How to change the default app to Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 12-14

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones often install their own default apps — Mi Browser instead of Chrome, Mi Video instead of YouTube, and Messages instead of Telegram for SMS. Not only does this limit user experience, it can also slow down the device due to duplicate services. Fortunately, MIUI allows you to flexibly configure standard apps — you just need to know where to look for the right options.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can change your default apps to Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO, from basic system settings to hidden features for power users.

• 🔧 Set up a standard browser, gallery or SMS- messenger via the settings menu
• 📱 Use third-party utilities to force applications to change (if MIUI blocks changes)
• 🔄 Reset your default settings if the system has “forgot” your choice
• 🛠️ Solve typical problems (for example, when the “Clear Default Settings” button is inactive)

The instructions are relevant for MIUI 12, 13 and 14 (including global and Chinese versions), as well as for most models - from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra. If your device runs on HyperOS, some menu items may differ slightly (we will warn about this separately).

1 Basic method: modifying standard applications through the MIUI settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in Default Apps menu, which works on all versions of MIUI and doesn't require superuser rights. Here's how to do this:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Scroll down and select the App section.
3. Tap on Application Management (or All Apps in some versions).
4. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select the Applications by default.

You will see a list of categories for which you can set a standard application:

• 🌐 Browser – Choice between Mi Browser, Chrome, Firefox and more
• 📷 Gallery - Changing Mi Gallery to Google Photos or Simple Gallery
• 💬 SMS — Replacement of standard Messages on Telegram, WhatsApp (for SMS) or QKSMS
• 🎵 Music - Player choice instead of Mi Music
• 📞 Phone – Replacement of the standard call app (relevant for alternative firmware)

For each category, tap the current app and select an alternative from the installed list. If the desired app is not listed, install it from Google Play and restart the device - after that it will appear in the settings.

⚠️ Attention: On some models (e.g., POCO F5 with MIUI 14), the default App item may be hidden. In this case, use a settings search (the magnifier icon at the top of the screen) and enter the "default application" request.

2. How to reset default settings if the system “forgot” them

Sometimes MIUI ignores your choices and keeps opening links or files in standard applications, this is due to a cache failure or a conflict of rights.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose an app that should be standard (like Chrome).
3. Switch to Open by Default (or Default Settings).
4. Click Clear the default settings.

The system then prompts you to re-select the standard application when you next open the appropriate file type (e.g., links or images). If the default Clear Settings button is inactive, then the application has not yet been selected as standard for any data type.

Make sure that an alternative application is installed|Close all background processes in multitasking|Reboot your smartphone after resetting|Check for updates MIUI In Settings → The phone.-->

An alternative method for stubborn cases: use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a PC connection, but is guaranteed to reset all default settings:

adb shell cmd appops set <package_name> android:default default_ignore

Replace the <package_name> with a problem application package identifier (e.g. com.android.chrome for Chrome) and you can find it through the App Inspector app or by commanding:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

3. Hidden Settings: How to Forced Default Applications through Hidden Settings MIUI

If standard methods do not work (for example, on Xiaomi with Chinese firmware), you can use hidden MIUI settings.

1. Install the MIUI Hidden Settings app (available on Google Play or 4PDA).
2. Open it and grant permissions to access the settings (you may need to enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times on the build number).
3. Go to the Default Apps section.
4. Manually select the desired applications for each category.

This method is particularly useful for:

• 📱 Chinese firmware devices where the default Appendix is missing
• 🔒 Models with locked settings (e.g., corporate smartphones)
• 🛠️ Situations where MIUI automatically resets your selection after the update

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12T with MIUI 13.5), hidden settings can be locked at the kernel level, in which case only flashing to the global version or using ADB will help.

Table 4: Compatibility of methods with different versions of MIUI

Not all methods work equally well on different versions of the shell, and here is a comparison table based on the features of MIUI 12–14 and HyperOS:

If your version of MIUI is not listed in the table, check it in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. For HyperOS (the new shell based on Android 14), most methods remain relevant, but the paths in the menu may vary slightly.

5. Solving typical problems when changing standard applications

Even when set up correctly, MIUI can behave in an unpredictable way, and let's look at some of the most common mistakes and their solutions:

Problem 1: The “Clear Default Settings” button is inactive

This means that the application has not yet been selected as standard for any data type.

• 📲 Open the file or link you want to specify a standard application for (e.g., a web page for a browser).
• 🔄 In the window that appears, select the desired application and tick Always (or Use by default).
• 🔙 Go back to the settings and try again to reset.

Problem 2: MIUI automatically resets selections after update

After the MIUI update, the system can reset all default settings to avoid:

• 📥 Before updating, back up the settings through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 🔧 After updating manually check the default settings and reassign them if necessary.
• 🛡️ Turn off automatic optimization in Settings → Battery and Performance → Optimization MIUI (may interfere with saving settings).

Problem 3: You can’t choose a third-party SMS application

On some Xiaomi models (especially those with Chinese firmware), the system blocks the replacement of the standard SMS- app.

• 🔄 Use ADB to force a change of:
• 📱 Install an alternative firmware (e.g., xiaomi.eu) where this restriction is removed.
• 💬 Use messengers that support SMS (e.g., Google Messages or Textra) that can bypass the lock.

💡

If the applications stopped notifying after changing SMS-, check the permissions for the new application in Settings → Applications → Permissions → Notifications. Often MIUI blocks them by default.

6. Alternative methods for experienced users

If standard methods don't work, you can use advanced tools, which require technical knowledge and can affect the stability of the system.

Method 1: Using Shizuku and AppOps

Shizuku allows you to manage Android settings without root rights through ADB.

1. Install Shizuku from Google Play and activate it via ADB:
2. Install AppOps (permissions management application).
3. In AppOps, find the Default App section and manually assign the desired applications.

Method 2: Editing system files (requires root)

For root users, you can manually edit the /data/system/users/0/settings_global.xml file, which stores the default settings.

<setting id="default_browser" value="com.android.chrome" />

Change the value to the package of the desired application. Attention: incorrect changes can lead to system failure!

💡

Before editing system files, make sure to back up via TWRP or OrangeFox Recovery, which will restore the device to work in case of an error.

Method 3: Using Tasker to change automatically

Tasker can create a task that will force you to open links or files in the desired application.

• 📌 Trigger: Event → UI → Widget Click (or Variable Set for tracking link opening).
• 🔄 Action: Task → Launch App with target application indication.

7. Frequent questions and answers

8 Conclusion: Which solution should you choose?

The choice of method depends on your Xiaomi model, MIUI version and technical skills:

• 🟢 For most users: standard settings (Settings → Applications → Default Apps) are sufficient.
• 🟡 If settings are reset: Use ADB or Shizuku to force a change.
• 🔴 For Chinese firmware: You will need MIUI Hidden Settings or flashing to a global version.

Remember, newer versions of MIUI (especially MIUI 14 and HyperOS) may have some methods blocked.

• 🔄 System updates in Settings → The phone. → Update MIUI.
• 📋 Error logs via ADB Logcat (for power users).
• 💬 Reviews on the 4PDA or XDA-Developers forums – there may be a unique solution for your model.

If you are faced with an unusual situation, describe it in the comments - we will try to help!