How to return standard apps to the Open with Help menu on Xiaomi: the full guide

The Open with Menu on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most annoying features for users who love order.The system constantly offers new applications to open files, resets the default settings after updates or completely ignores your preferences. If you are tired of choosing the same player for music or gallery for photos, this article will help to regain control.

Complicating the problem is that MIUI (the Xiaomi shell) is actively interfering with Android, redefining standard mechanisms. For example, once an update is installed, the system can automatically assign Mi Video to the main player, even if you have used VLC for years. We will analyze 5 working methods, from simple settings to hidden commands for power users.

Important: the instructions are relevant for all modern devices of the brand – from Xiaomi 13 Ultra to the budget Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5. Most methods do not require superuser rights (root), but for some you will need to connect to a computer.

Why Xiaomi is resetting its Open with Help settings?

There are several reasons, and they are related to both MIUI and Google’s policies:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI. After installing the new firmware version, the system resets some default settings, including file associations.This is a feature, not a bug - this is how Xiaomi promotes its applications.
• 📦 Install new apps. If you've installed an alternative browser or player, Android suggests you make it the primary browser. MIUI Often ignores this choice when opening a file.
• 🤖 Android optimization: Starting with Android 10, Google has tightened the rules for apps by default.Some actions (like cleaning up cache) can reset associations.
• 🛠️ Reset application settings. If you manually cleared the Settings app data (com.android.settings), all file bindings will be lost.

Interesting fact: POCO-Devices with “clean” Android (without any devices) MIUI) This confirms that Xiaomi’s shell is to blame, not the underlying system.

⚠️ Note: If you use dual applications (Dual Apps function in the app) MIUI), Resetting Open with Help settings can lead to a conflict between clones, for example, the system will not understand which of the two WhatsApp apps should open links.

Method 1: Reset the default application settings in MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in reset function, which works on all versions of MIUI (12 to 14) and does not require additional tools.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset App Settings.
3. Confirm action. System will warn you that you will be reset: Default settings for opening links and application permissions (they will have to be reconfigured) Background activity restrictions

After the device is restarted, when the file is first opened, the system will again ask which application to use.

The downside is that you reset all the application settings, not just the file associations, and if you carefully configured the permissions for each software, you'll have to do it again.

Select the main applications for each file type | Check permissions for critical programs (banking, instant messengers) |Reboot your smartphone for changes | Remove unnecessary duplicates of applications (if you used Dual Apps)

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Method 2: Manually assigning applications by default

If reset didn't help or you don't want to lose other settings, you can manually set the default applications for each file type, which is point-based and doesn't affect the rest of the system.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want to make the primary (e.g. VLC for video).
3. Tap on Open by default (or default settings in new versions of MIUI).
4. Click Clear the default settings if they have already been set.
5. Open the file of the desired type (for example, a video) and select your application in the dialog box, ticking Always.

For some file types (like.apk), Android doesn’t allow you to assign an application by default — the system will always ask what to open.

⚠️ Note: If you have assigned the application by default, but MIUI Continues to ignore the choice, check if you have two versions of the same software (e.g. Chrome and Chrome Beta.

VLC video|Google Photos for Images|Poweramp for music|Chrome for links|Other-->

Method 3: Using ADB to reset associations (no root)

If standard methods don't work, you can use the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which requires a connection to a computer, but doesn't need superuser rights.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.

ADB Tools

adb.exe

adb shell pm clear-defaults

This command will reset all Open with Help settings.

Mi Video

adb shell pm clear com.miui.videoplayer

Critical detail: After completing the commands, restart the smartphone manually (not through ADB), otherwise the changes may not apply.

Method 4: Editing the defaults.xml file (for advanced)

This method requires root rights and is designed for users who are willing to work with system files, and allows you to manually remove all file bindings, including those that are not reset in standard ways.

Instructions:

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk).
2. Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Mixplorer).
3. Go to /data/system/users/0/ Here 0 is your user ID (if multiple accounts, check folders 1, 2, etc.).
4. Find the defaults.xml file and back it up.
5. Open the file in the text editor and delete all lines between the tags: <default-applications>... </default-applications>
6. Save the changes, restart the device.

Examples of Default App Manager:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and provide access to settings (permission required) WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS).
3. In the Default Apps section, select the file type (e.g. Audio).
4. Slip on the current app and select Clear.

⚠️ Note: Some utilities (e.g. SetEdit) may trigger Google Play Protect as potentially dangerous.This is a false positive, but if you are not sure about your actions, it is best to avoid such tools.

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Third-party utilities are convenient but not always reliable. Check reviews and rankings on Google Play before using, especially if the app requests root access.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If none of these methods worked, the problem could be deeper:

• 🔄 Reset to factory settings.Extreme measure, but guaranteed to reset all associations!
• 📱 Firmware via Fastboot.If the failure is caused by damage to system files, clean installation MIUI Using the Mi Flash Tool can help.
• 🐞 Error in a particular version MIUI. Check forums (such as Xiaomi.eu) for bugs in your firmware.

You can check the logs for diagnostics, connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command:

adb logcat | grep "default"

This will show events related to default settings. Look for lines with errors or warnings.

If the problem has occurred after the update, try to roll back to the previous version. MIUI Search for downgrad instructions in your model's themes on the 4PDA.

FAQ: Frequent questions about "Open with help" reset