Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face intrusive behavior of the MIUI operating system. After resetting or first turning on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the system forcibly suggests using the built-in MI Browser. This developer decision can annoy users who are used to the functionality of Google Chrome, Opera or Firefox. The standard browser is often full of news feeds and advertising, which reduces the speed of the device.
Fortunately, the Android architecture makes it easy to change the priority of apps. You don't have to be a programming expert to customize your gadget. The process of changing a default application takes only a couple of minutes if you know where to look for the right switches in the menu. Ignoring this step will lead to all links from the messengers opening in an unwanted window.
In this article, we will analyze in detail the algorithm of actions for the Redmi Note 8 Pro model. We will consider the standard methods of setting up through the system menu, and also touch on the nuances of working with the MIUI shell. You will learn how to disable the automatic launch of the built-in browser and fix the choice of third-party software forever.
Why Change the Standard Browser on Xiaomi
The built-in MI Browser is designed to address the specifics of the Chinese market, where its services dominate. For global users, this means having excess “junk” that consumes RAM. The Redmi Note 8 Pro, with its powerful Helio G90T processor, is able to pull heavy web pages, but the background processes of the system browser can slow down the interface.
Third-party solutions like Chrome or Yandex Browser offer deep sync with a Google account, allowing you to instantly transfer history, passwords and bookmarks from your old device, and many alternative engines have built-in ad blockers, saving traffic and battery life.
⚠️ Note: With a full uninstall system browser, some system functions (such as news widgets or global search) may stop working correctly.
Choosing an alternative browser is also important from a security perspective: Third-party developers often release vulnerability patches faster than the system software in the MIUI shell is updated. Regular updates to the rendering engine protect you from phishing sites and malicious scripts.
Preparation for the change of the standard annex
Before you make changes to the Redmi Note 8 Pro system settings, make sure there is an alternative. If you just bought a phone, it may not have any browser other than the system browser, you may need to download the APK installation file or use the Google Play store.
Make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. Modern browsers can take between 50 and 150 MB of traffic to load, and check for free internal storage, although modern applications are optimized and require no gigabytes of space.
☑️ Preparation of the device
When you install a new app, take your time to open links. First, you need to signal that you are ready to switch. Sometimes Android requires you to launch the app first to activate all of its components.
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If you use custom firmware or unlocked bootloader, you may have the option to completely uninstall the system browser via ADB, but for standard users this is an unnecessary risk.
Step-by-step instructions through MIUI settings
The MIUI shell has its own setup grouping logic, which is different from pure Android.To change the default browser to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, you need to get into the extended app menu.The standard path may not be obvious to a beginner.
Follow the algorithm below to find the right switch. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (Global or China), but the menu structure remains similar.
- Open the main menu and find the Settings icon (cog).
- Scroll down the list and select the Appendix.
- In the menu that opens, click on the All Apps tab.
- In the upper right corner of the screen, find the three-dot button and click on it.
- In the drop-down list, select the Application by default.
Once you do this, you'll see a list of categories of applications that the system automatically launches for certain actions, and we'll be interested in the Browser section, and if you click on it, you'll see a list of all the browsers that you've installed.
Select from the list the desired application, such as Chrome, the system will immediately apply the changes, now clicking on any link in Telegram, Viber or WhatsApp will open the program you choose.
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The main secret of MIUI: the default browser selection point is hidden in the All Apps menu, not in the general system settings.
Alternative method through the "Default" menu
In some versions of MIUI 11 and MIUI 12, which are relevant to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the path may be shortened. Developers sometimes take important settings to more prominent places after the updates. If the previous method did not work, try this option.
Go to Settings and use the search bar at the top of the screen, type in the word "browser" or "default," and the system will tell you the menu section you want, which is especially useful if you don't want to wander through deep nesting levels.
You can also try direct transition through application management. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Find the browser you want to make the primary in the list. Click on it, then select Start by default (or Open by default).
| Access method | The way is on the menu | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Classical. | Settings → Applications → All Apps → (three dots) → Default Apps | Medium |
| Through search. | Settings → Search → “Browser” | Low. |
| Through the program list | Settings → Applications → Management → Application Selection → Default Launch | Tall. |
Using search is the fastest way if you don't remember the exact location of the menu. The search algorithm in MIUI indexes even hidden settings, making this method universal for any firmware version.
What to do if the choice is not saved
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the Redmi Note 8 Pro ignores the choice and reopens links to MI Browser.This can be due to aggressive battery optimization or a failure in the cache of system services.
Go back to the default App menu. If it ticks against the browser you want, but it doesn't work, try selecting "No" first, or resetting if you have one. Then re-specify the desired app.
⚠️ Attention: If the system is constantly resetting choices, you may have a malware virus writer installed that masquerades as a system process.
Another reason could be to update the browser app itself. After a major update, Android sometimes loses its file association. Just repeat the selection process again. It's also worth checking if the backup limit for the browser you choose is worth checking in the Battery and Performance section.
In rare cases, cleaning the cache of the Android System service helps. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find in the Settings list (cog icon) and click Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with Clear All so as not to bring down network and Bluetooth settings.
ADB's Hidden Opportunities
Features of working with links in MIUI
The MIUI shell has its own link processing system called Hyperlink, or simply a URL interception mechanism. When you click on a link, the system first checks whether it is a Deep Link, for example, a video link can lead directly to the YouTube app, bypassing the browser.
If the link is to a web page, the default browser setting takes effect. However, Redmi Note 8 Pro has a Safe Browsing feature that can redirect traffic through Xiaomi servers to check for viruses before opening, which can create the illusion that the system browser opens even if another one is selected.
- 🔍 Checking links: The system analyzes URL phishing.
- 🚀 Acceleration: Preload pages in the background for quick opening.
- 🛡️ Protection: Blocking the transition to hazardous resources.
To disable the interim check, you go to your phone's security settings, find the antivirus or payment protection section, and turn off link scanning, which will speed up conversions, but reduce the level of protection from unknown sites.
It's important to understand the difference between opening a link and searching in the status bar. If you type in a global search bar on your desktop, it's defaulted to a built-in search engine that can open results in MI Browser. This is customized separately in the desktop or search widget settings.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system link verification increases the risk of going to fraudulent sites.Do this only if you are confident in the safety of the visited resources.