Keyboard for Xiaomi: why you need a branded keyboard and whether it should be changed to Gboard

You just bought a new Xiaomi smartphone, Redmi or POCO, They started customizing it, and they found in the app list a mysterious program called Keyboard for Xiaomi. What is it? Why is it default? And most importantly, can you uninstall it to put the familiar Gboard or SwiftKey?

This article will help you understand the nuances of Xiaomi’s signature keyboard, analyze its features, compare it to alternatives, talk about hidden features (which you didn’t know for sure!), and give you clear recommendations about whether to leave it or get rid of it, and learn how Keyboard for Xiaomi secretly collects data about your input – and how to turn it off if you care about privacy.

What is Keyboard for Xiaomi and why is it necessary?

Keyboard for Xiaomi (sometimes displayed as com.sohu.inputmethod.sogou.xiaomi in the app list) is a proprietary keyboard preinstalled on all Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO shell-operated MIUI. It replaces the standard Android keyboard (AOSP Keyboard) and offers users advanced features adapted to the Xiaomi ecosystem.

The main purpose of this keyboard is to ensure maximum integration with the company's services, for example, it automatically syncs with Mi Account, offers quick access to Mi services. AI (It also supports branded themes and stickers, but there is a downside: many users complain about excessive advertising, data collection and a less user-friendly interface compared to Gboard.

• 🔹 Developer: Sogou Input Method (Chinese company, partner of Xiaomi)
• 🔹 First version: Appeared in MIUI 8 (2016)
• 🔹 Alternative names: Sogou Input, Mi Keyboard, Xiaomi Keyboard
• 🔹 Weight of the application: ~50–70 MB (depending on version)

Interesting fact: Keyboard for Xiaomi is based on the Sogou Pinyin engine, one of the most popular keyboards in China, which is why it is so well optimized for hieroglyphics, but often lame when working with Latin or Cyrillic.

How Keyboard for Xiaomi Works: Key Features

At first glance, Keyboard for Xiaomi is not much different from other keyboards, but if you dig deeper, you can find some unique features, both useful and controversial.

1. Intelligent input and auto-replacement

The keyboard analyzes your writing style and suggests words/phrases that you use often, for example, if you often write "sps" instead of "thank you," it will catch up on this shorthand, but the learning algorithm doesn't work perfectly, sometimes it offers completely ridiculous options, especially at first.

2. Built-in translator

One of the main advantages is instant translation of the highlighted text, and just select a word or phrase, and the keyboard will show the translation into another language (over 50 languages are supported), which works offline for major languages, but for rare ones (for example, Finnish or Hungarian) requires an Internet connection.

3.Voice input and Mi AI

Keyboard is closely integrated with voice assistant Mi AI. You can dictate text, ask questions (“What’s the weather tomorrow?”), or control Xiaomi smart devices right from the input field. However, speech recognition works worse than Google Assistant, especially in noisy environments.

Topics and customization

Unlike Gboard, where the choice of themes is limited, you can download hundreds of designs, from minimalist to anime styles, and there are even dynamic themes that change color depending on the time of day or wallpaper on the lock screen.

One of the most controversial decisions is embedded advertising. MIUI The keyboard shows banners above the word prediction strings, and you can turn them off in the settings, but it doesn't always work consistently.

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If the keyboard started to brake, clear its cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Keyboard for Xiaomi → Memory. → Clear the cache. This often solves the problem without reinstalling it.

Data Collection and Privacy: What Xiaomi Knows About Your Entering

One of the main reasons for concern is how Keyboard for Xiaomi handles your data, and by default, the keyboard sends the following information to the servers of Xiaomi and Sogou:

• 📝 Introduced text (to improve predictions)
• 📍 Geolocation (if permission is enabled)
• 🔑 Device ID (linked to Mi Account)
• 🕒 Time and frequency of use

In theory, this data is anonymized, but in practice Xiaomi has been in a row over leaks of user information. For example, in 2020, researchers at Forbes found that the company was not a good place to be. MIUI sends browsing and search queries to servers in China – even if the user has not consented to it.

⚠️ Note: If you enter passwords, bank card numbers or other sensitive information, turn off cloud sync in your keyboard settings. → Additionally. → Sync and backup and deactivate all options.

How to minimize data collection:

1. Open the Settings. → Annexes → Keyboard for Xiaomi → Permissions and disable geolocation, microphone (if not using voice input) and contacts.
2. In the keyboard settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Confidentiality) disable the options “Personalized offers” and “Sending statistics».
3. Use Incognito Mode (available in some versions) MIUI 14+), which temporarily suspends data collection.

Can I remove Keyboard for Xiaomi and how to do it?

Technically, it is not recommended to remove the branded keyboard - it is a system application, and its uninstallation can lead to malfunctions in the work. MIUI. However, there are several safe ways to “get rid of” it:

Method 1: Disconnect (without deleting)

The safest option is to simply deactivate the keyboard and switch to another.

