Modern smartphones, including the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, offer users incredible flexibility in setting up the interface and logic of the system. One of the key aspects of personalization is the ability to choose the main tool for Internet access. By default, the MIUI shell often preinstalled its own Mi Browser browser, which, despite its functionality, may not meet the requirements of all users. Some prefer minimalism Chrome, others – maximum privacy Firefox or Opera speed.
The procedure for changing a standard application on Android devices with a MIUI shell can be different from a “pure” Android, which often raises questions from gadget owners. If you just bought a device or decided to change your usage habits, you will need to perform several sequential actions in the settings menu. It is important to understand that the system will not allow two applications to be responsible for opening links at the same time, so the choice should be unambiguous. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the steps necessary to ensure that links from messengers and social networks open in the browser that is convenient for you.
Before you start settings, make sure that the desired app is already installed on your Redmi Note 8 Pro. If you plan to use Google Chrome, Yandex Browser or any other, it should be downloaded from the Google Play Market and successfully launched at least once for initialization, only after that the operating system recognizes it as a potential candidate for the role of the main navigation tool on the network.
Why Change the Standard Browser on Xiaomi
Many users leave the default settings without even thinking that a pre-installed application can consume more resources or display an excessive amount of advertising in the news feed. Replacing a standard browser with an alternative option often becomes a necessity to improve the comfort of work. Key advantages of changing the browser are synchronization with the ecosystem, using familiar extensions or simply in a more convenient interface.
In addition, different browsers work with different energy saving, which is critical for the autonomy of the Redmi Note 8 Pro. Some browsers have built-in ad blockers that speed up page loading and save traffic. Others offer improved read modes or night themes that do not depend on the system settings of MIUI.
- 🚀 Speed: Third-party browsers are often better optimized and open heavy pages faster than system counterparts.
- 🔒 Security: Specialized applications can offer more advanced phishing and tracking protections.
- 🔄 Sync: Ability to instantly access history and passwords from your PC or tablet of the same brand.
It’s also worth noting that Xiaomi’s system browser can sometimes impose its services, such as news aggregators or gaming platforms, which annoy users accustomed to pure search.Switching to a neutral product gives you back full control over what you see on your smartphone screen.
Preparing the device for changing settings
Before you delve into the system menus, you need to do a little preparation, it will take no more than a couple of minutes, but it will ensure that the process will go smoothly and without failures. First of all, check for updates for the operating system and the browser application itself, which you want to make the main one.
Make sure you have a stable internet connection, preferably via Wi-Fi, so as not to waste mobile traffic on possible component downloads.It is also recommended to have a battery charge of at least 20-30%, although the procedure is not energy intensive, suddenly turning off the smartphone during changes in system priorities can lead to temporary interface glitches.
☑️ Checking before setting up
If you have previously installed any specific launchers or memory cleanup applications that could change the behavior of the system, make sure they do not block access to application settings. In rare cases, cleaners may restrict the background activity of new programs, which will prevent proper operation.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to remove the Xiaomi system browser through third-party tools or ADB-This can lead to unstable linking in other applications, as the system will look for a non-existent component.
Instructions: Install the browser by default through settings
The main method of changing the priority application is in the depth of system settings. the MIUI interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version (Global, China, Russia), but the logic remains the same for the Redmi Note 8 Pro. You need to find the section responsible for managing all installed programs.
To start, open the Settings menu on the home screen or in the notification curtain. Scroll down to the App item. In some shell versions, this item may be called Apps and Notifications, and that's where all the software controls are hidden.
Next, find and click on Settings (often in the top right corner of the screen or as three dots). In the menu that opens, select the default App option. The system will offer a list of categories: calls, messages, assistant and, of course, browser.
Settings → Applications → Settings (three dots) → Default Applications → BrowserClick on your current choice (most likely there will be Mi Browser) and you will see a list of all the browsers that the system has identified as suitable for this role. Just select the one you want from a list, such as Chrome or Firefox, and then all the links will be opened through the selected application.
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After selecting a new browser in the Default Apps menu, the changes take effect instantly, no device reboot is required.
