How to make a link open in the app, not in the browser on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Have you ever faced a situation where you click on a link in a messenger or mail, and instead of the expected application (YouTube, Telegram, VKontakte), it stubbornly opens in the Mi Browser or Chrome browser? This is a typical problem of Xiaomi smartphone users on the MIUI firmware, where the system by default redirects external links to the web browser, as a result, the functionality of applications is lost, user experience deteriorates, and sometimes it is impossible to perform the desired action (for example, confirm the login through a deep link).

The reason for this behavior lies in the peculiarities of MIUI: firmware aggressively caches links, prioritizes its own services (Mi Browser), and often ignores the default settings for applications. Fortunately, this can be corrected in several ways, from basic Android settings to manually editing configuration files. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including hidden MIUI functions, which will help to regain control over where and how your links open.

Why does Xiaomi open links in the browser and not in the app?

The problem with redirecting links to Xiaomi is due to a combination of factors unique to the MIUI ecosystem.

• 🔄 Caching references in MIUI: The firmware saves the history of clicks on links and “remembers” the last used application (most often the browser), ignoring the default settings.
• 🏷️ Mi Browser priority: The system forcibly offers to open links in the branded browser, even if you have never used it.
• 🔗 Deep links and Intent Filter: Some apps (such as TikTok or AliExpress) incorrectly register link handlers in Android Manifest, which leads to conflicts.
• 🛠️ Optimization MIUI: The function "Smart resolution" (Settings) → Special facilities → Smart resolution can automatically select a browser to save resources.

Interestingly, on pure Android (like Pixel or Samsung with One UI), there is no such problem — the system strictly follows the default settings. On Xiaomi, the logic is different: the firmware tries to “help” the user, but often this leads to the opposite effect. For example, if you once opened a link to YouTube in the browser, MIUI can “fix” this choice and ignore the YouTube application in the future.

Method 1: Setup the application by default in Android

The most obvious way is to give the app default status as a link handler, but on Xiaomi, this process has nuances:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select the Default Apps.
3. Tap on the section Opening links (or Browser in older versions of MIUI).
4. In the list, find the app you want (like YouTube or Telegram) and select it as the handler for the relevant link types (https://youtu.be, tg://, etc.).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) no link opening may be available, in which case proceed to the following method.

Application settings are open|Found the section "Default applications"|Targeted application for links selected|Opening of test link is checked-->

If the links are still opened in the browser after these actions, the problem lies deeper in the MIUI cache or Intent Filter conflicts, the solution is to clear the system cache (method 3) or manually edit the settings through ADB (method 5).

Method 2: Clearing the Mi Browser and Link Handler cache

MIUI actively caches data on which apps have opened links, to reset these settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Mi Browser (or Chrome if you use it) and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Go back to the app list and find Link Handler (or Russian-language firmware link handler) and clear its cache and data.

Once cleaned, restart the device. Now, when you first open a link, the system should suggest you select an application. If that doesn't happen, check if Open Supported Links is enabled in your browser settings (it can block redirects to other applications).

Method 3: Disabling Smart Resolution and MIUI Optimization

The MIUI Smart Resolution function automatically selects apps to open links based on the user experience, often mistakenly prioritizing the browser to disable it:

1. Go to Settings → Special features → Smart resolution.
2. Turn off the automatic resolution slider.
3. Return to Settings → Battery and Performance → Memory Management.
4. Disable MIUI Optimization for the target application (e.g. Telegram or VK).

Also check if Traffic Saving is enabled in your browser settings – it can block redirects to third-party apps to “save data.”

Method 4: Using ADB to Reset Link Settings

If previous methods didn't work, you'll have to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a PC connection, but is guaranteed to reset all link processing settings.

1. Turn on the Developer Mode on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB Debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools and execute the command:

adb shell pm clear-user-defaults

This command will reset all application settings by default. After the device reboots, the first time you open any link, the system will prompt you to select the application again.

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB Incorrect use can lead to failures. On Xiaomi models with a locked bootloader (for example, global versions of Redmi), some of the most common ones are not available. ADB-Commands may not be executed without unlocking.

adb shell pm reset-permissions

It will reset all application permissions, including Intent processing.-->

Method 5: Manual editing of Intent Filter (for advanced)

If the problem is with a particular app (for example, Instagram or Twitter won’t open their links), you can manually check its Intent Filter, a declaration in AndroidManifest.xml that determines what types of links the app can handle.

1. Download the APK applications (for example, with APKCombo).
2. Unclick it (rename it.zip and open it with the archiver).
3. Find the AndroidManifest.xml file in the res folder.
4. Check for lines of view: <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" /> <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" /> <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" /> <data android:scheme="https" android:host="twitter.com" /> </intent-filter>

If there are no such strings, the application is not declared as a link handler, and the problem is not with the Xiaomi settings, but with the application itself, in which case you only have to wait for an update from the developer or use alternative clients (for example, Frost for Facebook).

💡

Most of the problems with opening links on Xiaomi are solved by a combination of methods 1 (default settings) + 2 (cache cleaning) + 3 (disable Smart Resolution). Methods 4 and 5 are only required in 5-10% of cases when the problem is related to system failures or errors in applications.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When setting up link opening, users often make the following mistakes:

• 🔧 Incomplete cache cleaning: Forgetting to clear the Link Handler cache or browser.This causes old routes to remain in the system.
• 🔄 Ignoring reboot: After changes in settings or cleaning the cache, the device is not restarted. MIUI They are only used after reboot.
• 📱 Using unofficial firmware: On custom firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu or Pixel Experience), the logic of link processing may be different.
• 🔗 Application Conflict: Installing multiple clients for a single service (e.g. Telegram and Telegram X) can result in the system not knowing which one to choose.

Another common problem is regional restrictions, where some Xiaomi models for the Chinese market (such as the Mi 11 Ultra with China ROM firmware) can block link processing settings, in which case only flashing to the global version of MIUI will help.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions