How to change the search engine on the phone Xiaomi: 5 ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Are you tired of your Xiaomi automatically redirecting all search queries to Yandex or Google, even though you prefer DuckDuckGo, Bing or another service? In MIUI, changing the search engine is not as obvious as on pure Android - the manufacturer has integrated its own solutions that are not always convenient for users. This article will help you understand how to completely remove the standard search engine in the browser, on the home screen and even in system applications.

We will look at current methods for MIUI 14/15 (including global and Chinese versions), take into account the features of popular models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T) and deal with typical problems – for example, when the settings are reset after an update or the search engine changes on its own.

Why does Xiaomi limit search engine choice?

MIUI is known for its customization of Android, and search services are no exception, with the manufacturer partnering with Yandex, Google and others, leading to:

• 🔍 Pre-installed search engine in the Mi Browser browser and on the main screen widget.
• 🔄 Automatic reset after updates (especially in Chinese versions of firmware).
• 🛑 Blocking search engine changes in some regional versions (e.g. India or China).

In addition, MIUI often integrates search queries into system services, such as Quick Search or Mi Assist, which makes it difficult to customize each component separately.

Method 1: Change the search engine in the Mi Browser browser

The standard Mi Browser is the main culprit for the inconvenience, so you can change the search engine.

1. Open the Mi Browser and tap the tri-point icon (⋮) lower-right.
2. Select Settings → General settings → Search engine.
3. In the list of available services, select the desired one (for example, Google or DuckDuckGo).
4. If your searcher is not listed, tap Add a search engine and enter the URL in the format: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s (replace the domain with the desired one).

Important! In some versions of MIUI (especially Chinese) the search engine may not be available.

Method 2: Remove search widgets from the main screen

Even if you change your browser search engine, the widget on the home screen can still use Yandex or Google to remove it:

1. Press your finger on the search widget (usually located at the top of the screen).
2. In the menu that appears, select Remove or drag the widget to the cart.
3. If the widget is not removed, go to Settings → Home Screen → Widgets and turn off Google Search or Mi Search.

In the Chinese versions of MIUI, the search widget can be part of the system launcher and not be removed by standard methods, in which case the installation of an alternative launcher (Nova Launcher, Apex) will help.

Method 3: Configure system search (Quick Search)

Quick Search in MIUI is responsible for searching by phone (contacts, messages, apps) and often uses Yandex for web queries to reconfigure it:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Quick Search (or Mi Search) and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse → Clear the data (this will reset the search settings).
4. Return to the home screen, swipe down to call a search, and select the service you want manually.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the Quick Search data will also delete your phone search history (contacts, messages).If it is critical, pre-export important data.

If after reset, the search engine again changed to standard, try to disable automatic update of system applications:

Settings → About Phone → System Update → Settings (⚙) → Auto Update Apps → Disable

Method 4: Using ADB to Force Search Engine Change

For advanced users willing to work with ADB, there is a way to force the default search engine, which works even on blocked versions of MIUI:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) → For Developers → Debugging on USB
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global default_search_provider "com.duckduckgo.mobile.android" (replace the package with the desired one: for Google - com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox).

Warning: Incorrect use of ADB can cause system failures. Before executing commands, back up your data.

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If the search engine has not changed after ADB-command, restart the phone and clear the browser cache.

Method 5: Install an alternative browser with the right search engine

If all of the above methods do not work, the most reliable option is to use a third-party browser (Chrome, Firefox, Brave), where the search engine changes in two clicks:

• 🌐 Google Chrome: Settings → Search engine → It supports Google, Yandex, Bing, DuckDuckGo.
• 🦊 Firefox: Settings → Search → Search engines by default. Allows you to add custom search engines.
• 🛡️ Brave: Uses DuckDuckGo by default, but supports a change to any other.

The advantage of this method is that the settings are not reset after MIUI updates, and browsers receive regular security updates. However, note that system applications (such as Mi Assist) can still use a standard search engine.

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Alternative browsers are the most reliable way to change the search engine to Xiaomi, but do not solve the problem completely (system services will remain with a standard search engine).

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you change the search engine to Xiaomi, users encounter common errors.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI search engine reset to standard, check the settings of automatic update of system applications (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings. Turn off Auto Update. MIUI.

If none of these methods worked, consider flashing it to a global version of MIUI or custom firmware (like LineageOS), however, this requires unlocking the bootloader and may take away the warranty.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions