Where are the bookmarks in the Xiaomi phone: the full guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the need to quickly find previously saved pages, but the standard interface of the MIUI or HyperOS shell can confuse a beginner. The location of shortcuts depends on which browser you use by default: the standard Mi Browser or a third-party solution like Google Chrome. In addition, many users confuse system bookmarks with widgets on the desktop, which creates additional confusion when searching.

Understanding the logic of storage in Android systems is critical to efficient operation. Bookmarks can be stored in a cloud account, in the local memory of the application or displayed as separate icons on the home screen. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible locations, ways to quickly access and recovery methods in the event of a synchronization failure or accidental deletion.

Do not ignore the synchronization settings, as they allow you to save access to important resources when changing the device.

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Turn on sync in your browser immediately after you purchase a new phone so that all your saved pages automatically pull up from the Google or Mi Account cloud.

Search for bookmarks in the standard Mi Browser browser

Most Xiaomi smartphones come with a pre-installed Mi Browser app that has its own interface and storage system. To find saved pages here, you need to launch the app and pay attention to the bottom control panel. In the center or in the lower right corner, there is usually a three-dot icon or an asterisk that opens the navigation menu.

After you go to the menu, select the Bookmark tab. Here you can see a list of all saved items. URL-Addresses sorted by add date or folder if you created the structure manually.

You can use the start page to quickly access frequently visited sites, and when you open a new tab, you will see a tile interface with the site logos.

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The Mi Browser start page is not just a visualization, but a full-fledged quick access tool that can be edited by adding or removing tiles with a long press.

• 📂 Click on the Star icon in the address bar to add the current page.
• 📁 Create themed folders to separate work and entertainment.
• 🔄 Use the sync button in your profile settings to save data in the cloud.

Working with bookmarks in Google Chrome on Xiaomi

Users who prefer the Google ecosystem are most likely to use the Chrome browser, which is deeply integrated into the Android operating system. You can find saved pages here through a three-dot menu located at the top right of the screen. The drop-down list immediately shows the Bookmarks item leading to the library of saved links.

Chrome’s feature is a powerful sync system through Google account, and if you’re logged in to your profile, all your bookmarks from your computer will automatically appear on your Xiaomi phone.

It's important to note that the "Recent Tabs" feature is in the same menu, and it lets you see which sites are open on your other devices right now, which is not exactly bookmarks in the classical sense, but a very useful tool to keep working. The bookmarks section also has the "Mobile Bookmarks" folder, which stores everything you add from your phone by default.

⚠️ Attention: When cleaning your browser history in Chrome, be careful. If you tick the box against the "Bookmarks" item, your entire list of saved sites will be irrevocably deleted from this device and from the cloud if synchronous is enabled.

System shortcuts of sites on the MIUI desktop

Often users search for "bookmarks" as individual app icons on the home screen. In the shell of MIUI and HyperOS, there is a feature for creating shortcuts for sites that look and behave like full-fledged applications. They are not inside the browser at the time of use, but are displayed on the desktop.

To create such a shortcut, you need to open a website in your browser, click on the menu (three dots) and select the option “Add to the home screen”. The system will prompt you to rename the shortcut and confirm the action. Then a new icon will appear on your desktop, when you click on which the site will open in full screen mode, often without an address bar.

Removing these tabs is the standard Android way: long-term clicking on the icon and selecting “Delete” or dragging it to the cart. This will not remove the record from the browser history, but remove quick access from the screen.

• 📱 Desktop shortcuts work even if the main browser is removed (before reinstalling).
• ⚙️ Group site shortcuts into folders on your desktop for order.
• 🗑️ Removing the shortcut from the screen does not clear the history of visits in the browser.

Synchronization and cloud storage

Synchronization is a key aspect of keeping your data safe. Xiaomi smartphones have two main clouds: a Mi Account and a Google account, depending on which browser you use, Mi Browser is preferred over Mi and Google is preferred over Chrome.

The sync setting in Mi Browser is done through the user profile. Click on the menu avatar, log in to your Mi Account and make sure the Bookmark Sync switch is active. This will allow you to restore the list of sites even after the phone is completely reset to factory settings.

Google Chrome is similar to Gmail, but it's tied to Gmail. Open your browser settings, click on your username, and check your sync status.

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Regularly checking the sync status (green tick or username) ensures that your data is not lost when your device breaks down.

Recovery of Remote Bookmarks and Tabs

If you accidentally delete an important bookmark, panic early. In modern browsers like Chrome, there is a history of actions, although it is not always obvious. The first step is to check the cart if the browser supports such a feature (this is rare in Mi Browser, but in file managers when exporting - perhaps).

The most reliable way is to use the web version of the sync service, go to google.com/bookmarks or the Mi Account management page from your computer, and you can save a copy of the data until the last time you delete it on your phone.

It's also worth checking your browsing history. Even if the bookmark is deleted, the link is left in the journal. In Chrome, click the History menu and type the site name into the search box. Once you find the right address, you can bookmark it again. For advanced users, exporting the history through takeout.google.com is available.

⚠️ Note: Data recovery from the cloud is only possible if synchronization is enabled before the deletion. If the phone is not connected to the Internet after deletion, the data may not be updated on the server.

Frequent problems and their solution

Xiaomi users sometimes face a situation where bookmarks stop being saved or disappear after a system update, often due to the aggressive operation of the MIUI energy saving system, which “kills” the background processes of the browser, interrupting synchronization.

To solve this problem, you need to go to your phone's settings, find the Apps section, select your browser, and go to Activity Control or Battery. Select No Limits mode, which will allow the browser to work freely in the background and update data.

Another common problem is cache overflow: If the browser is slow or doesn’t save new bookmarks, try clearing its cache (not data!) through the app’s settings.

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Use the built-in Security app on Xiaomi to quickly clear your browser cache, but always make sure that no user data deletion is selected.

• 🔋 Check the power saving settings for the browser.
• 🌐 Make sure the Internet connection is stable during synchronization.
• 🔄 Update your browser to the latest version via Google Play or GetApps.

Questions and Answers (FAQ)