How to Remove Xiaomi Keyboard: The Complete Guide

Many users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones face a situation where a preinstalled keyboard causes discomfort, often offers incorrect words or simply takes up space in memory.Standard input solutions like Gboard or Sogou are often system applications, making it difficult to completely remove them by conventional methods through settings. However, there are several proven ways to solve this problem, from simply disabling to completely uninstalling via ADB.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at all the options available so that you can choose the most suitable one for your situation. It is important to understand the difference between deleting (completely erasing an application file) and disabling (locking work without deleting system files). We will look at safe methods that will not result in loss of warranty or damage to the operating system. MIUI HyperOS.

Before you start taking action, you need to prepare the device. Make sure you have access to the Internet to download alternative solutions and have enough battery power. Completely removing the system keyboard without installing an alternative can make it impossible to enter a password when unlocking the device. So always have a backup input method or a physical keyboard on hand through the OTG in case of unforeseen errors.

Difference Between Deleting and Disabling an Application

Many users mistakenly believe that the Remove button in the settings is available for all applications. In reality, the Android operating system divides programs into user and system. Keyboards from the manufacturer are most often in the second category, because they are necessary for the basic functionality of the device immediately after purchase.

Disabling an application is a software method to block it from working. When you turn off Gboard or Sogou, the system stops loading its code into RAM, deletes the cache and prevents startup. For the user, the result is almost identical to deleting: the icon disappears, notifications do not come, and the battery is spent more economically. However, the space in the Memory section is not completely freed, since the installation file remains in the system partition.

True deletion is possible only through the use of superuser rights (Root) or through debugging by ADB (Android Debug Bridge). These are riskier methods that require accurate follow-up of instructions. If you are not an experienced user, it is better to limit yourself to disabling, since this is a reversible process that is easy to roll back if necessary.

⚠️ Warning: Before any interference with system applications, make sure that you have an alternative keyboard activated and configured, otherwise you risk being left without the ability to enter text to unlock the screen or connect to Wi-Fi.

Preparing for removal: setting an alternative

The Android system requires that at least one input method is always active on the device. So, before you try to remove or disable a standard Xiaomi keyboard, you need to install and activate a replacement. The market offers a variety of options, from minimalist to feature-rich.

Download your preferred app from Google Play. Don't rush to delete the old one after you install it. Go to the settings of the new app and follow the activation instructions. Usually, the system will redirect you to the desired security menu.

• 📱 Microsoft SwiftKey is a great option with powerful predictive input and support for many languages.
• 🎨 Facemoji is the choice for those who love customization, themes and emojis.
• ⚡ Simple Keyboard is a lightweight solution for those who need only text without unnecessary functionality.
• 🛡️ OpenBoard – an open source keyboard that focuses on data privacy.

After installation, go to Settings → Additional Settings → Language and input. There are two steps to do: select a new application under Current Keyboard and allow it to work under Keyboard Management. Only after the new keyboard appears when you call the input field, you can proceed to remove the old one.

Standard way to disable through settings

The safest and easiest method available to every user without a computer connection, which allows you to hide the application and stop its processes. Note that on different versions of MIUI, the menu layout may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same.

Open your smartphone settings and find the Apps section. In some versions of the shell, this may be called All Apps. In the list, find a standard keyboard, such as Gboard or Sogou Input. Click on it to open the app control screen.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see either Delete or Disable. If only the Disable button is available, then the app is system. Press it and confirm the action in the pop-up window. The system will warn you of the possible consequences, but if you already have an alternative input set up, these warnings can be ignored.

Removing system keyboards via ADB

For users who want to completely free up memory and remove system debris, there is a method using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to send commands directly to the operating system from a computer, which requires a PC and a USB cable.

First, you need to activate the developer mode on your smartphone. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI» Or, "OS version." After you see "You're a developer," go back to the main settings menu, look for "More» → «For developers" and turn on the switch "Debugging by USB».

Download the SDK Platform Tools package from Google's official website to your computer. Unpack the archive into a convenient folder. Connect your phone to your PC with a cable. On your smartphone screen, you'll see a request for debugging permission -- click "Allow." Open the command prompt (CMD) in the ADB folder and type in a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If a device has been listed, the connection is established. You can now delete packets. To delete a standard Google keyboard, the command will look like this:

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

For the Sogou keyboard, which is often found in global versions, the package may be called com.sogou.inputmethod or have a similar name. The exact name of the package can be found through the commands adb shell pm list packages or using the analyzer applications on the phone itself.

⚠️ Be extremely careful with packet names. Removing a system component with an erroneous name (such as a system framework) can result in an endless device bootloop.

Table of popular keyboard packages Xiaomi

To successfully uninstall via ADB, you need to know the exact name of the package. Below is a table with the most common system keyboards found on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices.

Using these commands allows you to remove the application only for the current user (user 0), without affecting the system partition recovery, which means that when you reset the settings to the factory keyboard will return, but in everyday use it will not take up space.

Possible problems and solutions

Unforeseen situations can occur when removing or disabling a keyboard, and understanding the causes can help restore the smartphone to work quickly, most often due to a conflict of processes or activation errors of a new input method.

One of the common problems is that the keyboard doesn't appear after a reboot, which can happen if a new application doesn't have the necessary permissions or has been killed by MIUI's power saving system. Go to the keyboard application settings, Battery section, and select No Limits mode. Also check autorun.

Another problem is soft locking, where the system forcibly returns the old keyboard when you enter the password, which is a security mechanism, in which case completely removing the old keyboard through ADB is the only solution, since a simple shutdown can be reset by the security system.

• 🔄 Resetting your input settings: If the keyboard is not working properly, try clearing the data in the app menu before deleting it.
• 🔌 Problems with USB: If ADB Can't see the phone, try another cable or install drivers ADB Windows.
• 🚫 Uninstall failed error: Make sure you don’t try to remove the critical system component needed to boot.

⚠️ Warning: If after removing the keyboard, the phone is in a reboot cycle, boot into Safe Mode (usually by pressing the volume button when turned on) or reset via Recovery to return system files to place.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)