The effect of $Bi(Mg_{1/2}Sn_{1/2})O_3$ (BMS) modification on the crystal structure, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of $Bi_{1/2}(Na_{0.8}K_{0.2})_{1/2}TiO_3$ (BNKT) ceramics has been investigated. The BMS-substitution induced a transition from a ferroelectric (FE) tetragonal to a nonpolar pseudocubic phase, leading to degradations in the remnant polarization, coercive field, and piezoelectric coefficient $d_{33}$. However, the electric-field-induced strain was significantly enhanced by the BMS substitution-induced phase transition and reached a highest value of $S_{max}/E_{max}$ = 633 pm/V under an applied electric field of 6 kV/mm when the BMS content reached 6 mol%. The abnormal enhancement in strain was attributed to the field-induced transition of the pseudocubic symmetry to other asymmetrical structure, which was not clarified in this work.