Setup link opening in Xiaomi apps: a complete guide for MIUI

Have you ever encountered a situation where when you click on a link in a messenger or social network instead of opening in a browser, it is automatically redirected to an unnecessary application? Or vice versa - Xiaomi stubbornly ignores your preferences and opens all links in a standard browser, even though you are used to Chrome or Firefox? This problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones based on MIUI, where the logic of link processing often works unintuitively.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to configure link opening on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from basic parameters in the system settings to hidden functions that the manufacturer does not advertise.

• 🔄 Change the default application to open web links (HTTP/HTTPS)
• 📱 Configure processing of deep links (links type) tg://, vk://)
• 🛠️ Solve conflicts between browsers and messengers
• 🔧 Reset your settings if the system ignores your choices

We’ll focus on the hidden “Reference Open” menu in MIUI 14/15, which many users don’t notice, even though it solves 90% of redirect problems, and look at the nuances for popular models – from Xiaomi 13 Pro to the budget Redmi Note 12.

Why is Xiaomi Opening Links Wrong?

The problem with link processing in MIUI is due to several factors:

1. Browser competition: The default system tries to open links to Mi Browser (the built-in browser of Xiaomi), even if you have installed Chrome or Edge.
2. Deep links are prioritized if the link contains a type prefix instagram:// or whatsapp://, Forced redirects it to the appropriate application, ignoring your settings for HTTP.
3. Cache settings. MIUI aggressively caches the user's choice, and sometimes resetting that cache requires manual action.
4. Android Restrictions: Starting with Android 12, Google has tightened the rules for link processing, which has added complexity to the setup.

Fun fact: POCO devices (like POCO F5) are less likely to have problems because they use a cleaner version of MIUI without aggressive Mi Browser ads, but Redmi Note 11 owners often complain about forced link opening in unwanted apps.

Method 1: Change the default application for HTTP/HTTPS

The most obvious method is to assign the browser as the default, but in MIUI, this process has nuances:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select the Default Apps.
3. Find the Browser section and select the desired application (e.g. Chrome).

But there's a catch: even after that, some links can open in Mi Browser, because MIUI shares settings for:

• 🌐 Regular web links (HTTP/HTTPS)
• 🔗 Deep links (links of the type) vk://post-12345)
• 📎 References (e.g. in the PDF or DOCX)

Make sure your browser is installed and updated |Reboot your phone after you change your settings | Check if the antivirus (e.g. Mi Security) is blocking the redirect | Clear the cache to Settings → Apps → [Your browser] → Memory → Clear the cache

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If after changing the browser by default, the links still open incorrectly, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Hidden Link Opening Menu in MIUI

This is the most effective solution for MIUI 14 and newer, but many users don't know about it.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Tap it on three points. → Special access.
3. Choose Open Links (or Open by Default in English).

Here you will see a list of all the apps that can open links.

• 🔘 Enable/disable link processing (slider on the right)
• 🔄 Set priority (tap on the application) → "Open supported links")
• 📋 View the types of links it processes (e.g, http://, https://, tel://)

Example: If you want all https:// links to open in Chrome and magnet:// to open in qBittorrent, you can set it up here.

Method 3: Set up deep links for messengers and social networks

References of type tg://resolve?domain=username vk://wall-12345678_123 They're not being processed by the browser, but by the corresponding applications:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application (for example, Telegram or VKontakte).
3. Go to Open by default (or Set as default).
4. Turn off the option to Open Supported Links if you do not want links to be automatically redirected to this app.

Important: Some apps (like WhatsApp) may reset these settings after an update, and check them regularly if you notice changes in link behavior.

💡

If you use web versions of instant messengers (such as Telegram Web), add them to your favorites on the home screen. This will allow you to quickly open links in the browser, bypassing redirects to the application.

Method 4: Resetting link opening settings

If the system persists in ignoring your preferences, there may have been a crash in the settings cache to reset them:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three points → Reset application settings.
3. Confirm the action (this won’t delete application data, only reset the default settings).

After discharge:

• 🔄 All link opening settings will return to factory.
• 📱 You will have to re-select the default browser.
• ⚠️ Some deep links may stop working until you reconfigure them.

💡

App reset is a “nuclear option” and only use it if other methods have failed, as it affects all applications on the device, not just browsers.

Table: Common Problems and Solutions

Method 5: Manual control via ADB (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to connect your phone to your computer and have basic command line knowledge.

Example of a team to reset all link handlers:

adb shell pm clear-defaults

To assign Chrome to the default handler for HTTP/HTTPS:

adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.android.chrome/com.google.android.apps.chrome.Main

💡

Before using ADB, make sure that the phone is debugging via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap on version → return to Additional settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).

⚠️ Attention: misuse ADB It can cause system failures. Don't change your settings unless you're sure they're there.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users make the same mistakes when setting up link openings:

⚠️ Note: If you have installed Chrome as the default browser, but links still open in Mi Browser, check if it does not include the “Fast Link Open” mode (Mi Browser Settings). → Quick Opening: This feature intercepts links from other applications.

Other common mistakes:

• 🚫 Ignoring updates. After update MIUI or browser settings may be reset. Always check them after updates.
• 🔄 Incomplete reset: If you reset only the browser settings, but not the system, the problem may persist.
• 📱 Antivirus conflict: apps like Mi Security or Avast can block link redirects.

If you encounter a unique problem not described in the article, check out XDA Developers or 4PDA forums, which often discuss specific bugs of specific versions of MIUI.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions