Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive behavior of a system that forcibly opens links through the built-in MIUI Browser or HyperOS Browser app. This happens even in cases where the user has long installed and used to use Google Chrome, Yandex Browser or Firefox. The standard behavior of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS is set up to keep the user as much as possible in the manufacturer's ecosystem, which is not always convenient.
The problem is solved quite simply, but the menu is not obvious, and in some versions of the firmware, the system requires additional actions to change priorities. ADB-It is enough to configure the application settings in the system menu correctly so that links from messengers, social networks and email clients open in the browser of your choice.
In this article, we’ll break down all the nuances of switching, including hidden settings that users often ignore.We’ll look at the differences between Android 11, 12, 13 and 14, as well as the specifics of how the shells MIUI 12.5, MIUI 13/14 and the new HyperOS work. Understanding these subtleties will allow you to finally get rid of the automatic launch of the built-in browser with advertising and news feed.
Why Xiaomi imposes its browser
Xiaomi is actively developing its own services, and the browser is one of the key elements of data collection and monetization. Unlike pure Android, where you make a choice once at the first launch, MIUI and HyperOS have mechanisms that can reset your preferences or ignore them under certain conditions.
In addition, the system’s security settings can activate features that force links to be checked through Xiaomi services, creating the illusion that the browser has changed, but in fact a redirect is taking place, and system restrictions can also block third-party launchers or browsers if they are not issued appropriate permissions to work in the background.
Users often notice that after updating the firmware settings are reset. This is standard practice for major Android updates or major versions of MIUI. Therefore, knowing the exact path to settings is necessary for every smartphone owner of this brand to quickly restore comfortable use of the device.
- 🌐 MIUI Browser is a standard application that is deeply integrated into the system, which is difficult to remove without special utilities.
- 🛡️ Security – Built-in antivirus and optimizer often offer to “fix” the browser, returning the default settings.
- 🔄 Automatic updates – can overwrite configuration files, giving priority back to the native application.
Basic configuration through the application menu
The easiest and most reliable way to change the default browser is to use the standard Android settings menu, which works on most versions of MIUI and HyperOS. You need to find the section responsible for managing applications and manually specify which program to prioritize when processing web links.
Go to Settings and find the App item. Some firmware versions may call it All Apps or Application Management. Inside this menu, look for Settings (usually in the top right corner or as a gear) and select the default App item. That's where the switch that controls link behavior is located.
In the list that opens, look for the Browser option, and if you click on it, you'll see a list of all the browsers you've installed on your phone, and if you want to use them all the time (like Chrome or Firefox), you'll have to remember the choice, but if you have HyperOS or a fresh MIUI 14 installed, that action alone may not be enough because of the extra layers of security.
☑️ Checking the default settings
It is important to note that in some cases, the system may not show a list of browsers if the selected application does not have the necessary permissions.Make sure your preferred browser has access to the network and is not limited in background activity.Android 13 and 14 have stricter security policies, so it is worth checking these options separately.
Hidden settings and reset preferences
If the standard method didn’t help and links still open in MIUI Browser, you need to reset preferences for a specific browser application. Often, the system “remembers” the old choice or caches the action of opening a link through the built-in application, ignoring the global settings.
To do this, go back to the Apps → All Apps menu. Find your desired browser (like Google Chrome) in the list. Go to its properties and find the Open default or Run default button. Click on it and select the option to Remove Default Settings or Reset. This action will clear the cache of file and link associations for this application.
⚠️ Warning: After resetting the first time you click on a link, the system may ask you again what to open the file. At this point, make sure to select "Always" and tick "Do not ask again" if such a checkbox appears.
A similar procedure is useful for MIUI Browser itself: Find it in the application list, go to the settings and click Clear Data → Clear Everything. This will not delete your bookmarks if they are synced with your account, but reset the internal priorities of the system. After that, restart the device and try to install the browser by default through the main menu.
What to do if the reset button is inactive?
Features of work in HyperOS and MIUI 14
The HyperOS shell, which replaced MIUI, has changed the logic of working with links, especially with Android App Links technology. Apps can now claim to open links without explicit user confirmation if they prove to the system that they are “best” for this content, which often leads to the fact that links of marketplaces or social networks open in their native applications or built-in browser.
HyperOS has expanded link control. Go to Settings → Apps → Settings (cogs) → Application links (or Supported links). Here you will see a list of all applications that can open web addresses. Find in the MIUI Browser list and turn off the Open Supported Links switch. This will prevent the system from using it as its primary tool for the web.
Then, look in the same list for your browser (like Chrome) and make sure the switch is activated. Also check which domains are allowed to open. Newer versions of Android allow you to fine-tune in detail which links (like just google.com or all http://) a particular browser should handle, which gives you flexibility but requires careful customization.
| Function/Shell | MIUI 12.5 - 13 | MIUI 14 | HyperOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| The path to settings | Applications → Settings | Applications → Default Applications | Applications → Applications Links |
| Blocking MIUI Browser | Through data dumping | By disabling links | Through Link Management |
| App Links' work | Basic | Improved. | Priority |
| Advertising in the system | Tall. | Medium | Minimal (but intrusive) |
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If you’re using HyperOS, be sure to check the Security section → Privacy → Special Permissions section. There may be a hidden switch that allows system applications to ignore user choices.
Advanced Methods: ADB and Removal
For users who want to get rid of intrusiveness guaranteed, there is an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) method, which allows you not only to change the settings, but actually "freeze" or delete the system browser for the current user without breaking the integrity of the firmware. It is safe and reversible.
To start, you need to enable USB debugging. Go to Settings → About Phone and press the MIUI or HyperOS build number 7 times until you become a developer. Then, in advanced settings, activate USB debugging and USB debugging (requires a SIM card and Xiaomi account). Connect the phone to your PC and follow the command:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browserThis command will remove the browser for your user. Links will stop opening physically in it, because the application will not. If you want to return it, just run the command adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser. This method is especially effective if the system settings are constantly reset after rebooting.
⚠️ Note: Be careful when typing commands ADB. Removing critical system components (not the browser, but other services) can cause unstable phone performance or cyclical reboot. Use commands only for known packages.
Solving Frequent Problems
Even after all the settings, there can be situations where links are unpredictable, such as Telegram links opening in the Telegram Web rather than in the browser, or YouTube links running an app even if you want to open them in the browser. This is not a bug, but a feature of Deep Links.
To manage this, you need to set each application separately. Go to the settings of a particular application (such as WhatsApp), find the Open default option, and select Open supported links → Always ask or specify a specific browser. This will give you control over how content from different sources gets to the screen.
Also, a problem can be DNS cache or network settings. If the browser opens but the pages don't load, try resetting the network settings or clearing the DNS cache in the private DNS settings (using the dns.google address), often solving problems with redirecting links through providers who can replace the start page.
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Full control of links is achieved only by a combination of default browser selection and manual permissions setting for each link source application.
Conclusion and recommendations
Changing your browser to Xiaomi is the first step to personalizing and making your smartphone more comfortable. Despite efforts by the developers of MIUI and HyperOS to keep the user in their ecosystem, Android tools make it easy to get around these limitations.
It is recommended to check settings periodically after major system updates, and it is also worth paying attention to alternative browsers that are better optimized for mobile devices and have built-in ad blockers, which significantly speeds up the loading of pages on mobile networks.
Use Android as efficiently as possible. Your smartphone is your tool, and it should work as you like, not as marketers want it to. It will take a couple of minutes to set up properly, but it will save you hours of nerves in the future.