How to install the default browser on Xiaomi Redmi 8: all ways and solutions to errors

Xiaomi Redmi 8 MIUI-based smartphone often comes with a pre-installed Mi Browser browser, which automatically becomes the default application for opening web links. However, many users prefer alternative solutions — Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera — because of greater speed, synchronization with other devices or lack of advertising. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change the default browser to Redmi 8, including solutions for different versions of MIUI (12 to 14) and bypass typical system errors.

It is important to consider that Xiaomi periodically changes the logic of how settings work in new firmware updates. For example, in MIUI 14, the default application selection algorithm differs from MIUI 12, and some options may be hidden or blocked due to security policies. We will look at universal methods, as well as specialized solutions for cases where standard settings do not work.

If you've tried to change your default browser before, but you've reset your device or upgraded your system, there's a section in this article that explains why you're doing this behavior and how to fix it, and we'll also talk about how to resolve browser conflicts, where the system offers you an app choice every time you open a link, and how to get rid of that.

Why Xiaomi Redmi 8 can’t just change the default browser?

Unlike pure Android, the MIUI firmware on Redmi 8 has a number of limitations related to Xiaomi’s policies:

• 🔒 System-based application binding: Mi Browser is integrated into the shell and often restores default status after updates or resets.
• 📱 Limitations MIUI: In some firmware versions, the browser change option is hidden in the depth of the menu or requires additional actions (for example, cleaning the cache).
• 🔄 Automatic reset: After system update MIUI It can reset the default settings for "security".
• 🛡️ Protection against changes: On devices with unlocked bootloader or root rights, the system may block changes due to security risk.

Also, if you’re using Redmi 8 with firmware for China (e.g. MIUI CN), some settings may not be available without changing the region or installing a global version of MIUI.

⚠️ Note: If you notice that after changing the browser by default, links still open in Mi Browser, check the battery optimization settings for the alternative browser.

Method 1: Standard browser change via MIUI settings

This method works on most versions of MIUI 12-14 and does not require additional tools.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the home screen or in the application menu).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. At the top of the screen, press three dots (⋮) and select the Applications by default.
4. Slip on Browser.
5. In the list of available applications, select the browser you want (such as Chrome or Firefox).
6. Confirm the choice by clicking Ready or Install.

If your browser is not listed, make sure it is installed and updated to the latest version. Sometimes MIUI does not display apps that are outdated or those that were installed from other versions of Google Play (for example, via APK).

Install an alternative browser from Google Play

Update the application to the latest version

Clear the current browser's cache by default

Restart the device before changing settings-->

On some versions of MIUI 13/14, the path to settings may be different.

Settings → Applications → All Apps → [select browser] → By default → Open supported links

⚠️ Note: If after changing the default browser, links from some applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) still open in Mi Browser, check the settings of these applications separately.

Method 2: Reset application settings (if the browser does not change)

If the standard method didn’t work and the system persistently returns Mi Browser as the default app, try resetting all the apps, which will remove the current anchors and allow you to re-select the browser:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Reset application settings.
3. Confirm the action by clicking Reset Settings.
4. After reset, re-execute the steps from Method 1 to select a browser.

This method is also useful if you notice that:

• 🔄 The system is constantly asking which application to use to open links.
• 📱 Some links open in one browser and others in another.
• ⚙️ Browser default settings reset after rebooting.

The reset does not delete application data (such as bookmarks or browser history), but may require re-entering passwords in some services.

💡

If the problem persists after resetting your application settings, try temporarily disabling battery optimization for an alternative browser. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization, find your browser, and select Unlimited.

Method 3: Using ADB to Force Browser Change

If none of the previous methods worked, you can use the ADB tool (Android Debug Bridge) to force the default browser change, which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and enabling the developer mode.

Warning: improper use of ADB may cause system failures. Follow the instructions carefully.

1. Turn on developer mode on Redmi 8: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times) will return the message "You became a developer".
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable (use the original cable for connection stability).
4. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer (e.g. Google’s Platform Tools).
5. Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and execute the commands: adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list. If not, confirm the debugging permission on the smartphone screen.
6. Run the command to reset current applications by default: adb shell cmd package reset-preferred-package-handlers
7. Now re-set the browser by default via the MIUI settings (see Method 1).

If you need to force a specific browser (such as Chrome), use the command:

adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main

com.android.chrome

org.mozilla.firefox

App Inspector

Google Play

Xiaomi Redmi 8 browser comparison: which one to choose?

Before changing the default browser, you should evaluate Mi Browser alternatives. Below is a table comparing popular solutions by key parameters:

For Redmi 8 with its modest by modern standards characteristics (Snapdragon 439 and 3-4 GB of RAM), Opera or Brave will be the best choice - they are less loading the system and have built-in tools for blocking ads. Chrome is suitable if you want to sync with other devices on Android or PC.

Mi Browser (by default)

Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

Opera or Brave

Other-->

Solving problems: browser resets after MIUI update

Many Redmi 8 users are faced with the default reset of the browser to Mi Browser after the MIUI update, which is due to Xiaomi’s policy of forcibly restoring system applications after major updates.

• 🔄 Turn off automatic updates MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points (⋮) → Settings → Auto-update (disable)
• 📵 Freeze the Mi Browser (requires root rights or ADB): adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.browser Attention: This may cause some system functions to malfunction.
• 🔧 Use Tasker or MacroDroid to automatically restore the default browser after a reset. Create a task that will start when the system boots and re-install the desired browser.

If you don’t want to opt out of MIUI updates but want to keep your browser, try the following workaround:

1. Before updating, write down the current browser settings (bookmarks, history) through export.
2. Update the system.
3. Immediately after the update (before the first reboot), set the default browser again.
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI 14 for China, resetting the browser by default after the update is a conscious decision of the manufacturer, in which case only changing the firmware to the global version or using it will help. ADB to lock Mi Browser.

Alternative methods: Launchers and third-party utilities

If the MIUI system settings stubbornly do not allow you to change the browser by default, you can use third-party solutions:

• 🌐 Launchers (shells): Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher).Many of them allow you to flexibly configure link processing and the choice of applications by default.
• 🔗 Silence management apps: Default App Manager or SetEdit (requires root rights) let you manually edit your default settings.
• 📲 Specialized browsers: Some browsers (like Kiwi Browser) have built-in tools to force themselves to be a link handler.

Example of settings through Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Click the empty space on the home screen → Nova Settings → Apps and notifications.
3. Select the default Apps and assign the desired browser.

It is worth noting that third-party launchers can not always override the system settings of MIUI, but in most cases they avoid constant requests for a browser selection when opening links.

💡

Using third-party launchers is the safest way to get around MIUI restrictions without root rights or ADB. However, this does not guarantee a 100% result, since some system links (such as those from notifications) may still open in Mi Browser.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the browser to Xiaomi Redmi 8