Many Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone users are facing the intrusive behavior of the built-in Mi Browser.The standard app is often overflowing with news feeds and promotional notifications, which annoys those who are used to minimalism or use specific extensions.
Fortunately, the Android operating system that runs the MIUI or HyperOS shell makes it easy to change apps by default, which means you can install Google Chrome, Yandex, Opera, or any other popular browser from the Play Market store and make it the main one for opening links.
The replacement process does not require superuser rights or complex code manipulations, but just perform a few sequential actions in the settings menu to permanently get rid of excess software and speed up the device. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the steps of changing and configuring a new browser.
Why you should give up the standard Mi Browser
Xiaomi’s built-in browser was originally designed for the Chinese market, where news aggregators are popular. For global firmware versions, this functionality often looks redundant. The memory consumption of the Mi Browser can be higher than that of optimized counterparts, which affects the speed of background applications.
Privacy issues also play a role: Third-party browsers like Firefox or Brave offer more advanced tools for tracking and advertising blocking, and the standard solution doesn’t always provide flexible privacy settings, limiting the user to a basic incognito mode.
⚠️ Warning: When removing or disabling system components, be careful. Completely removing the standard browser via ADB It can cause errors in the operation of some system widgets, if they are tied to its engine.
Alternative solutions often support synchronization with desktop versions, password history and bookmarks. If you use Windows or macOS, choosing the browser that you have on your computer is a logical step to create a unified ecosystem.
Changing your browser is the first step to customizing Android, and you get full control over what content is displayed on the homepage and what permissions the app gets.
Selection of an alternative browser for installation
Before you change settings, you need to select and install a suitable replacement.The Google Play store offers hundreds of options, but it is worth targeting proven solutions with good optimization for Snapdragon and MediaTek mobile processors.
One of the most popular choices remains Google Chrome.It's pre-installed on most devices, but if it's not, it's easy to download.The browser provides fast work and full sync with your Google account.
- 🦊 Mozilla Firefox is a great choice for those who value privacy and the ability to install extensions that block ads.
- ⚡ Opera Mini / Opera GX — Suitable for devices with limited RAM or for gamers who want to allocate browser resources.
- 🛡️ Brave – a browser that blocks trackers and pop-ups by default, significantly speeding up page loading.
- 🔍 Yandex is popular in the Russian segment thanks to its built-in translator and turbo mode to save traffic.
Once you download the APK installation file or download it from the marketplace, the app will appear on the menu, but it is not enough to install it, you need to set it as a priority.
Instructions: How to install a new browser by default
The configuration process in the MIUI and HyperOS shells may vary slightly depending on the Android version, but the logic remains the same: first, you need to open the main settings menu of your Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone.
Find a section called “Applications” or “Applications and Notifications.” In some firmware versions, this item may be hidden within the “Additional” menu or placed in a separate category depending on the regional version of the software.
☑️ Checklist of preparations
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- In the application menu, select the "Application Management" item.
- In the upper right corner of the screen, click on the three dots or gear to open the additional menu.
- Select the "Default apps" option.
- Find the “Browser” line and click on it.
- In the list that opens, select an app you just installed, such as Chrome or Firefox.
After that, all links from messengers, social networks and other applications will open in the browser of your choice, the system will remember this choice and will no longer ask than open the link.
Configure access rights and permissions
The new browser may require additional permissions to work correctly, and unlike the standard application, which already has all the rights, the newly installed one needs to be familiarized with the system.
Be sure to check geolocation access if you use maps and camera access for scanning. QR-Without these permissions, the functionality will be limited and the browser will constantly request access every time the corresponding function is launched.
| Permission | Why? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Camera. | Scanning. QR-codes, video calls | Permission. |
| Geoposition | Maps, search for the nearest cafes | Only when used |
| Microphone | Voice search, text dictation | On request. |
| Notifications | Alerts from websites | Prohibit (for all) |
Pay special attention to notifications. Many sites try to impose a subscription to notifications, which leads to spam. In the browser settings, it is better to immediately prevent sites from requesting notifications to be shown.
⚠️ Warning: Do not give your browser permission to "Change System Settings" or "Overlaid on Other Windows" unless urgently needed.
Cleaning the cache and removing the old browser
Once a new browser is in operation, the old one can either be removed or disabled. If you use the global firmware version, Mi Browser can often be removed as a regular application through the management menu.
If the Remove button is inactive (gray), the browser is system, in which case it can be disabled, and after deactivation it will disappear from the menu and stop consuming resources, although it will physically remain in the system memory.
For complete cleaning, follow the instructions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find it on the Mi Browser list.
- Click on “Clean” → “Clear all data” and “Clear cache”.
- Click the “Delete” or “Disable” button.
What to do if the browser is not deleted?
Clearing up the data is important because the old browser could have accumulated gigabytes of temporary files that slowed down the phone, and releasing that space would have a positive impact on Xiaomi’s overall performance.
Solving problems when changing the browser
Sometimes, after changing the settings, links continue to open in the old application, this can happen if the system has a tail from the previous setting, or if a particular application (for example, Telegram or Viber) has its own internal link opening settings.
In this case, you need to reset the default application settings, which will return the system to a state where it will ask you again than to open the link the first time you click.
To reset the settings:
- 🔧 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔄 Click on three dots in the corner and select Reset App Settings».
- ✅ Confirm the action. After that, when you click on the link, the system will again suggest the choice of browser.
The problem may also be energy saving: the MIUI shell aggressively kills background processes, go to the battery settings and select No Limits mode for your new browser to keep it running smoothly.
💡
If links open in the wrong browser, reset the default application settings in the application management menu and select the desired option again.