How to permanently disable MI Browser on Redmi Note 8 Pro: from manual removal to system tricks

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is one of the most popular smartphones of the brand, but its proprietary browser MI Browser often causes annoyance among users. The application not only takes up space in memory, but also actively consumes battery power, shows annoying advertising, and sometimes even opens spontaneously. If you are tired of these problems, this article is for you.

We'll discuss 5 working ways to disable or remove MI Browser on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, including root-free and with-the-root methods, and how to replace it with an alternative browser and what to do if the system blocks uninstallation. Importantly, some methods require caution - wrong actions can disrupt the smartphone.

Why MI Browser is a hindrance to Redmi Note 8 Pro users

Branded browser from Xiaomi is built into the firmware MIUI and has a number of features that many seem disadvantages:

• 🔋 High battery consumption – the app works in the background even if you don’t use it.
• 📦 Takes up a place in memory – together with cache and updates can weigh up to 200-300 MB.
• 📢 Intrusive Advertising – Banners and pop-ups appear even on the home screen.
• 🔄 Spontaneous Openings – the browser can be launched when you click on links from other applications.
• 🔒 Limited privacy settings – it’s hard to disable data collection.

In addition, MI Browser often becomes the default system application for opening web links, which prevents you from using Chrome, Firefox or other browsers. Even after installing an alternative, MIUI can automatically return priority to a proprietary solution.

Method 1: Disable MI Browser through Settings (without root)

The easiest and safest method is to deactivate the application in the Android settings. This will not delete the browser completely, but will stop it from working and save resources.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings on your Redmi Note 8 Pro.
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. In the list, find the Browser (or MI Browser) and tap it.
4. Click Disable (or Remove Updates if the Disable button is inactive).
5. Confirm the action in the window that appears.

⚠️ Note: After disconnecting some functions MIUI For example, links from messages or emails will not open automatically. To fix this, install another browser and assign it to the default application in the settings.

Install an alternative browser (Chrome, Firefox)

Save your bookmarks from MI Browser (if needed)

Check if the browser is used to synchronize data

Make a backup copy of important data-->

Method 2: Remove updates and reset to factory version

If MI Browser has been updated through Google Play, it can be returned to the factory version, sometimes allowing you to disable or even remove it.

How to do this:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Browser.
2. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Remove Updates.
3. Confirm the action. After that, the browser version will reset to the factory.
4. Now try again to click Disable or Delete (if the button is active).

If the Remove button never appeared, then the browser is sewn into the MIUI firmware as a system application, in which case only obtaining root rights or using ADB (we will discuss them later) will help.

💡

If after resetting updates, the browser has updated automatically again, turn off auto-update for it in Google Play. To do this, open the app page in the store, click on three dots and uncheck the "Auto Update" box.

Method 3: Remove MI Browser via ADB (without root)

If standard methods don’t work, you can try to remove the browser using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which does not require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to the computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. On your smartphone, turn on Developer Mode (go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
4. Connect the Redmi Note 8 Pro to the PC USB-cable and select File Transfer Mode.
5. Open the command prompt (or PowerShell in Windows) and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear – if not, check the drivers.)

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

If the command is successful, MI Browser will be deleted for the current user, while the system files will remain intact, which is safe.

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI The browser packet may have a different name (e.g. com.miui.browser).To find out the exact name, use the command: adb shell pm list packages | grep browser

Method 4: Complete removal with root rights

If you are willing to take risks and gain root access, you can remove MI Browser permanently, a method that is suitable for power users, as improper actions can lead to loss of warranty or inoperability of the smartphone.

What you need:

• 📱 Redmi Note 8 Pro with bootloader unlocked).
• 💻 Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 🔧 A program for rooting, such as Magisk.
• 🛠 Application for removing system applications, such as System App Remover.

Instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website (the process can take up to 7 days).
2. Install Custom Recavers (TWRP) and get root with Magisk.
3. Download and install System App Remover from Google Play.
4. Open the app, find MI Browser (or com.android.browser) and click Delete.
5. Reboot your smartphone.

After you delete your system browser, some MIUI features (such as opening links from notifications) may not work properly. To avoid problems, assign another browser to the default app immediately after you delete it.

Method 5: Replacing MI Browser with an alternative browser

If you can't delete or disable MI Browser, you can just make another browser the main one, and it won't eliminate the background activity of the proprietary solution, but at least it won't interfere with everyday use.

How to assign the default browser:

1. Install an alternative browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Brave).
2. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the top corner and select the Applications by default.
4. Slip on the browser and select the desired application from the list.

We also recommend you to disable notifications from MI Browser:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management.
2. Find the Browser and turn off all the switches.

What to do if MI Browser opens itself after shutting down

Sometimes, even after deactivation, the browser continues to start when you click on links, because MIUI automatically resets the default settings to fix:

• 🔗 Assign another browser to the primary browser (as described in Method 5).
• 🚫 Turn off autostart for MI Browser: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → browser → Auto-start. Turn off all permissions.

Titanium Backup

App Quarantine (root required)

Reset the application settings

1. Open Settings → System → Resetting of settings → Resetting of application settings.
2. Confirm the action - it will return all permits to the factory.

If the problem persists, check if there are viruses or suspicious apps on your smartphone that can force your browser to open.

💡

Even after disabling MI Browser can remain in the system as a "zombie process". To completely stop its activity, use the combination of disabling in the settings + deleting updates + assigning another browser by default.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling MI Browser on Redmi Note 8 Pro