1. Install an alternative keyboard (Gboard, SwiftKey, etc.) from Google Play.
2. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Select the keyboard installed and activate it.
4. Find it in the Keyboard for Xiaomi list, click on it and select “Disable”.

Method 2: Removal via ADB (for advanced)

If you are confident in your abilities, you can remove the keyboard through ADB. This is risky – after removal, some functions may stop working. MIUI (For example, search in settings or enter in system windows).

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.sohu.inputmethod.sogou.xiaomi

Before the execution of the command, it is necessary to:

Install and activate another keyboard

Backup your data (Settings → About Phone → Backup)

Connect your phone to your PC and check the work ADB (adb devices)

Turn off the screen lock (in case of failure)-->

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and later) uninstall system applications via ADB Before experimenting, check if you have a bootloader unlocked (fastboot oem device-info).

Method 3: Replacement with Magisk (root)

If you have root access, you can replace Keyboard for Xiaomi with Gboard systemically so that it appears as standard.

1. Install the Gboard as System App module from the Magisk repository.
2. Reset the device.
3. Remove com.sohu.inputmethod.sogou.xiaomi via Root Explorer.

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If you are not sure about your skills with ADB Or Magisk, you'd better limit yourself to turning off the keyboard. Deleting it completely can lead to unstable system performance, especially on newer versions. MIUI (14+).

Gboard and SwiftKey: Which Keyboard to Choose

To see if you should change Keyboard for Xiaomi to an alternative, compare it with the two most popular keyboards – Gboard (from Google) and SwiftKey (from Microsoft).

Who will be the best for Keyboard for Xiaomi:

• 📱 Users who actively use Xiaomi services (Mi Home, Mi) AI).
• 🎨 Those who like to customize the appearance (a lot of themes and stickers).
• 🌏 People who often translate the text into Asian languages.

Which one is better to choose Gboard or SwiftKey?

• 🔒 Those who value privacy.
• ⚡ Those who want the maximum speed and accuracy of auto-replacement.
• 🌍 Users who write in several European languages.

If you’re not sure yet, try all three keyboards in parallel — in Android, you can quickly switch between them by holding the keyboard icon on the input panel.

Hidden Keyboard for Xiaomi features you didn’t know about

Even if you’ve been using Keyboard for Xiaomi for a long time, you probably don’t know about these “chips”:

1.Gesturals for quick input

Put your finger on the keys. QWERTYUIOP (From left to right, the emoji panel opens. ASDFGHJKL (From right to left, you'll have a numerical keyboard, and that's convenient for one-handed input.

2. One-hand mode

Hold the badge. ⚙️ (Select "One Hand Mode" on the keyboard and the keyboard will shrink and move left or right - ideal for larger smartphones (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, POCO F5 Pro).

3. Quick access to the clipboard

Click on the clipboard icon (two pages) in the top menu, and the history of the copied text will open, and you can pin frequently used phrases (such as an address or phone number) to keep them from disappearing.

4. Entering mathematical symbols

Hold the key. = — A panel with mathematical signs will appear (√, ∞, π Useful for students or engineers.

5.The hidden mode of "incognito"

V MIUI 14+ You have a private input feature, activated by long pressing the icon. 🔑 (locks on the keyboard:

• ❌ There is no history of entry.
• ❌ No data is sent to servers.
• ❌ Word predictions are turned off.

This mode is useful for entering passwords or other sensitive information.

Frequent Problems and How to Solve Them

Even pre-installed apps have bugs, and here are the most common Keyboard for Xiaomi issues and ways to fix them:

1.The keyboard brakes or hangs

Causes: overloaded cache, conflict with other keyboards or lack of RAM.

Decision:

1. Clear the cache (Settings) → Annexes → Keyboard for Xiaomi → Memory. → Clear the cache).
2. Turn off unnecessary keyboards in Settings → System system → Language and input.
3. Reboot the phone.

2. Voice input is not working

Reasons: no access to the microphone, Mi is disabled AI Internet problems (voice input depends partly on the cloud).

Decision:

• Check the permissions (Settings) → Annexes → Keyboard for Xiaomi → Permits → Microphone).
• Update Mi. AI Google Play.
• Switch to mobile data if the problem is on Wi-Fi.

3. Themes or stickers are gone

Reasons: Mi Account synchronization failure or Internet shutdown.

Decision:

1. Check the entry into Mi Account (Settings) → Xiaomi account).
2. Update the keyboard via Google Play.
3. Reset the keyboard settings (keyboard settings) → Additionally. → Reset the settings).

4.The keyboard itself changes to standard

Reasons: reset language settings or conflict with other applications (e.g. Textra or Chroom).

Decision:

• Go to Settings. → System system → Language and input → Virtual Keyboard and Select Keyboard for Xiaomi Again.
• Turn off Auto-Recovery in Google Play settings for alternative keyboards.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The keyboard stopped working at all (it flies out when you open), this may be due to damage to the system files. → The phone. → Resetting settings) or flashing through Fastboot.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions