MI Browser on Xiaomi Redmi: why you need, how it works and how it differs from Google Chrome

You just unpacked the new Xiaomi Redmi smartphone and found an unfamiliar browser with a logo in the list of applications MI? Or maybe you noticed that when you open links, it's not Google Chrome that runs by default, but some com.android.browser? MI Browser is a proprietary web browser from Xiaomi, which is preinstalled on all devices in the Redmi series, POCO But why would a company build a browser when there's Chrome, Firefox, and Edge? And most importantly, can it be removed or replaced?

In this article, we will discuss in detail what it is. MI Browser, how it differs from its competitors, what hidden features it has (yes, they are!), and why some users prefer to delete it immediately after buying a phone, and you will also learn how to properly customize your browser to your needs, speed up its work and even turn off advertising in the Internet. MI Browser without root rights is possible, and we will tell you how to.

Spoiler: If you are used to Chrome or Safari, MI Browser may seem inconvenient, but it has some features that competitors don't have, like a built-in translator with support. 100+ languages (including Ukrainian and Kazakh) and a read mode that automatically removes all ads from pages. 15-20% Less battery than Chrome, which is critical for low-end Redmis with smaller batteries.

What is it? MI Browser and why you need it on Xiaomi Redmi

MI Browser (full name Mi Browser Pro) is a proprietary web browser developed by Xiaomi based on the open engine Chromium (the same as used in Chrome, Edge and Opera). POCO, Since 2016, it is the default browser for opening links from messages, mail and other applications.

Xiaomi’s main goal when creating its browser is optimization for iron and ecosystem MIUI. The fact is that Google Chrome, despite its popularity, does not always work well on budget smartphones with a high-end smartphone. 2-4 GB of RAM. MI Browser is designed to take into account the features of the Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek Helio processors, which are installed in Redmi. 9A (2 GB RAM) pages in MI Browser loads on 20-30% faster than Chrome, and battery consumption is lower 10-15 m-hour.

Besides, MI Browser is closely integrated with Xiaomi services:

• 🔗 Sync with Mi Account – Stores bookmarks, history, and passwords in the cloud (like Chrome, but without being linked to Google).
• 📱 Quick access to Mi Home devices – you can control smart lamps or a robot vacuum cleaner directly from the browser.
• 🛡️ Built-in fraud protection – blocks phishing sites at the level MIUI (It works even without antivirus).
• 🌐 Dual Apps support – you can run two accounts in your browser at the same time (useful for working with multiple emails or social networks).

But there's a downside: MI Browser collects analytics data about your surfing (which sites you visit, how much time you spend, etc.) that is sent to Xiaomi’s servers. This does not mean that the company sells your data, but if you are interested in privacy, it is better to disable this feature in the settings (as we will explain below).

MI Browser vs Google Chrome: Comparison of 7 Key Parameters

Many users immediately after buying Redmi delete MI Browser and Chrome. But is it that bad? Let's compare the two browsers by the main criteria in 2026:

As you can see from the table, MI Browser wins in performance on weak and medium-sized smartphones (Redmi) 10A, Redmi Note 11, POCO M4 Pro, but Chrome loses out on functionality and privacy if you care about speed and battery savings — MI If you prioritize PC sync and data protection, you better use Chrome.

💡

On Redmi with 4 GB of RAM and less MI Browser is faster than Chrome, but on flagships (8)+ GB) the difference is almost imperceptible.

Hidden functions MI Browser that you didn’t know about

Many users are being removed MI Browser, without even trying its hidden features:

• 📖 Reading mode with AI-Cleansing: removes all ads, sidebars, and leaves only text, works even on sites like Avito or Yandex.Zen, where ad blockers often fail. 📄 address-bar.
• 🌙 Night mode with temperature setting: Unlike Chrome, where night mode simply darkens the screen, here you can choose the shade (warm to cold) and brightness of the backlight.
• 🔍 Search for text on the translation page: highlight any text in a foreign language and the browser will offer to translate it directly in the pop-up window (works offline for 10 languages, including English and Chinese).
• 📥 Download videos from social networks: click on the video on TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, and the menu will appear button Download. Downloads/MI Browser.
• 🛡️ Blocking malicious sites at the level MIUI: If you are trying to open a phishing site, the browser will show a warning before the page loads (data is taken from the Xiaomi database).

Another little-known possibility is a traffic saving mode that compresses images and disables autoplay of video, which reduces the consumption of mobile Internet. 30-40%. Included in the settings: MI Browser → Data savings → Enable page compression.

How to remove or disable MI Browser on Xiaomi Redmi

If you have decided to get rid of it. MI Browser, there are three ways: disable, delete without root, or delete with root rights.

Method 1: Disconnect (without deleting)

This is the safest method that does not require superuser rights. MI Browser will remain in the system, but will not interfere with the system:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find it. MI Browser (or com.android.browser) is listed.
3. Click Disable (if the button is inactive, click Stop first).
4. Confirm the action.

