How to choose and install the main browser on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Why Choosing a Browser on Xiaomi Is More Important Than It Seems

Xiaomi Android smartphones come with a pre-installed Mi Browser browser, but it is not suitable for all users in functionality or speed. The right choice of the main browser affects not only the convenience of surfing, but also the security of personal data, battery consumption and even the amount of advertising shown. For example, the standard Xiaomi browser is known for its aggressive advertising policy, while alternatives like Google Chrome or Firefox Focus offer more flexible privacy settings.

In this article, we will understand how to completely replace the standard browser with Xiaomi without losing functionality, compare popular alternatives and show hidden settings that will help optimize the operation of the selected browser. MIUI 14/15, where the default browser selection process has its nuances.

Which browser is installed on Xiaomi default and why it should be replaced

All Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones have Mi Browser (sometimes called the Browser or Mint Browser) installed out of the box, which is closely integrated with the MIUI ecosystem, but has several critical drawbacks:

• 🔍 Data collection: Mi Browser transfers information about visited sites to Xiaomi servers (even in “incognito mode”), as confirmed by independent research, for example, from Forbes in 2020.
• 📢 Advertising: Built-in banners and pop-ups appear even on the browser’s home screen, which annoys users.
• 🐢 Performance: According to the Speedometer tests 2.0, Mi Browser is playing Chrome and Edge on the Internet 30-40% speed of page loading.
• 🔒 Outdated version: On budget models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) browser updates less frequently than competitors, which creates vulnerabilities.

Also, Mi Browser doesn’t support extensions, unlike Chrome or Firefox, where you can install ad blockers like uBlock Origin or password managers, making it unusable for advanced users.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) Mi Browser cannot be completely removed, only disabled, because it is tied to system services MIUI.

Top.-5 Xiaomi browsers: comparison in speed, security and functionality

To choose the best browser for your Xiaomi, we tested 5 popular solutions on devices with MIUI 14 (based on Android 13).

You can see from the table that Microsoft Edge offers a better balance between speed, battery savings and built-in ad blocking. However, if you want maximum privacy, you should pay attention to Firefox Focus or Brave – they do not collect browsing history and automatically delete cookies after closing.

Step-by-step: how to change the default browser to Xiaomi

The process of changing the main browser to Xiaomi depends on the version of MIUI. Below is a universal instruction that works on most models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra):

1. Install an alternative browser from Google Play.We recommend starting with Microsoft Edge or Firefox.
2. Open any link (e.g. in a message or note) and the system will prompt you to select a browser to open. Click Always and select the browser you want from the list.
3. If the previous step didn’t work, go to Settings → Applications → Default Apps → Browser and select the browser installed.
4. For MIUI 15: Go to Settings → Additional → Special Features → Default Apps.

Some firmware (e.g., POCO F3 with global MIUI) may require resetting applications.

Settings → Applications → Application Management → ⋮ (menu) → Reset application settings

⚠️ Note: If links still open in Mi Browser after changing your browser, check the settings in the Security app (Clean up section) → Auto-start. Sometimes MIUI Assigns standard applications through this module.

Installed an alternative browser |Opened a link and selected "Always" |Chronized the default settings in MIUI |Rebooted the phone (if it didn't work) |Cleared the cache Mi Browser-->

Hidden browser settings for Xiaomi: how to speed up work and save battery

Even after choosing the best browser, it can be further optimized for Xiaomi, here are the key settings for popular browsers:

For Google Chrome:

• 🚀 Speed up download: Enable Light Mode in Settings (Chrome) → Settings → Light mode. This will save up to 60 percent of traffic on slow connections.
• 🔋 Battery savings: Turn off background synchronization in Settings → Synchronization → Background synchronization.
• 🛡️ Security: Activate Secure Browsing in Privacy Settings.

For Microsoft Edge:

• 🔒 Block Trackers: Go to Settings → Confidentiality → Tracking Level and Select Strictly.
• 📱 Optimization for MIUI: Enable Extend the battery life in the system settings.
• 🌐 Dark Topic: Activate Dark Mode in Settings → Appearance to save charge on AMOLED-screen.

For Firefox Focus:

• 🧹 Autoclean: Enable Clean When Out in Settings – This Will Delete All Data After Closing.
• 🔍 Default Search: Replace Google with DuckDuckGo for more privacy.

On Xiaomi models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro), you can additionally enable hardware acceleration in the browser settings.

chrome://flags → search for “hardware acceleration” →

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If your browser on Xiaomi is slowing down, clear its cache through Settings → Apps → [Browser Name] → Memory → Clear the cache. This often solves the problem without reinstalling it.

Problems when changing the browser to Xiaomi and how to solve them

Despite the simplicity of the process, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

1. Links open in the old browser

If, after changing your browser by default, links from Telegram, WhatsApp or mail still open in Mi Browser, follow the following steps:

• 🔧 Go to the settings of the app that opens the links (e.g. Telegram).
• 📌 Find the Opening Links section by default and reset the settings.
• 🔄 Restart your phone - sometimes MIUI caching.

2 The browser is not stored as the main

On some firmware (especially the Chinese versions of MIUI), the system automatically resets the browser by default.

• 📵 Turn off Mi Browser via Settings → Annexes → Mi Browser → Shut down.
• 🔐 Set a password for settings (to MIUI I didn't drop them automatically).

3. Notifications in the new browser do not work

If notifications stop coming after changing your browser (for example, from VK or Gmail), check:

• 🔔 Notification permissions: Settings → Notifications → [Browser name].
• 🔄 Background activity: Settings → Annexes → [browser] → Battery → No restrictions.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and below may need to disable battery optimization for the browser via Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → [browser] → No restrictions.

How to Choose a Browser for a Specific Xiaomi Model

Not all browsers work equally well on different Xiaomi devices, and here are some hardware-specific recommendations:

For budget models (Redmi 9A, 10A, POCO M3)

On weak processors (for example, the Helio G25), the priority is lightness and battery savings.

• 🥇 Firefox Focus – Minimalist interface, no background processes.
• 🥈 Brave Browser – blocks ads at the system level, saving traffic.
• 🥉 Chrome Lite (Old Version, but Less Memory).

For flagships (Xiaomi 12/13, POCO F4 GT)

On top-end chips (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2), you can use resource-intensive browsers with extensions:

• 🥇 Microsoft Edge – supports vertical tabs and integration with Windows 11.
• 🥈 Kiwi Browser – Chrome-based, but with support for extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
• 🥉 Vivaldi – for users who need gestures and customization.

For devices with AMOLED-screens (Xiaomi) 11T Pro, Redmi K50)

On deep black screens (AMOLED), support for a dark theme is important:

• 🌑 Edge or Firefox – automatically switch to dark mode.
• 🌓 Brave – allows you to set up a dark theme for individual sites.

On models with MIUI for Russia (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G), some browsers may be blocked due to sanctions restrictions.

• 🌍 Yandex Browser – optimized for Runet, supports Alice.
• 🛡️ Tor Browser – if you need anonymity and bypassing locks.

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On Xiaomi with a MediaTek (Helio, Dimensity) processor, Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge) may be slower due to poor driver optimization, in which case you’d better choose Firefox or Brave.

FAQ: Frequent questions about choosing a browser on Xiaomi