Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the intrusiveness of MIUI or its successor HyperOS. The default system tends to use its own services for calling, messaging and opening web pages, ignoring user preferences, which can be annoying, especially if you are used to third-party solutions like Google Chrome, Telegram or specialized launchers.
Fortunately, the Android architecture allows you to reconfigure these settings, giving priority to the programs you choose. However, in the shells from the Chinese manufacturer, this process is hidden in the depths of the menu or requires specific actions to consolidate the result. Understanding the logic of the system will allow you to fully personalize the device.
In this article, we'll look at all the nuances of what standard apps are supposed to do, where to look for hidden settings, how to bypass automatic resets when you reboot, and what system constraints might be preventing you from choosing. Let's turn your smartphone into a really handy tool.
Where to find the default application settings
Finding the right menu is the first and often the most confusing step, as the location of items can vary depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS. The standard path usually lies through the general settings of the system, but sometimes you need to use the search by parameters. Most current firmware has a unified algorithm of actions.
You need to go to the Settings menu and scroll down to the App section, and that's where you're managing all the installed software, and inside that section, you need to find All Apps, or you need to look for Application Management, where you're hiding the subsection that you want.
You can use a built-in settings search for quick access, and just type the default phrase into the search bar, and the system will suggest you go to the right screen, which is especially true if you have upgraded to a new version of the shell and the usual menu has changed its location.
It's important to distinguish between application settings and global system settings, and we're looking for a global section that dictates how the OS behaves when it launches certain types of content, and the local settings of a particular program won't work.
Change of standard browser and search engine
The most frequent request of users is to replace the standard Mi Browser browser with a more functional counterpart. Android system allows you to easily assign Chrome, Firefox or Edge as the main means of viewing web pages, after which all links from messengers and social networks will open in the selected application.
To do this, in the application settings menu, find the default App section. In the list, you will see the Browser item. When you click on it, you will get a list of all the browsers installed. Choose the right one and confirm the action. Now, when you click on the link, the system will not ask you every time you open the URL.
But the nuances of widgets and voice assistant are important to remember, and some system features, like Google Assistant or the Tape widget on your desktop, can ignore that choice and continue to use the built-in engine, a skin limitation that is hard to get around without root rights.
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If links still open in Mi Browser after changing your browser, try clearing the cache of the Google Links app in the application management menu.
It’s also worth checking the search engine settings within the browser of choice. The default application assignment in the system and the searcher selection within the browser are two different options. Make sure that Google or Yandex is in the address bar of your new browser, not Bing.
Setting up calls, SMS and working with contacts
Xiaomi’s standard caller and messaging app have advanced features, including recording conversations and blocking spam, but not everyone likes their interface. Many users prefer a clean Google Phone and Google Messages, which are similar to changing a browser, but have their own peculiarities.
In the Applications section, you must find Phone and SMS items by default. If you have already installed alternative apps from the Play Market, they will appear in the list of available options. After selecting, the system will warn that the new application will have access to your contacts and call history.
⚠️ Note: When you change the application for calls to a third-party (non-system), the call recording function may stop working or require complex manipulations with the turn on speakerphone, as this is a limitation of the security policy of Android 11 and higher.
The Contacts app is worth special attention. Often the browser is assigned, the call is replaced, but when you dial the messenger, the old phone book opens. Make sure that the right application for working with the contact book is selected in the same settings menu, which will ensure that avatars and names are synchronized across all services.
☑️ Checking the communication settings
Managing Files, Gallery and Launcher
File system and gallery are another area where standard Xiaomi solutions may not be comfortable with users.The built-in explorer is sometimes overloaded with ads in the recommendations section, and the gallery can work slowly with large albums.
To change the Explorer, select File Manager in the default application list and specify, for example, Total Commander or Solid Explorer. Now, when you download a file from the Internet or receive a document in the messenger, the system will prompt you to open it through the selected manager.
Gallery is a bit more complicated. Oftentimes, the default apps for Images or Videos don't have a choice for the global gallery, so you reset every action, so you either have to choose Always or you have to use third-party launchers that intercept those actions.
Replacing the launcher is a radical but effective way to change the interface. By installing a Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, you can completely change the way you view your desktop, but MIUI aggressively unloads third-party launchers from memory.
How to secure a third-party launcher
The problem of resetting settings and ways to solve it
One of the most annoying problems Xiaomi owners have is spontaneously resetting their default app settings after a device reboot or system update. You put Chrome on, and in the morning the Mi Browser opens again. This behavior is embedded in optimizing MIUI memory.
The main reason is that the energy saving mechanism is aggressive, because it kills background processes as unimportant, and resets file associations to standard system components for "stability," and to defeat this, you have to stop the system from restricting the work of selected applications.
Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps. Find the app you want to make the primary (like a browser) in the list. Go to its settings and select AutoStart, activating it. Then look for Activity Control (or Battery Savings) and select No Limits.
| Parameter | Standard value | Recommended value | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-start | Off. | Included | The application is launched together with the system |
| Saving energy | Savings | No restrictions. | The system does not "kill" the process in the background |
| Permits | Only when used | Always (where possible) | Stable function |
| Notifications | Important | All right. | No missing messages |
Another method is to disable MIUI optimization, although in the latest versions this item is hidden. To activate it, you need to 7 times click on the MIUI version number in the About Phone section to open the developer menu. There you can find a switch to turn on MIUI optimization and turn it off. After rebooting, the system will become less aggressive to third-party software.
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The result can only be fixed through a comprehensive setup: the choice of the application by default + auto-start resolution + removing battery restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are the answers to the most popular questions that arise during the setup process, which will help solve typical problems without contacting the service.