Owning a modern Android smartphone means having a variety of alternative solutions to do the same tasks. When you buy a Xiaomi device, it already has a set of system utilities in its memory that open automatically when you run certain files or actions. However, the Google Play ecosystem offers thousands of more functional counterparts that users often want to see as the main ones.
The process of reprioritizing MIUI shells and the new HyperOS has its own features, different from the “pure” Android. The system can aggressively impose its own services, block third-party launchers or reset settings after an update. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to force your phone to use your chosen programs for calls, messages, navigation and opening files.
The right configuration of startup apps makes the gadget much faster and the interface more user-friendly, and you no longer have to choose between opening a link or a map every time you set the right algorithm for one time. Let's look at the technical details of this procedure.
Why Change Standard Apps to Xiaomi
Xiaomi’s standard utilities are often criticized for excessive advertising, heavy code, and lack of modern features, such as the built-in browser may not support advanced privacy settings, and the file manager may not be able to work with archives of complex formats, and installing alternatives allows you to optimize resource consumption and improve the security of personal data.
Many users prefer third-party launchers for customization of appearance, but without installing them by default, the system will constantly return a standard desktop. This is especially true for those who use widgets and specific control gestures. In addition, third-party keyboards often offer better predictive input and support for languages, which is critical for comfortable printing.
⚠️ Warning: When installing unknown applications from third-party sources, always check their access rights. Some optimization programs may request excessive permissions, which poses a threat to the security of your system.
Changing default programs also helps avoid imposing services that may not be available in your region or not work properly, giving you full control over what software reacts to your actions, a basic skill for any advanced Android user.
- 🚀 Improve system performance by using lighter analogues of standard programs.
- 🔒 Improved privacy as many open source proponents don't collect telemetry.
- 🎨 Complete customization of the interface and logic of the device for personal preferences.
Where is the default application management menu
In the latest versions of shells from the Chinese manufacturer, the path to settings can vary depending on the Android version and regional firmware. Most often, the desired section is hidden deep in the system settings menu. To find it, open Settings and scroll to the bottom of the list to the App item.
Inside this section, you'll need to find a subsection that might be called Application Management or just have a gear icon, and that's where the default App menu is hidden. In some versions of MIUI, this item is put on a separate menu called Additional Settings, which often confuses inexperienced users.
Hidden paths in different versions of MIUI
If you can't find the right item through a search, try a global search by settings. Just type the phrase "default" into the search bar at the top of the settings screen, and the system will suggest the transition to the desired menu. This is a universal method for any version of firmware.
It's important to understand the difference between just an installed application and an application assigned to the main one. The system can allow many programs to work, but only one of them will open links, and this is the priority we will adjust through this menu.
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Use a Settings Search (a magnifier at the top of the screen) to instantly find hidden menu items, as the MIUI structure often changes from version to version.
How to Change Browser, Call and Messages
The most frequent requests of users concern the replacement of three key components: web browser, telephony and telephone. SMS-To get started, go to the default App menu discussed above, and here you will see a list of categories like Browser, Phone», «SMS».
Click on the Browser category. You'll see a list of all the browsers you've installed on your device. Choose Chrome, Firefox, or whatever you like. Then all the links from messengers and documents will open in the program you choose. The same goes for Phone if you want to use an alternative call with a record of conversations or a blocker.
Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Phone → Select the desiredThe message can be more complicated. In some regions, standard Google Messages are imposed rigidly, and you can only change them to a third-party client (for example, Textra or QKSMS) after you have completed additional actions. If the item is not active, you may need to turn off the standard application in the program management menu first.
☑️ Checking the communication settings
After changing the call, be sure to check contacts and call history. Sometimes third-party applications take time to sync the database. SMS-The client has the right to read the contacts, otherwise you will not see the names of the senders.
Setting up navigation and maps by default
The issue of choosing a mapping service is especially relevant for residents of the CIS countries, where Yandex Maps or 2GIS can be more informative than standard Google Maps. However, Android does not always willingly give priority to navigation, since this is a system function.
You may need to reset the default settings for the current map app. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the current maps (like Google Maps) in the list, click on them and select Open by default.
After that, when you first try to open an address from a contact or message, the system will ask what to do, select the desired application and click "Always." If the window does not appear, perhaps in the settings of the navigation program itself you need to enable support for links.
| Type of action | Standard behavior | How to change |
|---|---|---|
| Opening links (http) | Built-in browser Mi | Assign Chrome/Yandex to the default menu |
| Addresses (geo:) | Google Maps | Reset your Google Maps settings, select Yandex |
| Calls (tel:) | System call. | Select an alternative in the phone section |
| APK files | Packet installer | Select a file manager when installing |
⚠️ Warning: When changing your navigator, make sure the new app has access to geolocation and background. Without this, the map may not be able to plot a route when the screen is off.
The problem with the launcher and desktop
Installing a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher is a popular way to change the look of Xiaomi. However, the MIUI system is known for its aggressive behavior: it can constantly offer to return Standard Launcher or reset the selection after a reboot. This is done for stability, but prevents customization.
To secure a third-party interface, select it as your primary interface after installation. If the system insists on returning you to the standard view, try the following trick: go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Device Protection (or Security). Find the launcher permissions there and disallow any restrictions on the background.
There is also a hidden setting in the Developer Menu. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the version). MIUI in "About the phone"), then find the item Disconnect HW-Overlays or similar options related to interface rendering, sometimes helping the launcher to work harder, although it can increase battery consumption.
- 📱 Make sure the launcher has pop-up rights and work on top of other apps.
- 🔋 Turn off power savings for the launcher so the system doesn't "kill" its process.
- 🔄 When you update the launcher system, the settings may get lost - make backup copies of the settings inside the launcher itself.
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For a third-party launcher to work on Xiaomi, it is critically important to disable all battery and background activity restrictions in the security settings.
Resetting default settings and problem solving
Sometimes the settings go wrong, or you installed an app that took control and now you can't get rid of it, and in those cases, a complete preference reset helps, and it won't delete your data or the programs you installed, but it will return all file associations to factory status.
To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Reset App Settings. Confirm the action. Once the phone is restarted, it will behave like a new program choice: with each type of action, it will ask you what to do.
If the problem is that the application does not appear on the list of available to choose from, check its compatibility. Some old programs may not claim to be suitable for certain actions, in which case only finding an alternative or updating the software to the current version will help.
In rare cases, when the system blocks the change of important components (for example, calls in Chinese versions of firmware), it may be necessary to use the system. ADB-It's an advanced method that requires a PC connection and debugging. USB.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.dialerThis command (a call example) forcibly disables the system application, making it invisible to the system, which automatically activates the alternative, but use such methods with extreme caution, as an error can lead to the inability to make calls.