How to choose the default player on Xiaomi: the full guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive behavior from an operating system that insists on using pre-installed apps to play music, which can be annoying, especially if you are used to third-party functionality like Poweramp or Musicolet, and the system continues to run the standard Mi Music every time you touch an audio file. The problem lies in the file association mechanism, which in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS works aggressively to keep the user in the brand ecosystem.

Fortunately, Android provides flexible tools to manage application priorities, allowing you to reassign the player program in seconds. However, the settings interface in Xiaomi firmware has its own features, hidden menus and specific logic of operation, different from stock Android. In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of changing the audio player, bypassing locks and adjusting formats correctly.

Understanding how the system handles multimedia files will help you not only solve the current problem, but also delve deeper into managing your device. We will look at both standard methods through the settings menu, and more advanced ways to reset preferences if the standard path is blocked or hidden by a security update.

Why Xiaomi's system imposes its own player

The MIUI shell, and now HyperOS, is designed to maximize the use of the company’s own services. The standard music player is often integrated with the theme of the design, desktop widgets and even system notification sounds, which is why when you first install a third-party application, the system does not automatically suggest choosing it as the main one, but continues to use Mi Music as a priority.

In addition, energy saving mechanisms can limit the performance of third-party applications in the background, which forces users to return to a standard solution that is guaranteed not to be “killed” by the system. However, for audiophiles, the quality of decoding and support for codecs in third-party players is often more important than system optimization.

It's important to understand that choosing the default player isn't just about changing an icon; it's about setting up associations for dozens of file formats, from the popular MP3 to the less common FLAC, WAV and APE. The system remembers your choices for each type of expansion individually or in groups, which sometimes leads to confusion when one format opens in a new player and another opens in an old one.

⚠️ Note: After major firmware updates, the default app settings may reset. If you notice that the music is running again in the standard app, you will have to recheck the settings.

It's also worth noting that some system sounds or ringtones can be tightly tied to a system media service, and the player can't physically change them, which is a limitation of the security and stability of the operating system.

Standard method of changing the application through settings

The most correct and safe way to change the priority music playback app is through the deep Android settings menu. Depending on the shell version, the path may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the section responsible for managing all installed programs.

First, go to the settings menu of your smartphone. Find the Apps. Inside you are interested in the All Apps section, which displays the full list of installed software.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• 📱 Click on the menu button (three dots or hamburger) in the upper right corner of the screen and select the default App item.
• 🎵 In the list that opens, look for a category that is related to music or audio, which can be called "Music," "Audio," or "Music playback".
• 🔄 Tap your current choice (likely to say "Mi Music" or "No") and select your preferred player, such as Poweramp.

If there is no separate item for music in this menu, the system can use the general category of "Open Links" or require resetting the settings of a particular application, which we will discuss below. In new versions of HyperOS, the path can look like Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three dots → Default Apps.

Reset the settings of the standard Mi Music player

Often, the default player selection is hidden or inactive because the system has "remembered" the previous choice and imposes it, in this case, the method is to force the settings of the standard Mi Music application to reset, which will not delete your music, but will return the settings of the program to the factory.

To do this, you'll need the App menu again. Find the Music system app (usually with an orange or white icon with a note) in the list.

After entering the information about the application, perform the following actions:

• 🗑️ Find the Delete Data (or Clear Data) button at the bottom of the screen.
• ⚙️ In the window that appears, select Clean All or Reset Settings by confirming the action.
• 🔄 Now, when you try to open any audio file through the file manager, the system will again ask you what to open the file and prompt you to choose the default application.

⚠️ Note: App data reset can delete your local playlists, listening history and equalization settings within the standard Mi Music app.

This method is especially useful if file associations are lost after a firmware update. Forced reset forces Android to re-set the initial priority settings for the application package.

Configure File Associations through File Manager

Sometimes the system settings are ignored by specific file managers. If you use standard Explorer from Xiaomi or a third-party, FX File Explorer, they may have their own internal file opening settings.

Try to find any music file in your phone's memory. Press it and hold your finger until the context menu appears. Select Open with (or Open with). Unlike a simple click, this call forcibly shows a list of all the apps that can play the format.

In the window that opens:

1. Select the player you need from the list.
2. Make sure to press Always, not Once. It's the Always button that creates a permanent association in the system.

If you have files of different formats (e.g., separately.mp3 and separately.flac), you may need to repeat the procedure for each type of extension so that the system remembers the choice for all audio variations.

Comparison of popular audio players for Android

Choosing a player is a matter of taste, but Xiaomi owners are not only interested in sound performance, but also compatibility with the system’s aggressive energy saving policy.

Below is a table comparing the key characteristics of popular solutions that are often installed instead of standard ones:

For Xiaomi devices with limited RAM resources, it is better to choose lightweight players such as Musicolet or BlackPlayer. They are less likely to be unloaded from memory by background cleaning services, ensuring continuous playback.

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For better performance of a third-party player on Xiaomi, add it to the list of "No restrictions" in the battery settings. This will prevent the music from suddenly stopping when the screen is locked.

Solving Background Reproduction Problems

Even after successfully installing the default player, Xiaomi users may face a problem: music plays while the screen is on, but becomes silent when the device is locked or switched to another task. MIUI Optimization.

To keep your player running smoothly, you need to configure its autorun and access rights. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find your player and go to Autorun. Activate the switch.

Next, in the same menu, find Energy Saving (or Battery saver) and select No Limits mode, a critical step that prevents the system from killing the playback process to save charge.

⚠️ Attention: No Limits mode increases battery consumption, as the app will run in the background all the time. Use it consciously for media content.

Also check the app permissions. Make sure the player is authorized to access Memory (to read files) and, if required, Device Management (to work with headset or Bluetooth headphone buttons). Without these permissions, the player may simply not see your media library.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Main conclusion: For stable operation of a third-party player on Xiaomi, it is not enough just to install it. You need to reset the settings of the standard application, prioritize Always and disable the battery restriction for a new player.