How to make the keyboard larger on Android Xiaomi

Smartphone owners Xiaomi often encounter inconvenience when entering text, especially if the user has large fingers or vision problems. The standard size of the virtual keyboard may seem too compact, which leads to constant typos and irritation. Fortunately, the Android operating system, especially in the MIUI shell, provides many tools for personalizing the interface.

Changing the keyboard size does not always require installing third-party applications. In most cases, it is enough to correctly configure the built-in Gboard or use the system scaling parameters. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the available methods, from simple settings to advanced manipulations with the screen DPI, so that you can make text input as comfortable as possible.

Adjusting the keyboard height in Gboard

The easiest and safest way to increase the input area is to use the built-in settings of the Google keyboard, which is preinstalled on most modern models. Xiaomi. The developers have provided a special slider that allows you to adjust the height of a row of buttons without changing other system parameters.

To access these settings, open any application that requires text input to bring up the keyboard. Click on the gear icon in the top toolbar or go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input. Here you need to find the section responsible for the appearance and height of the buttons.

In the settings menu, select the item Settings inside the keyboard section, and then go to the subsection Preferences or Appearance. There you will find a slider Keyboard height. By moving it, you can choose one of five options: very low, low, medium, high and very high.

• 📏 Very High —ideal for users with large fingers, takes up almost half the screen.
• 👁️ High —the optimal balance between the size of the buttons and the visibility of the content on the screen.
• ⚙️ Medium —the standard factory value that suits most users.
• 🤏 Low —saves space on the screen, useful when using a smartphone in landscape mode.

After changing the parameter, the keyboard will instantly redraw itself, and you will be able to evaluate the result in real time. This is the most stable method that does not affect the operation of other applications and does not require rebooting the device.

Using one-handed mode and a floating window

If your goal is not so much to increase the physical size of the buttons, but to make them more accessible for pressing, you should pay attention to special input modes. The MIUI shell and Gboard itself offer functions that move the keyboard to one of the edges of the screen or make it floating.

One-handed mode is activated by long pressing the key Enter or through the settings icon on the keyboard panel. When activated, the keyboard shrinks and presses against the left or right edge of the display. Although the buttons become smaller, they are grouped within the reach of the thumb, which subjectively makes typing easier.

⚠️ Attention: In one-handed mode, the distance between the buttons is reduced. If you have problems with fine motor skills, this mode may increase the number of typos, despite the ease of grip.

An alternative is the float mode. In this case, the keyboard comes off the bottom edge of the screen and turns into a small window that you can move around the display. You can zoom it closer to any zone or even zoom the window a little by dragging the corners (the function depends on the version of Android).

To enable floating mode, press and hold the menu icon (three dots or gear) on the keyboard panel, then select the four-arrow icon or inscription Floating mode. This solution is especially relevant for owners of smartphones with huge screens, where it can be difficult to reach the bottom row of buttons.

Zooming the entire screen through the settings DPI

A more radical method that increases not only the keyboard, but also all elements of the system interface is changing the pixel density (DPI). This parameter determines how many pixels are allocated to display one interface element.

To change the DPI, you must activate developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item MIUI version (or OS version). After the “You have become a developer” notification appears, return to the main settings menu.

Settings → Additional settings → For developers → Minimal width

In the menu that opens, find the parameter Minimum width (or Smallest Width). The default value is usually around 360-392 dp depending on the model Xiaomi. Reducing this number will enlarge all elements on the screen, including fonts, icons and the keyboard.

DPI value (dp)	Size of elements	Impact on the interface	Recommendation
360-390	Standard	Normal view, a lot of content	Factory settings
320-340	Large	Elements are enlarged, less content	For poor vision
280-300	Very large	Giant buttons, little space	Keyboard only
< 280	Extreme	Interface may break	Not recommended

Be careful when changing this setting. Setting the DPI too low can cause some buttons in the settings to become invisible or extend off the screen, making it difficult to return to the original settings.

How to restore the settings if the interface is broken?

