 📱 Voice input is not working: make sure that Google Services and Google App are installed with the latest version.
• 🔠 Emojis are gone: some keyboards (like AnySoftKeyboard) require a separate setup of the emoji package.

If the problem persists, try resetting your keyboard to factory settings. Go to Settings → System → Settings Reset → Reset applications settings (does not affect user data). This helps in 80% of MIUI conflicts.

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On Xiaomi Redmi 4 with MIUI 9 firmware and below, some keyboard features (such as theme in Gboard) may not work properly, which can help to upgrade to MIUI 11 or use alternative launchers like Nova Launcher.

How to return a standard MIUI keyboard if the alternative is not suitable

If the experiment with the new keyboard failed, it's easy to return the native MIUI Keyboard.

1. Through Settings: Go to Settings → Additional → Language and input. Click on the current keyboard (like Gboard) and select MIUI Keyboard in the list. Confirm the selection by clicking Set by Default.
2. Through reset (if the keyboard is gone from the list): Open Settings → Applications → Application Management. Find an alternate keyboard, press Remove. Reboot your phone – MIUI Keyboard activates automatically.

Important: If you deleted MIUI Keyboard system files through root access, you'll have to restore the standard keyboard through MIUI Recovery or flashing, in which case it's easier to install another alternative from the Play Store.

⚠️ Note: Some custom firmware (for example, LineageOS) have a standard keyboard MIUI In this case, before removing the alternative, make sure you have a backup or access to the Play Store to install a new one.

Tips for optimizing the operation of the keyboard on the weak iron Redmi 4

Xiaomi Redmi 4 is not a flagship, so any resource-intensive keyboard can slow down. To minimize lag, follow these recommendations:

• 🗑️ Clean the keyboard cache once a week (in Settings) → Annexes → [Keyboard name] → Warehouse).
• 📴 Turn off animations in keyboard settings (e.g. in Gboard: Settings) → Preferences → Keyboard animation).
• 🌍 Limit the number of active languages to 2-3. Each additional language increases the load on the processor.
• 🔋 Add a keyboard to battery optimization exceptions (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 🎯 Use light themes without gradients or animations. In SwiftKey, select a theme.

If the keyboard is slowing down even after optimizing, try rolling it back to an earlier version. For example, the Gboard 7.5 runs on Redmi 4 more stable than the 10+ version. You can download old APKs on the APKMirror website (choose options marked armeabi-v7a for the Snapdragon 435).

It’s also worth checking the system’s overall load: if there are many applications running in the background, even a light keyboard will slow down, close unwanted programs through recent apps, or use Memory Clearer in the notification curtain.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the keyboard to Xiaomi Redmi 4