After that, the browser will disappear from the application menu and stop opening by default, but it will remain in the system and will occupy about a few hours. 50-70 MBT memory.

Method 2: Removal without root (through ADB)

If you want to completely remove MI Browser, but you do not want to get root rights, you can use it ADB (Android Debug Bridge is Google’s official tool for debugging Android.

Install the drivers. ADB PC (download from the official website)

Turn on the debugging. USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → Click on version 7 times, then return to Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB)

Connect your phone to your PC and allow debugging

Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) in the folder with ADB

-->

Now, execute the command:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

If the browser is not deleted, try an alternative command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.browser

⚠️ Attention: Removal MI Browser may cause some system functions to malfunction MIUI, For example, Quick Apps (fast apps) or Mi Share (file transfers). If you notice lags or errors after deleting, return the browser with a command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser

Method 3: Removal with root rights (for experienced)

If you have root access, you can delete it. MI Browser is permanently through any file manager with superuser rights (e.g., Root Explorer):

1. Open up. /system/app/MIBrowser or /system/priv-app/MIBrowser.
2. Delete the browser folder.
3. Reboot the phone.

This method is guaranteed to delete the browser without the possibility of recovery, but requires caution - an error can lead to the system failure.

💡

Before removal MI Browser install an alternative browser (Chrome, Firefox) and make it the default browser in Settings → Annexes → By default. Otherwise, the links will not open automatically.

How to set up MI Browser for yourself: optimization of speed and privacy

If you decide to leave MI Browser, you can make it much better by changing a few settings:

1. Turn off analytics and advertising collection

MI Browser sends your visit data to Xiaomi by default to stop it:

1. Open up. MI Browser and tap on. ⋮ (three-point) → Settings.
2. Go to Privacy and Security.
3. Turn it off: 📊 Send usage data 📍 Send location data 🔍 Personalized recommendations

Showing news on the main page

2. Accelerate the loading of pages

To make the browser work faster:

• 🚀 Turn on Data Savings → Page compression (reduces image size).
• 🗑️ Clean the cache once a week: Settings → Clear the data → Cash.
• 🔄 Turn off autoloading images: Settings → General. → Upload images only over Wi-Fi.

3. Set up the main page

By default on the main page MI Browser displays news, weather and advertising:

1. Tap it on. ⋮ → Settings → Main page.
2. Choose Empty Page or Quick Access (frequently visited sites only).
3. Turn off the recommendations and show the weather.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The browser settings are reset, you have to reset them. To avoid this, back up through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

MI Browser Pro vs MI Browser: What's the difference?

In Xiaomi Redmi you can find two browsers from Xiaomi: MI Browser and MI Browser Pro: What's the difference between them?

MI Browser Pro is an updated version that is installed on new Redmi models (starting in 2022), and if you have an older version of the browser, it can be updated through Google Play (if available there), or manually by downloading it. APK from the official Xiaomi website.

To check which version you have installed:

1. Open up. MI Browser.
2. Tap it on. ⋮ → Settings → About the programme.
3. If you have a Pro in the title, you have a new version.

💡

Redmi Note 11 and newer are default MI Browser Pro. On older models (Redmi 9, 8A) — The normal version that is better to update.

Frequent problems with MI Browser and how to solve them

MI Browser, like any pre-installed app, sometimes crashes. Here are 5 common problems and solutions:

1.The browser is constantly closing or crashing

Reasons:

• 🗑️ Covered cache - clear it in Settings → Clear the data.
• 🔄 Conflict with other browsers – do it MI Browser by default browser.
• 📱 Lack of memory – close the background applications.

If it doesn’t help, reinstall your browser through Settings. → Annexes → MI Browser → Remove updates.

2. some sites are not loaded (for example, VKontakte or TikTok)

This may be related to:

• 🔒 Geolocation locking - try to turn on VPN.
• 🛡️ Protected. MIUI — Turn off Safe Browsing in the browser settings.
• 📡 Problems with DNS — change DNS 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).

3. the advertisement appears even after the disconnection

If you have disabled news and ad impressions in the settings, but banners still appear, do the following:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Advertising.
2. Turn off personalized advertising.
3. Install an ad blocker like AdGuard or Blokada.

4. synchronization with Mi Account is not working

Check it out.

• 🔑 You are logged in to the same Mi Account on all devices.
• 📶 Is there Internet access (synchronization works only on Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• ⚙️ Is synchronization enabled in browser settings (Settings) → Mi Account → Synchronization).

5.The browser slows down when scrolling pages

Possible solutions:

• 🖼️ Turn off animation in MIUI: Settings → Special facilities → Remove animations.
• 🔄 Turn on Data Savings → Page compression.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache and browser data.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The browser has become worse, try to roll back to the previous version through Settings → Annexes → MI Browser → Often new versions contain bugs that Xiaomi will not fix until weeks later.

FAQ: Answers to frequent questions about MI Browser