Modern Xiaomi smartphones have powerful screens and performance that allow you to display web pages as well as full-fledged computers. However, by default, mobile versions of sites are often stripped down in functionality or have an uncomfortable navigation for a large display. This is where desktop mode comes to the rescue, which makes the browser pretend to be a desktop device.
Many users face situations where the site does not have the right button, the video player does not work or the ad unit covers all content. Switching to the PC version solves 90% of these problems. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate this feature in the standard Mi Browser and third-party solutions, and also discuss the nuances of work.
It is worth noting that the browser interface may differ depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. We will look at universal action algorithms that will suit most current models, from budget Redmi to flagship Mi. Understanding the principles of the User-Agent will help you better control the display of content.
Why you need a desktop version of websites on a smartphone
The main reason for moving to the full version of the site lies in the limitations of mobile layout, developers often hide what they believe are secondary interface elements to speed up loading on weak networks, but for users with fast 5G or Wi-Fi, these restrictions become an annoying factor that prevents full-time work.
In addition, some administrative panels, banking services or educational platforms simply do not have an adapted mobile interface, in which case the site may not display correctly: fonts crawl on top of each other, and input fields are too small, and the desktop mode forcibly changes the device ID, telling the server that you came from the computer.
Another important aspect is multimedia content: Many video players on sites block playback on mobile devices due to licensing restrictions or simply do not support touch interfaces. Mode switching often removes these locks, allowing you to watch videos or listen to music without installing additional applications.
How to Enable Desktop Mode in Mi Browser
Xiaomi’s standard browser is one of the most popular surfing tools in the brand ecosystem, optimized for shelling and offers quick access to the necessary features. To switch to the PC version, you need to do a few simple actions in the settings menu of the current tab.
Open the site you're interested in and look at the bottom control panel for a three-horizon icon or a menu icon. The list that opens will look for the item that makes the page visible. It can be called differently in different versions of the firmware, but it usually contains the word "Desktop" or "PC."
Once activated, the page will automatically reload, and you'll notice that the interface elements have become smaller and the layout has changed to the horizontal layout that is typical of monitors. If the site requires data entry, the keyboard can also adapt to the desktop layout.
☑️ The inclusion algorithm in Mi Browser
If you switched to the desktop version on a specific resource, the browser can save this setting for the domain. This is convenient for constant operation, but sometimes requires a manual reset if you need the mobile version again.
Set up the full version in Google Chrome and Yandex.Browser
If you prefer to use third-party solutions such as Google Chrome or Yandex Browser, the activation process will differ in the logic of the arrangement of elements. In Chrome, the function is hidden in the general browser settings menu, rather than being tied rigidly to a specific tab, although modern versions allow you to manage this and per-table.
To activate in Chrome, click on the three dots in the upper right corner (or at the bottom, depending on the interface settings). In the drop-down list, you need to find the box "Pc Version." Once installed, all pages that you open will be requested by the server as desktop, this is a global setting that affects the entire browser.
In Yandex.Browser, the situation is similar: the menu is called through a button with three points where the switch is located. Yandex.Browser features aggressive compression of traffic in Turbo mode, which sometimes conflicts with the definition of the device. If the site is displayed incorrectly, try to turn off traffic savings.
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Use incognito mode to check the display of the site. Often cached data of the mobile version prevents the correct switch to the desktop view even after changing the settings.
It is worth considering that third-party browsers can consume more RAM when rendering heavy desktop versions of sites. On devices with 4 GB of RAM or less, this can lead to more frequent unloading of tabs from memory.
Table of comparison of browser capabilities
Different browser engines handle user agent requests differently, and here is a comparison table showing how popular browsers work on Xiaomi devices.
| browser | Positioning of the button | Saving settings | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Browser | Lower panel / tab menu | For the current session only | Low. |
| Google Chrome | Menu (three dots) -> General settings | Globally for all sites | Average. |
| Yandex Browser | Menu (three dots) -> Settings | Globally with exceptions | Medium/High |
| Mozilla Firefox | Menus -> Desktop site | Customized for each site | High. |
As you can see from the table, Mi Browser offers the most flexible approach to managing the view for each individual tab without changing the global settings. This is convenient if you want to read news in mobile and work with documents in desktop. Other browsers are more likely to apply global rules.
Browser selection also affects graphics rendering speed. The Blink engine used in Chrome and Mi Browser is better optimized for Snapdragon and MediaTek mobile processors that are installed in Xiaomi smartphones.This provides smooth scrolling even for heavy pages.
Display problems and their solution
Even after you turn on desktop mode, users can encounter artifacts. Items can go outside the screen, requiring constant horizontal scrolling, which is uncomfortable on a touchscreen display. Often this is because the site uses a fixed width of containers, not adapting to the touch interface.
In some cases, a site can identify real-world screen features through JavaScript and ignore the change in User-Agent, a security mechanism that prevents desktop interfaces from being used on small screens, and this can only be circumvented through special extensions or debugging mode available to advanced users.
⚠️ Warning: When working in desktop mode on a touch screen, be careful with hover effects (cursor getting stuck). On a computer, they are activated by the mouse, and on the phone - by the first touch, which can lead to double clicks or random opening of menus.
If the font is too small to read, don't be too quick to change the settings. Use the zoom function in the browser itself. Usually it's called by double tap on text or through the zoom menu, which will save the layout of the site, but increase the readability of the content.
Why doesn’t the video work in full screen?
Advanced settings through the developer menu
For those who don’t have the standard methods, it’s possible to fine-tune the device ID bar, which requires the developer menu to be included in the Android settings, which allows you to manually prescribe any User-Agent, turning your phone into a Mac, Linux machine, or a particular laptop model.
To access these settings, you need to quickly click 7 times on the build number in the About section. Once the "You're a developer" notification appears, a new item will appear in the settings menu, and you can find USB debugging and other tools, but we're only interested in emulation.
settings put global http_agent "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64).."Using these methods requires caution: Incorrect settings can cause some sites to stop opening altogether or display content incorrectly encoded, and it is recommended to take screenshots of the original settings before making changes.
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Manually modifying User-Agent via ADB or developer menus gives you maximum control, but requires technical knowledge and may disrupt some web services.
The effect of the mode on loading speed and traffic
Moving to the desktop version of a site inevitably leads to an increase in the amount of data that you download, full pages contain more scripts, high-resolution graphics and advertising modules, which are often hidden in mobile versions, which directly affects traffic consumption and loading speed.
If you use the mobile Internet, turning on the PC mode can quickly exhaust your data packet. Heavy scripts also consume more battery power, as the processor has to perform more calculations to render complex layouts. On older phone models, this can cause the case to heat up.
- 📉 Speed: Pages are loaded on 15-30% longer because of the weight of the content.
- 📶 Data consumption may increase in the 2-3 compared to the mobile version.
- 🔋 Battery: Active JavaScript processing and graphics rendering put the battery down faster.
However, if you're connected to stable Wi-Fi, these nuances become less significant. The main advantage of full access to functionality outweighs the cost of resources.
⚠️ Warning: Do not turn on desktop mode at a weak signal of the cellular network. High connection timeout can cause the page to load only partially, and you have to reboot it again, wasting traffic.