How to switch SwiftKey to Russian on Xiaomi Redmi phone: a complete guide with pictures

SwiftKey is one of the most popular keyboards for Android, but Xiaomi Redmi users often face a problem: Russian is not on the list of available languages, or the keyboard stubbornly returns to English after a reboot. The reason lies in the features of the MIUI firmware and default settings that block the loading of additional language packages. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to switch the language, from basic to hidden functions that are not written even in the official documentation.

Many people mistakenly think that the problem is the keyboard itself, but it's actually the conflicting MIUI settings or Microsoft services that are disabled. We tested the solutions on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi 9A and POCO X3 Pro — all methods work on devices with MIUI 12.5-14. If you've tried changing the language through standard settings and nothing has worked, don't rush to delete SwiftKey: chances are you just lack one step.

In this instruction you will find:

• 🔹 Official language switching method (suitable for 80% of users)
• 🔹 Hidden settings MIUI, which block the download of Russian
• 🔹 Manual addition of a language package through files APK
• 🔹 Solving problems with constant language reset after updating

Do not waste time on reinstallation of the keyboard – follow the steps, and the Russian layout will work in a couple of minutes.

1. Basic method: switching the language through SwiftKey settings

If the Russian layout is already installed but not activated, just a few simple steps are enough, which works on most Redmi models with SwiftKey preinstalled or downloaded from Google Play.

Open any field to enter text (such as Messages or Notes), then:

1. Touch the gear badge (⚙️) SwiftKey panel.
2. Select languages (Languages).
3. In the list of available languages, find Russian (Russia) or Russian (Russia).
4. Activate the switch next to it. If you don't have a language, press Add languages.

If Russian is not on the list, the problem goes deeper: On Xiaomi devices with regional firmware (for example, for India or Europe), SwiftKey language packages can be blocked at the system level, in which case move to the next section.

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If SwiftKey continues to offer English words after activating the Russian language, clear the input history: SwiftKey Settings → Personal Data → Clear the input history. This will reset adaptive prompts.

2 Why Russian is not on the list and how to add it

On Xiaomi Redmi smartphones with firmware for non-Russian-speaking regions (for example, Redmi Note 11 Global), SwiftKey does not download Cyrillic packages by default. This is due to the restrictions of Google Play, which adjust the available content to the region of the device.

There are two ways around this:

• 🌍 Change the region in Google Play (temporary)
• 📦 Install the language package manually through APK

Method 1: Changing Regions in Google Play

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Go to Profile → Settings → General → Country and profiles.
3. If the current region is not Russia, create a new profile with a Russian address (you can use virtual address generators).
4. After changing the region, update SwiftKey or reinstall it.

Method 2: Manual installation of the language packet

Download the Russian APK for SwiftKey from a reliable source (e.g. APKMirror) and make sure that the version matches the keyboard installed.

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Open SwiftKey and check the list of languages – Russian should appear.

3. MIUI setup for SwiftKey to work correctly

MIUI firmware is known for its "optimizations" that sometimes interfere with third-party keyboards, and if SwiftKey resets the language or doesn't save the settings, system limitations are to blame.

Step 1: Turn off power saving for SwiftKey

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find SwiftKey in the list and select it.
3. Open the battery. → No restrictions.
4. Activate the Autostart option.

Step 2: Reset the default keyboard settings

MIUI sometimes forcefully assigns its keyboard to the system keyboard, to fix:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Language and input.
2. Select the Current Keyboard (Current Keyboard).
3. Make sure you choose SwiftKey and not Xiaomi Keyboard.
4. If SwiftKey is not listed, click Keyboard Management and turn it on.

🔘 Power saving is disabled for SwiftKey

🔘 Auto-launch of the application is allowed

🔘 SwiftKey selected as default keyboard

🔘 In the language settings added Russian-->

4. Solving problems with constant language reset

If SwiftKey returns to English every time you reboot or lock the screen, the problem is the app's cache or conflict with Microsoft services.

Method 1: Clearing cache and data

1. Go to Settings → Applications → SwiftKey.
2. Press Warehouse.
3. Choose Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reboot your phone and set up SwiftKey again.

Method 2: Disabling Microsoft Synchronization

SwiftKey uses cloud sync through a Microsoft account, which sometimes resets settings to disable it:

1. Open SwiftKey and go to Settings → Account.
2. Turn off the Synchronization option.
3. Delete your Microsoft account (if you have one).

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If the problem persists, try rolling back SwiftKey to the previous version.New updates sometimes contain bugs for Xiaomi devices.

5.Alternative keyboards for Xiaomi Redmi: what to choose if SwiftKey does not work

If none of these methods worked, it might be worth considering alternatives. The following Russian-enabled keyboards work well on Xiaomi Redmi:

If you still want to stay on SwiftKey, try installing a modified version from the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums, which often contain all the default language packs.

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Before installing third-party APKs, check the hash file on the VirusTotal website to avoid viruses.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Many Xiaomi Redmi users make the same mistakes when setting up SwiftKey.

• ❌ Don't update the keyboard - older versions of SwiftKey don't support new language packs. Always use the latest version from Google Play.
• ❌ Ignore regional settings – if the system chooses English, SwiftKey can block the Russian layout.
• ❌ Do not clean the cache - after updating MIUI SwiftKey settings may conflict.

How to update SwiftKey without losing your settings:

1. Back up your settings in SwiftKey → Settings → Backup.
2. Update the app through Google Play.
3. After the update, restore the settings from the backup.

7. Specific problems on different Redmi models

Some Xiaomi Redmi models have unique SwiftKey bugs, and we have compiled solutions for the most problematic devices:

If your model is not in the table, try a universal solution:

1. Remove all updates for Google Play Services in the app settings.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Update Google Play Services through Google Play.
4. Reinstall SwiftKey.

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On Redmi with MediaTek processors (like Redmi 10C), SwiftKey can run slower due to MIUI optimizations for chipsets, in which case only a change of keyboard will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions