How to change the language in Yandex browser from English to Russian on Xiaomi

Many users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones face an unexpected situation after installing Yandex browser: the application interface is displayed in English, although the phone system is completely Russified. This can be difficult, especially if you do not speak English perfectly or are just used to native localization. The problem is that the mobile version of the browser often automatically picks up the system settings, but sometimes this mechanism fails or the user accidentally changes the settings inside the application.

Fortunately, the Russian backup procedure is fairly simple and does not require root rights or complex manipulations of the MIUI or HyperOS system. In most cases, just find the appropriate item in the browser's settings menu. However, if the standard path does not work, there are workarounds, including reinstallation or data cleanup. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to solve this problem so that you can comfortably enjoy search and news in your native language.

Before we get to the point, it’s important to understand that the interface can be English for two main reasons: either the English localization is chosen in the settings of the browser itself, or the application could not correctly read the language of the Android system. We will consider both scenarios, starting with the most common and simple solution, which helps in 90% of cases.

The main way to change the language through the application settings

The most direct way to solve the problem is through the built-in settings menu of the browser itself. Even if you only see English words, the menu structure remains logical and repeats the standards of Google Chrome and other Chromium browsers. You need to find the menu button, which is usually located in the lower right or upper right corner of the screen, depending on the version of the Yandex interface.

Once you open the menu, you need to find Settings, which is often indicated by the gear icon, and inside this section, you need to scroll down to the Additional block or search for the Language section right away, and that's where the switch is, which changes the interface language regardless of the phone's system settings.

⚠️ Note: If you do not see "Language" in the settings menu, this may mean that the browser is strictly bound to the system language, in which case, proceed to the next section of the instructions, which describes the methods of system forced change.

Some versions of the Xiaomi app may require you to reboot your browser after you change the setting. Just close the tab through Task Manager and reopen it. If the interface is in English, check if the menu changes are still in place. Sometimes you need to confirm the action with the Apply button or reboot the device.

System language settings in MIUI and HyperOS

If you don't have a separate language setting inside your browser, you're relying on Android system preferences. On Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI shells and the new HyperOS, language management is flexible, allowing you to set priorities. You need to go to the main settings menu of your phone and select Settings (if it's still in English) or Settings.

Next, look for Additional settings or Language & input. From the list that opens, select Languages. It is critical that Russian be at the top of your priority list. If it is not, click Add a language and select Russian.

After adding Russian, hold your finger on the Russian line and drag it to the top of the list. Xiaomi will automatically apply the changes, and all applications that support multilingualism, including Yandex browser, must switch to the Russian interface. This is the most reliable method, since it eliminates the cause of the problem at the operating system level.

💡

If the interface has not changed after moving Russian to the first position, try temporarily removing English from the list, leaving only Russian, then restart the phone.

Forced language change for a specific application

Modern versions of Android (starting with version 13) and HyperOS shells have a feature that allows you to set the language separately for each installed application, which is ideal if you want the system to be in Russian and Yandex browser behaves predictably, or vice versa.

To implement this, go to your Xiaomi smartphone Settings. Find the Apps section and select All apps. In the list, find Yandex or Yandex Browser. Click on it to open the app information page.

In the app menu, find Language. If you don't have one, click on the three dots in the top right corner or search under "More." Select Russian from the list. This action will force the browser to use Russian localization, ignoring other settings.

Resetting data and browser cache

Sometimes language settings get stuck in the app cache, and simple switching doesn’t help, in which case a full Yandex browser data reset is effective. It is important to understand that this step will delete saved passwords (if they are not synchronized with the account), visit history and settings stored locally on the device.

To reset, open Xiaomi's phone settings, go to Apps -> All Apps. Find Yandex. Click Clear data at the bottom of the screen. Select Clear all data.

⚠️ Note: Before clearing your data, make sure you remember the login and password from your Yandex account. ID, Since after reset, you will need to re-authorize to restore bookmarks and passwords.

Once cleaned, re-run your browser. When you first start it should define the system language (Russian) and offer an interface in Russian. If this does not happen, repeat the procedure, but before you start the browser, make sure that Russian is first on the priority list in the MIUI system.

Reinstallation of the application from regional stores

There are rare cases where the browser version installed on your Xiaomi does not contain localization packages for Russian, this is possible if the application was downloaded from a third party source or the regional Google Play store has determined the location incorrectly, the solution is a clean reinstallation.

Remove the current Yandex Browser from your device. Then open the official Google Play Store or GetApps (the built-in Xiaomi store). Make sure that the Google account settings indicate the region "Russia" or "Kazakhstan" (or other Russian-speaking country).

Find the app for "Yandex Browser" and click Install. The official versions from Google and Mi Store always contain a full set of language packages, including Russian. Once installed, launch your browser - it should automatically pick up the native language of the system.

Solving font and coding problems

Sometimes users confuse the change of language interface with the problem of displaying text on sites. If the browser menu in Russian, but on the pages instead of letters you see "krakozyabr" or squares, the problem is not the interface language, but in the encoding or missing fonts. In Yandex browser, the rendering engine is responsible for this.

Check your page display settings. Go to Settings -> Appearance or Reading mode. Make sure that automatic encoding is enabled. In modern versions of Android on Xiaomi, fonts are built into the system, but if you installed custom fonts through a theme, they can conflict with the Cyrillic alphabet in the browser.

Try changing your browser theme to the standard one. Sometimes dark themes with a certain transparency can distort the display of characters, and it’s also worth checking if Econom mode is on, which sometimes compresses traffic and can mishandle some of the encoding of old sites.

💡

If the text on the sites is not read, but the browser menu in Russian is a problem in the coding of the site, and not in the settings of the application language.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)