How to replace the player on Xiaomi devices: from smartphone to Smart TV

Standard media player MIUI PatchWall (on Xiaomi Mi TVs) TV) People often get criticized for having limited functionality, advertising, or an inconvenient interface, and they want to replace it with alternatives like VLC, MX Player or Kodi — but face challenges from the lack of the “Open by default” option to system limitations. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to replace the player on Xiaomi devices, including smartphones, tablets and Smart TV, peculiarly MIUI 14/15 hyperos.

The main difficulty lies in the policy of Xiaomi: the company blocks the change of applications by default for key media formats (for example, video in the video format.mp4 or music.mp3). But there are workarounds - from manually assigning files to using them. ADB-We tested all the methods on the latest firmware and put together the working solutions.

Important: the procedure is different for smartphones (Redmi lines, POCO, Xiaomi 13/14) and televisions (Mi) TV A2, Xiaomi TV Q2 If you are using a HyperOS device (released after October) 2023 Some of the steps will require additional actions, and we will highlight them separately.

1.Why Xiaomi's standard player doesn't suit users

Built-in applications MIUI — Miusics (for audio) and Video (for clips) – optimized for the Xiaomi ecosystem, but have a number of drawbacks:

• 📺 Advertising: Even in the latest versions MIUI 15 in the video player periodically appear banners with an offer to subscribe to Mi Video.
• 🎵 Limited formats:.mkv with multichannel sound,.flac high bitrate or.avi with rare codecs are not supported.
• 🔄 No flexible settings: it is impossible to change the equalizer in Miusica or enable upscale video before 4K.
• 📱 Account binding: on Xiaomi TVs, the player requires authorization in Mi Account to access network folders.

Alternative players solve these problems: VLC Supports all codecs out of the box", MX Player offers gesture control, and Kodi can stream content with the NAS. However, simply installing them is not enough – you need to reassign file processing at the system level, which is more difficult to do on Xiaomi than on “pure” Android.

According to the survey 4PDA (2026), 68% of Xiaomi owners tried to replace the standard player, but only 34% were able to do so the first time. MIUI.

Preparation: What to do before replacing the player

Before you change the player, follow these steps to avoid errors:

Install an alternative player from Google Play or APK

Backup your media files on your computer or cloud

Check the version. MIUI/HyperOS In Settings → The phone.

Turn off battery optimization for a new player

Enable the Developer Mode (if required) ADB)

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Pay special attention to access rights. on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ Even after installing an alternative player, the system can block the player from working with files:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the installed player (for example, VLC) And open its settings.
3. Activate all permissions: Storage, Microphone (if necessary), Auto Start.
4. In the section Additional → Special access rights enable Display on top of other windows and Change system settings (if available).

On Xiaomi TVs (Mi) TV, Redmi Smart TV) It's complicated because of the limited interface:

1. Install the player through Google Play (if you have to use the TV Android TV) or using Send Files to TV (For models without Play Market).
2. Enable installation from unknown sources in Settings → Security and limitations.
3. Use a file manager (for example, FX File Explorer for manual selection of player when opening a file.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi TVs with firmware older than 2022 (PatchWall 3.0 and below) may not have the default player change option, in which case you will have to manually select the application each time through the Open with the help menu".

3. Method 1: Replace the player through Android settings (for smartphones)

This method works for most Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12-15 or HyperOS, but has limitations on system formats (e.g,.mp4 Or.mkv. Instructions:

1. Open any media file (video or audio) through the file manager (Files or Mi Explorer).
2. When you first open it, the system will tell you to select an application. → Always select the right player (for example, MX Player).
3. If the option is always missing, go to Settings → Annexes → Default applications → Music/video player and select an alternative app.

On HyperOS, the path to settings may be different:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Cog sign (top) → Default Apps

If the player is not on the list, Xiaomi has blocked it for this type of file, in which case manual reassignment through the system will help. ADB (see method 3).

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI The default player settings may reset. To avoid this, prior to updating, record the selection via ADB (see method 3).

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On Xiaomi smartphones, the easiest way to replace the player for non-system formats (.avi,.flac.mp4 and.mp3 Additional actions are often required.

Method 2: Manually Open Files on Xiaomi TVs

On Mi. TV Redmi Smart TV Changing the default player is often impossible through settings. Instead, use this workaround:

1. Install an alternative player (for example, VLC Android TV) via Google Play.
2. Connect. USB-media storage or use the built-in file manager.
3. When opening the file, hold the button. OK on the remote until the context menu appears.
4. Choose Open with help and specify the player you want. Repeat the action for all file types.

For convenience, create a player shortcut on the main screen:

1. Press the Home button on the remote.
2. In the list of applications, find the installed player and click Add to the main screen.

