How to Get Xiaomi to Open Links in Another Browser: The Complete Guide

Have you ever encountered a situation where Xiaomi (or Redmi/POCO) all links from instant messengers, emails and social networks stubbornly open in the standard MIUI Browser browser - despite the fact that you prefer Chrome, Firefox or Brave? - This is not a coincidence, but a feature of the MIUI firmware that aggressively promotes its own services. Fortunately, you can circumvent this limitation in several ways - from simple settings to technical tricks with ADB.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including hidden Android settings, using third-party utilities and even editing system files (for advanced users). All instructions are tested on Xiaomi 12T Pro, Redmi Note 11 and POCO F5 devices with MIUI 13/14 and Android 12/13, but will also be suitable for other models of the brand.

Before you start, check your firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI. If you have MIUI 12.5 or later, some of the methods may not work due to tightening security policies, in which case, look for alternative solutions in the last sections.

1. Setting up the browser by default via the Android menu

The most obvious way is to specify your preferred browser in your system settings, which unfortunately doesn’t always work on Xiaomi: MIUI often ignores the user’s choice for certain types of links (e.g., from Telegram or WhatsApp), but it’s worth starting with.

Open Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Browser. Here you will see a list of installed browsers. Choose the desired one (for example, Google Chrome) and confirm the choice. If the option is inactive or absent:

• 🔍 Check if the browser is installed from Google Play (not a web browser like Opera Mini).
• 📱 Restart your phone – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.
• 🚫 Remove updates for MIUI Browser in Settings → Annexes → Application management → MIUI Browser → Remove updates.

An important nuance: even after changing the default browser, some applications (such as Facebook or VK) can ignore settings and open links in the built-in web browser. This is because social networks use WebView instead of an external browser. The solution - read the next section.

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If, after changing your browser, links still open in MIUI Browser, try clearing the cache and data of the application that sends links (for example, Telegram). To do this, go to Settings → Applications → [Messenger Name] → Storage → Clear cache / Clear data.

2.Use of WebView to Force Link Opening

Android WebView is the system component that is responsible for displaying web content within applications. Xiaomi uses MIUI WebView by default, which redirects all links to the standard browser, the solution is to replace it with Google WebView or an analogue from your preferred browser.

Do the following:

1. Install Google WebView from the Play Market.
2. Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Three points (⋮) → Show system-based → Android System WebView.
3. Click Disable (if the option is active) or Remove Updates.
4. Activate Google WebView in the same menu.

For browsers like Firefox or Brave, an additional step may be required: install their versions of WebView (like Firefox Focus or Brave Browser: Private Web Browser) and select them in the default settings.

3. ADB-commands for forced browser change

If standard methods don't work, you'll have to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires you to connect your phone to your computer and enable USB debugging, but it's 100% effective. Attention: improper use of ADB can disrupt your system. Follow the instructions carefully.

Preparation:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, confirm your trusted device, and install ADB Tools.

Now run in the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux):

adb shell pm clear --user 0 com.android.browser


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

Replace com.android.chrome with your browser package:

• 🌐 Firefox: org.mozilla.firefox
• 🦁 Brave: com.brave.browser
• 🔵 Microsoft Edge: com.microsoft.emmx

Developer mode is on

USB debugging activated

Installed ADB drivers on PC

The phone is connected via the original cable (not charging!)

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Warning: After executing commands, some system applications (such as Mi Video) may not work properly.

adb shell cmd package reset-home-activity

4. Third-party utilities for link forwarding

If ADB seems too complex, you can use specialized applications that intercept Android intention messages and redirect them to the browser you choose.

For example, in Better Open With, you can create a rule: "All links from Telegram open in Chrome."

1. Open the app and click Add the rule.
2. Select a source (e.g. Telegram).
3. Please specify the target application (Chrome).
4. Save and test by sending yourself a link.

Restriction: Some apps (like Instagram) block link interception due to security policies, in which case only ADB or manual copying of the link will help.

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Third-party utilities are the safest way to go, but they can conflict with MIUI optimization. If after installing such software, the phone starts to brake, clear the cache in Settings → Applications → [Utility name] → Storage.

5. Editing system files (for advanced)

If none of these methods worked, the last resort is manual editing of packages.xml, which stores the intent filter settings, which requires root rights and can cause the system to fail. Backup before you start!

Instructions:

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk).
2. Use Root Explorer or ADB Shell to open the file: /data/system/packages.xml
3. Find a line from com.android.browser and replace it with your browser package (e.g. com.android.chrome).
4. Save the file and restart the phone.

Example of a section of code before and after editing:

<package name="com.android.browser" ... >


<intent-filter>




<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />




<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />




<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />




<data android:scheme="http" />




<data android:scheme="https" />




</intent-filter>




</package>

Replace com.android.browser with com.android.chrome (or another browser).

⚠️ Attention: incorrect editing packages.xml This can lead to a bootloop. If you're not sure about your abilities, use it. ADB-sectional 3.

6.Alternative solutions: cloud browsers and virtual machines

If all of the above methods didn’t work (for example, on enterprise devices with limited rights), consider non-traditional approaches:

• 🌥️ Cloud browsers: services like BrowserStack or LambdaTest allow you to open links in a remote browser through a web interface.
• 🖥️ Virtual machines: applications such as UserLAnd or Termux X11 You can run Firefox in an isolated environment.
• 🔄 Redirection through QR: Copy the link, generate the link QR-code (e.g. in Google Lens) and scan it in the right browser.

For UserLAnd, the instructions are as follows:

1. Install UserLAnd from the Play Market.
2. Select the Ubuntu distribution and install it.
3. In UserLAnd, do sudo apt update & & sudo apt install firefox
4. Run Firefox via VNC or X11.

This solution is suitable for rare cases when you need to open a link in a "clean" browser without MIUI surveillance.

FAQ: Frequent questions