Owning a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone often comes with a collision with the MIUI shell or its new version of HyperOS. These systems offer many convenient features, but sometimes their intrusiveness causes annoyance among users. One of the most common questions is the inability to automatically open links from messengers or other applications in a familiar browser, such as Chrome or Yandex. Instead, the device persistently launches the standard Mi Browser, which many feel overloaded with advertising and unnecessary news feeds.
To make matters worse, shell developers periodically change the settings to try to keep the user in their ecosystem. However, the Android operating system on which all of the brand’s smartphones are based provides tools to manage application priorities. Changing the default browser is a basic setup that should work correctly immediately after purchase, but in reality requires manual control. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to solve the problem for different versions of firmware.
You'll learn how to get around system constraints and get your phone to open web pages in the app that suits you. We'll look at standard paths through the settings menu, and more complex cases where the system ignores user choices. Understanding the logic of the default apps will help you not only with this, but also with the overall customization of the gadget interface to your needs.
Why Xiaomi imposes its browser
Xiaomi is actively developing its own services, and the browser plays a key role here. Unlike pure Android, where Google Chrome is the system standard, in the shell of MIUI, the company’s products are given priority. This is due to the desire to monetize devices through advertising integrations and user data collection. The standard Mi Browser often has deeper access rights to the system, which allows it to intercept links even when there are alternatives.
⚠️ Note: In some regions of global firmware, a preinstalled browser may contain aggressive advertising integration that is difficult to disable without root rights.
Users often face a situation where, after updating the system, the settings are reset, and Mi Browser again becomes the main one. This is not a bug, but a feature of the system's behavior that seeks to return the user to the factory installations. In addition, some applications, especially Chinese versions of the software, can programmatically request the opening of links through the system tool, ignoring the user's choice.
Understanding this logic is important to not look for non-existent bugs, but to configure the system correctly. Android apps are based on a first run or an explicit choice, but Xiaomi is modifying this mechanism. If you want full control of your device, you need to know where the switches that are responsible for hiding.
The standard way through Android settings
The most reliable and correct method of changing settings lies in the depths of the system menu. Despite the visual differences between MIUI 12, 13, 14 and the new HyperOS, the logic remains the same. You will need to find the section responsible for managing applications. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the android, but the keywords on the menu remain similar.
To start, open the main settings menu for your smartphone. Find the Apps or Apps and Notifications section. In some versions of the shell, this item may be simply called Application Management. This is where all the information about the installed software and how they interact with the system is stored.
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If you can't find the menu item you want, use the search bar at the top of the settings screen. Type the default phrase, and the system will prompt you to go to the desired section.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- 🔍 In the list that opens, look for the default apps option, which is usually at the bottom of the list or at the top of the menu.
- 🌐 Click on the Browser line, and you'll see a list of all the browsers you've installed.
- ✅ Select the desired application from the list (e.g. Chrome, Yandex, Opera).
- 💾 The system will automatically save the selection, additional confirmation buttons may not be available.
After you do this, all links from any source should open in the app you choose. If this does not happen, perhaps the particular application has its own internal settings that have higher priority, in which case it is worth checking the browser settings for the presence of the "Use as a primary" item.
Configure via the "Default" menu in MIUI and HyperOS
Newer versions of the HyperOS shell and recent MIUI updates have added more detailed control over application actions, so you can configure not only the global browser, but also permissions for specific actions, allowing you to flexibly manage the behavior of the system if the standard method does not work.
Go to Settings and select the Apps. Find the Application Management tab. The top right corner of the screen often hides a three-point menu where you can find additional settings. However, the latest versions have made it easier to go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → three dots in the corner → Other settings → Default Apps.
☑️ Checking the default settings
It's important to note that there are a number of categories on this menu, and we're interested in surfing the web. Sometimes the system separates the terms "browser" and "link opening." Make sure that in both cases (if there are any) the right application is selected. The global choice should take priority over the private settings.
If you're using HyperOS, the interface can be more minimalist, and you can search through a single line at the top of the settings menu, type in "browser" and the system will suggest you go to the default application, which speeds up the process and eliminates the need to wander through complex menus.
Resetting the settings of a particular application
There are times when you did everything right, but links still open in Mi Browser.This means that a specific application (like Telegram or WhatsApp) was previously set a compulsory open rule.
To fix this, clear the opening cache for the problem app or the browser itself. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Find the app that is not opening links correctly (or the browser that opens instead).
Inside the app menu, find the Default or Open by Default section, and it will have the Clear Default Settings or Reset button, and you click on it, you delete the anchor, and now the next time you click on the link, the system will ask you again than open the file, and you can select the browser you want and click Always.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting the default settings for system applications can cause the phone to ask for confirmation every time you act.
This method is especially effective when the problem is observed in only one particular messenger, for example, in Viber links open in Chrome, and in WhatsApp – in Mi Browser, in which case, reset settings should be for WhatsApp.
Table: Comparison of paths in different versions of MIUI
Interfaces can vary greatly from firmware to firmware, and to make it easier for you to navigate, we have a summary table of ways to customize, which will help owners of both old and new Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco models quickly find the right item.
| Shell version | The Way Through Settings | An alternative path | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI 12 / 13 | Annexes → Management → By default. | Search "Default Apps" | Classic menu, stable work |
| MIUI 14 | Applications → Default Applications | Settings → Additional → By default | Simplified menu structure |
| HyperOS | Apps → Management → Menu (...) → By default | Global search for settings | Strict control, repeated requests are possible |
| Android 10-11 (old) | Applications and notifications → Additional | Settings → System | Close to Android's stock |
Use this table as a cheat sheet if the standard path doesn't lead to the result. Remember that item names can be translated differently depending on the language of the system, but the logic remains the same. The keyword for search is "default" or "default."
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Regardless of the firmware version, searching for the keyword “browser” or “default” in the phone settings is the fastest way to find the desired option, bypassing complex menus.
Problem Solving: If the settings are not saved
Sometimes users encounter a bug when, after selecting a browser, the system returns the Mi Browser again after a while. This may be due to the operation of the battery optimizer or the MIUI protective mechanisms. The system believes that you accidentally chose the wrong application, and "helps" you return to factory settings.
First of all, check the autorun and battery settings for your preferred browser. → Battery → Settings. Make sure that the browser you choose (e.g. Chrome) is limited No restrictions. Also in the App menu → Permits → Autostart must allow the browser to work.
Hidden bug MIUI 13
Another reason could be a version conflict: If you upgraded your browser through Play Market and system components are old, you may experience a desynchronization. Try updating all system applications through GetApps or Google Play Store.
If nothing works, you can use a radical method to disable Mi Browser. Go to the Applications, find Mi Browser and click Disable. In this case, the system will simply have no choice but to use your browser. However, beware: some system widgets may depend on it.