On TVs with PatchWall (firmware for India), you may need to disable parental controls, as it blocks the installation of third-party players.

Settings → Parental Controls → Disable

For Xiaomi models TV A2 2023 and later (on Google) TV) simpler:

• 📱 Install the player through Google Play.
• 🔧 In the settings of the Application → Default apps select it for video/audio.
• 🖥️ Use Google Assistant to open files through a new player.

5. Method 3: Use ADB forcing a player change

If Xiaomi blocks player replacement through the interface, Android Debug Bridge will help (ADB). This method works on all devices, including televisions, but requires a computer.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (for smartphones) or Wi-Fi connection (for smartphones) TV).
• 📦 Established ADB Tools.
• 🔧 Included Developer Mode and Debugging by USB device-wise.

Step-by-step:

1. Put the debugging on. USB: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 (one) Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB (include) For televisions: Settings → The device → About the device → Android version (click on) 7 (one) Settings → The device → For developers → Debugging by USB/network (include)
2. Connect your device to your PC: For smartphones: connect to the cable and confirm access on the phone screen. For TVs: connect to Wi-Fi (learn) IP-address TV In Settings → Network and use the command: adb connect [IP_address]:5555
3. Do it. ADB-First check the list of all applications that can open videos: adb shell dumpsys package | grep "video/" Then force the player to assign by default (for example, for VLC): adb shell cmd package set-home-activity org.videolan.vlc For audio use: adb shell cmd package add-preferred-activity org.videolan.vlc

If the commands don’t work, try an alternative method:

adb shell pm clear --user 0 com.android.providers.media


adb shell pm grant org.videolan.vlc android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with PatchWall after use ADB If the player hasn't changed, repeat commands with super-user root rights, but this requires an unlocked bootloader.

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Save commands to a text file on your desktop so you can quickly repeat the process after updating. MIUI, resetter.

6 Problem Solving: What to Do If the Player Doesn't Change

If after all the manipulations Xiaomi persistently opens files in a standard player, check these points:

• 🔄 Cache and data: Clear the cache of the standard player in Settings → Annexes → Video/Music → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📱 Firmware update: On MIUI 15 and HyperOS some teams ADB Check the current instructions for 4PDA or XDA Developers.
• 🔒 Superuser Rights: If the device is rooted, use App Systemizer to convert the player to a system application.
• 🛠️ Resetting: In extreme cases, reset application settings in Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings.

For Xiaomi TVs with the error "App does not respond" when opening files through an alternate player:

1. Check the compatibility of the player with Android TV (not all versions MX Player Supports TV-interface).
2. Turn off the power saving for the player in Settings → Annexes → Special access → Optimize battery usage.
3. Update your TV firmware to the latest version (relevant to Mi) TV A2 Xiaomi TV Q2).

If the problem persists, try installing the player as a system player through ADB:

adb shell pm install -r -t -i "com.android.vending" -d /path/to/apk


adb shell pm grant org.videolan.vlc android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE




adb shell pm grant org.videolan.vlc android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

7. Alternative solutions: if nothing helps

If you can’t replace the player, consider these options:

• 📁 Use a file manager with a built-in player: FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer have their own media players and allow you to open files without system restrictions.
• 🌐 Streaming through DLNA: Set up a media server on your PC (Plex, Kodi) and stream content to Xiaomi via Google Cast or Miracast.
• 🔄 Install custom firmware: On Xiaomi smartphones with unlocked bootloader you can flash LineageOS or Pixel Experience, where there are no restrictions on changing the player.
• 📺 Connecting external devices: Use Fire for TVs TV Stick or Nvidia Shield with Kodi preinstalled.

For owners of Xiaomi Mi TV Stick (Steambox) process of replacing the player is similar to Android TV:

1. Install an alternative player through Google Play.
2. Use bootloader to download APK, If the application is not available in the store.
3. Assign the default player through Settings → Annexes → Default applications.

If you are frequently working with rare formats (for example,.m2ts or.ogv, consider recoding files to.mp4 With HandBrake or FFmpeg, this will save you from playback problems on any Xiaomi device.

8.Comparison of alternative players for Xiaomi

The choice of player depends on your tasks. We tested popular options on Xiaomi devices and compiled a comparison table:

For Xiaomi TVs, the best choice would be Kodi (for a media library) or VLC (It's the best on smartphones. MX Player with additional codecs or nPlayer for working with network folders.

If syncing between devices is important to you, look for Plex or Emby – they allow you to stream content from the server to any Xiaomi screen, saving playback and customization history.

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For Xiaomi TVs with limited settings, the best option is to use external devices (Fire). TV Stick or media servers (Plex).

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing the player on Xiaomi