How to change the browser on the phone Xiaomi Mi 9

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones often face the desire to replace pre-installed software with more convenient analogues. the question of how to change the browser on the Xiaomi Mi 9 phone is one of the most frequent among users who have just switched to the shell of MIUI. The standard application may seem too simple or, conversely, overloaded with unnecessary functions of the news feed.

The replacement process does not require root rights or complex flashing of the device. The entire procedure is performed by the regular tools of the Android operating system, which is the basis of the MIUI shell. You will only need a stable Internet connection to download new software and a few minutes of free time to make changes to the system settings.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm of actions that will allow you to install Chrome, Firefox or any other browser as the main tool for web surfing, we will also touch on the issues of removing system restrictions and cleaning the cache, which is especially important for the Mi 9 model with its high-performance processor.

Installation of an alternative browser from the Play Market

Before you start setting priorities, you need to physically install an alternative app on your device. Google Play Store offers hundreds of options, from minimalistic DuckDuckGo to powerful combine harvesters like Opera. First, make sure that your Xiaomi Mi 9 has a Google account activated and has access to the network.

Open the Play Store app and use the search bar to enter the name of your desired browser. Once you find the desired application, click the Install button and wait for the download to complete. The system will automatically prompt you to open the program or configure it as the main one, but for now it is better to abandon this offer to conduct a full manual configuration.

It is worth noting that some users prefer to install APK-files from third-party sources, if the desired version is not in the official store, in which case you will need to allow installation from unknown sources in the security settings. MIUI. This action requires care, as installing software from unverified sources can carry risks to data security.

• 🚀 Open Google Play Store on your smartphone.
• 🔍 Type the browser name (e.g. Chrome, Yandex, Brave) into the search.
• 📥 Click the “Install” button and wait for the process to be completed.
• ✅ Launch the application first to accept the user agreement.

⚠️ Note: When installing browsers from third-party sources (not from the Play Store) MIUI If you are sure about the source of the file, ignore them, but remember that the responsibility for security lies with the users.

After successful installation, the new browser will appear on the desktop or in the menu of all applications, and now you can move to the most important step - changing the system settings so that links from other programs open in the new program.

Configure applications by default in MIUI

The Android operating system allows the user to independently determine which application should respond to certain actions, for example, switching over to the Internet. HTTP-In the shell, in the back. MIUI, Installed on Xiaomi Mi 9, this functionality is slightly hidden in the depth of the menu, but is available for change.

To start, you need to go to the main settings menu of the phone. Find the App section, which is usually indicated by the four-square icon or the name "Applications." Inside this section, we are interested in the Settings item, which is often located at the top right of the screen or at the bottom of the list.

In the menu that opens, select the default App option. Here you will see a list of categories: phone, messages, launcher and, of course, browser. Click on the current selection (most likely there will be MIUI Browser or Chrome if it was already active) and select from the list the app you just installed.

Once selected, the system can request confirmation of the action. Click OK or Confirm. From now on, all links you click on in messengers, social networks or email clients will automatically open in your browser of choice.

• 📱 Go to the menu Settings of your smartphone.
• 📂 Go to the "Applications" section and select "Settings».
• ⚙️ Find the item "Default applications».
• 🌐 In the category "Browser" select the previously installed program.

It is important to understand that changing this setting does not remove the old browser, but only changes the startup priority.The old application will remain on the device and will take up space in memory unless you decide to delete or disable it.

Reset settings standard browser Xiaomi

Sometimes the system “snags” and keeps opening links in the old application even after the priority change in the settings. In this case, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is helped by a forced reset of the settings of the standard MIUI browser. This action clears the cache and temporary files that can block changes.

Go back to the Apps menu and select All Apps. In the list, find a standard browser (usually called a Browser or MIUI Browser and has a compass or globe icon) and click on it to open the application management page.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the Clean (or Memory) button. Click on it, then select the Clean All option, which will delete the history, cookies, passwords and settings of this particular application, returning it to the post-purchase state.

Path to Reset: Settings → Apps → All Apps → Browser → Clean → Clean Everything

This procedure is also useful if a standard browser has started to work incorrectly, consume too much of the Snapdragon 855 processor resources or drain the battery.

Removal of the system browser and limitations

Many users want to not just change, but completely remove the standard browser to free up space and not get confused in the icons. However, in MIUI system applications are often protected from removal in the usual way.

If the delete button is grey, you can try disabling the application. In the app management menu (the same place where we cleared the memory), find the Disable or Disable button. After that, the icon disappears from the desktop and the system will stop using this component, although the files will physically remain in memory.

To completely remove system components requires more sophisticated methods, such as using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) through a computer.This method is not recommended for ordinary users, as an error can lead to work system instability. On the Xiaomi Mi 9 with its powerful hardware, it is better to simply hide an unnecessary icon than risk firmware stability.

⚠️ Warning: Attempting to remove system components through third-party utilities (e.g. System App Remover) without SuperUser rights can result in a cyclical phone restart (bootloop.

• 🗑️ Try clicking “Delete” in the app menu.
• 🚫 If deletion is not available, use the “Disable” function».
• 💻 For the advanced: use ADB teaming.
• 🛡️ Do not remove components that are not sure of their purpose.

The alternative to deletion is simple organization of the workspace, so you can remove the icon of the standard browser from the home screen into the folder or in the second tier of the application menu, leaving only the label of a new, preferred browser.

Comparison of popular browsers for Xiaomi

Choosing a browser for Xiaomi Mi 9 depends on your personal preferences and tasks. the AMOLED screen of this model perfectly displays content, so it is important to choose a browser with high-quality page rendering and support for dark theme.

Below is a table comparing the main characteristics of popular browsers available for installation on Android.

Each of these options has its strengths, such as Opera being chosen for its built-in traffic compression feature, which is relevant when using the mobile Internet, while Firefox will be appreciated by those who are used to syncing bookmarks with the desktop version.

Frequent problems and their solution

When changing browsers to Xiaomi Mi 9, users may encounter a number of common problems, such as opening links in two browsers at the same time or the system may ignore your choice, most often by rebooting the device.

Another problem is that you're capturing links with a particular app. If you accidentally chose "Always Open in This App" for a particular messenger, you need to reset the default settings for that messenger, not the browser, and this is done in the same App's default menu or in the settings of a particular application.

Also worth mentioning is widgets, some news widgets on the MIUI desktop are tightly tied to the system browser, in which case only replacing the widget with an alternative one or abandoning them in favor of third-party launchers will help.

If nothing helps, try upgrading your MIUI operating system to the latest available version. Updates often fix URL-intent processing bugs that may interfere with the correct operation of your application selection.

Optimization of the new browser

Once you have successfully changed the browser, it is worth taking the time to initially set it up for maximum performance on the Xiaomi Mi 9. This smartphone has a screen with a high refresh rate, and the browser should take this into account.

Go to the settings of the installed application and find the section related to performance or traffic savings. Enable hardware acceleration, if available. This will allow you to use the power of the Adreno 640 GPU to smoothly scroll pages.

Remember to set up sync if you're switching from another device, logging in will save all your passwords, history and bookmarks, making the transition as painless as possible, especially for those who use password managers.

• ⚙️ Go to the settings of the new browser.
• 🚀 Enable hardware acceleration and page preloading.
• 🔒 Set up an ad blocker to speed up loading.
• ☁️ Sign in to your account to synchronize data.

Now your Xiaomi Mi 9 is fully ready to work with a new tool for the Internet, you have faster, safer and more convenient access to the world wide web, getting rid of the restrictions of stock software.

Questions and Answers (FAQ)