Alternative method by opening a link
There's a faster, more popular method that often works automatically if you haven't already fixed the choice in the settings, which is convenient because it doesn't require wandering through the menu, and relies on the system's natural behavior when encountering a link.
Find any active link in any application (e.g. Telegram, WhatsApp or VKontakte) and click on it. If you don't have a hard-to-select default browser, the system will pop up asking "What to open?" and all available browsers will be on this list.
Choose the app you want, but before you click the confirmation button, pay attention to the checkbox or switch Always (or Always use this app). Activate it. Now the system will remember your choice and no longer ask by opening links immediately in the selected browser.
- 🔍 Find a link in any messenger.
- 📱 Click on the link to transition.
- ✅ Select a browser and select the "Always" item».
If this window does not appear and the link opens immediately in the old browser, then the priority has already been set, in which case you will first have to reset the default settings for the current browser (as described in the next section) so that the system again “asked” you about preferences.
What happens if the window of choice does not appear?
Resetting the current browser settings by default
Sometimes you want to go back to the way it was or fix an error when links are opened in the wrong app you chose, in which case you need to reset the default settings for the current primary browser, and this action will not delete your data, history or passwords, it will only remove the status of "main".
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the current default browser (like Mi Browser) in the list. Click on it to open the application information page. Find the Default Launch (or Open by Default) section.
Inside this menu, you'll see a button called Clear Default Settings or Reset Preferences. Click on it. Then, the next time you click on the link, the system will again prompt you to choose the app, as it was when you first started the smartphone.
| Action. | Where to find out. | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Resetting priority | Info about the application → Launch by default | The system will again ask for a choice when opening a link |
| Clearing the cache | Info about the application → Memory → Clean | Delete temporary files, data saved |
| Removal of updates | Info about the application → Three points → Remove updates | Return to the factory version of the application |
This procedure is also useful if you notice links starting to open in some strange or unnecessary app you accidentally activated earlier.Reset puts control of the situation back in your hands.
⚠️ Attention: Be careful when resetting settings. If you click “Clear Data” instead of “Reset Default Settings”, you will lose saved passwords, browsing history and bookmarks inside this browser.
Solution: browser is not selected or disappears
Users of Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro sometimes face a situation when after all the manipulations the system continues to persistently open links in the old browser, or the new browser simply does not appear in the list of available. MIUI.
Check if the background activity limit is worth the new browser. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Application selection. Find your browser and make sure it has a No Limits value. This will allow it to register correctly as a link handler.
The problem may also be in the APK file itself if you downloaded the browser from the Internet instead of the Play Market. Make sure the app is compatible with your version of Android (on Redmi Note 8 Pro it is Android 9, 10 or 11 depending on the updates). Unsigned or corrupted installation files may not correctly register their manifests on the system.
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If a new browser doesn’t appear on the list, try removing it and installing it directly through the Google Play Market, which ensures that all system paths are properly logged.
In rare cases, a simple reboot of the device after installing a new browser and before trying to change the settings helps, which allows the PackageManager service to fully scan the file system and update the list of available actions for each application.
Comparison of popular browsers for Xiaomi
The choice of browser is a personal matter, but for owners of Xiaomi there are nuances: some browsers are better friends with the shell of MIUI, others offer unique features that are useful on high-resolution screens, like the Redmi Note 8 Pro.
Google Chrome is a de facto standard. It syncs perfectly with a Google account, has a built-in page translator and a cost-effective traffic flow mode. However, it can be a bit heavy for background work on older versions of Android if not optimized.
Yandex Browser is popular in the CIS thanks to its built-in Turbo mode, which compresses traffic, and convenient integration with Yandex services. It also knows how to save battery power, which is important for smartphone autonomy.
Mozilla Firefox is a privacy choice, and it supports add-ons (adblocks, scripts) that make a mobile browser a powerful tool, and for advanced users, it's the best option, although the basic rendering speed may be inferior to the Chromium engine.
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The best choice for Redmi Note 8 Pro is Google Chrome for synchronization or Yandex Browser for saving traffic and integrating with local services.