If you set the DPI too low and cannot press the "Back" button or find the settings, try connecting the mouse via an OTG adapter or using voice Google Assistant by saying "Open developer settings" to fix the value blindly.

Installing third-party keyboards with flexible settings

If the built-in capabilities of Gboard do not suit you, the store Google Play offers many alternative solutions. Third-party keyboards often have more advanced customization tools, allowing you to change not only the height, but also the width of buttons, fonts and padding.

One ​​of the most popular alternatives is SwiftKey from Microsoft. It allows you to customize the height of the keyboard in detail, and also includes a “Stretch” feature that distributes buttons across the entire width of the screen, even in portrait mode. Installation is carried out in the standard way through the app store.

Another powerful tool is the keyboard Facemoji or TouchPal. These apps often focus on visual customization and offer themes with larger buttons. After installing a new keyboard, you need to activate it in the language and input settings of MIUI and select it as default.

• 🎨 Themes and skins —many third-party keyboards allow you to download themes where the buttons are specially made larger than standard ones.
• 🔊 Tactile feedback —increased vibration when pressed helps you better feel the boundaries of large buttons.
• 🗣️ Voice input is an alternative to manual typing, often implemented in third-party applications better than in stock ones.

When using third-party software, it is worth considering resource consumption. Some heavy keyboards with lots of animations can drain your smartphone's battery faster Xiaomi compared to the lightweight system Gboard.

Changing the font size on the system

Although this method does not directly change the physical size of the keyboard buttons, it does affect the size of the characters on them. Increasing the system font often automatically scales input elements in some applications and shell versions.

Go to menu Settings → Display → Text size. By moving the slider to the right, you will make all the inscriptions in the system larger. In some cases, this leads to a proportional increase in the height of the rows of letters on the keyboard so that the characters do not look compressed.

This method is most effective in conjunction with changing the display size (not to be confused with DPI). In the same screen settings menu there is often an item Display size or Image scale. Increasing this parameter works more smoothly than changing DPI, and is less likely to break the layout of other applications.

⚠️ Attention: The MIUI settings interface may differ depending on the firmware version (Global, China, EU). If you don't see Text Size, search Settings by searching for "Font" or "Text".

The combination of larger fonts and a high keyboard setting in Gboard gives the best visual experience for people with low vision, making text on buttons easy to read without having to squint.

Solving problems with display after changes

Sometimes visual artifacts may occur after changing DPI settings or installing a new keyboard. The keyboard may overlap the input field, buttons may overlap each other or disappear. In such cases, you need to reset your input settings.

The easiest way to fix glitches is to clear your keyboard application data. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find Gboard (or other keyboard in use) in the list. Go to the section Memory and press the button Clear data or Reset.

This action will return the keyboard to factory settings, resetting your dictionaries and personalization, but correcting display errors. After the reset, you'll need to reset your keyboard height and language selection.

If the problem persists even after the reset, the specific app you're typing in may be causing the conflict. Try updating this app via Google Play or check to see if it has a special accessibility mode enabled that conflicts with system zoom settings.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why, after increasing the DPI, did the buttons become too large and do not fit on the screen?

You set the minimum width (DPI) value too low. Try increasing the value by 20-30 units. If you cannot do this through the menu due to the size of the buttons, use a voice assistant or connect a mouse.

Is it possible to make the keyboard larger just for one specific application?

This cannot be done using standard Android tools. Keyboard settings apply globally to all applications. However, some third-party keyboards may have settings profiles, but this feature is rare.

Does increasing the keyboard size affect the speed of a Xiaomi smartphone?

No, changing the keyboard height or font does not affect the processor performance. However, installing heavy third-party keyboards with 3D effects may slightly increase battery consumption.

How can I return all the settings back if I don’t like the result?

To return the DPI, set the default value (usually 360-392). For the keyboard, go to Gboard settings and select the height to "Medium". For fonts, move the slider to the center position.

Why is there no keyboard height adjustment on my Xiaomi?

Make sure you are using Gboard. Some custom ROMs or older versions of MIUI may use a stripped-down version of the keyboard. Update the Gboard application through the Play Market to the latest version.