How to make Yandex the start page on the phone Android Xiaomi Redmi

Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often seek to personalize their device to their own needs, replacing standard Google services with more familiar domestic counterparts. Installing Yandex as a start page or main interface element is the first step to creating a convenient working environment. The process of integrating a search engine into the Android system on the shell of MIUI or HyperOS has its own nuances that distinguish it from setting up on a “pure” Android.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, from simple installation of a widget on the desktop to deep customization of browsers and system search. Integration of Yandex services allows you to instantly access mail, weather, news and search bar without unnecessary actions. It is important to understand the difference between the start page in the browser and the widget on the desktop, as users often confuse these concepts.

To successfully complete all the steps, you will need a stable Wi-Fi or mobile Internet connection. Also make sure that your Xiaomi device has the latest firmware installed to avoid interface conflicts. We will look at both standard system tools and specialized launcher applications for advanced users.

Installation of Yandex widget on the desktop

The easiest and most effective way to make Yandex the “start” element of your smartphone is to place a widget on the home screen. Unlike computers where the start page opens in the browser, on a mobile Android device, the desktop often plays the role of the starter. First, you need to make sure that the Yandex application (or Yandex with Alice) is installed on your device from the official Google Play store or GetApps.

Once the application is installed, we move to the interface setting. On the MIUI or HyperOS desktop, you need to find a free space, preferably at the top of the screen, where the widget will be most noticeable. Standard search engine widgets occupy a certain number of grid cells, so you should free up space in advance about 4x5 or 4x6 icons depending on the selected widget design.

To add a widget, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Make a long tap (tap) on an empty desktop area until the edit menu appears.
• 🛠 Select “Add widgets” or “Widgets” at the bottom of the screen.
• 🔍 In the list that opens, find the Yandex app and click on it to view the available formats.
• 🖱 Drag the selected widget (for example, “Search with Alice” or “Yandex.String”) to the free screen space and release your finger.

Note that Yandex widgets on Xiaomi may require additional permissions to display weather and traffic jams correctly. Android may request location permission, which must be provided for the full operation of geoservices. If the widget is displayed in black square or not updated, try resizing the widget by pulling over its edges, or reinstall the application.

Setting up the start page in Yandex.Browser

If by “start page” you mean the screen that opens when you start your browser, then the settings are inside the Yandex Browser application itself. Unlike desktop versions, the Yandex mobile browser on Android does not have a classic start page in the form of a Yandex Browser application. URL-Instead, you use the "Table" or "Tapes" concept, which is downloaded by default.

To adjust the contents of the browser start screen, you need to enter the settings menu. Click on the three dots at the bottom corner of the screen (or at the top, depending on the version of the interface) and select Settings. Here you are interested in the Home or Scoreboard section. This is where you can customize which sites will appear on the start page as tiles, and also turn on or off the Zen news feed.

⚠️ Note: In the mobile version of Android, it is impossible to make a specific site (e.g. yandex.ru) open immediately when you click on a browser icon, bypassing the standard scoreboard.This is a security limitation and architecture of the Android operating system, not a browser bug.

However, you can make it easier to access frequently visited resources, you can add the most important sites to your scoreboard so that they are always at hand immediately after launch, and in the browser settings, you should activate synchronization with your Yandex ID account, which will save passwords, history and bookmarks in the cloud, which is especially useful when changing your device or reinstalling the system.

For users who are critical to opening a particular site when they start, there is a workaround through shortcuts, but standard browser tools do not implement this as a “start page” in the classic desktop sense.

Yandex as a default search engine

An important aspect of integration is the installation of Yandex as the default search engine, which means that when you type a query into the browser address bar or into the global search system, the results will be delivered through the Yandex engine, not Google. On Xiaomi smartphones, this can be configured both in the Yandex browser itself and in the Android system settings.

Consider the settings inside your Yandex browser. Go to Settings → Search. Here you will see a list of available search engines. Make sure that Yandex is selected. If it is not in the list, add the search engine manually by entering the query line: https://yandex.ru/search/?text=%s. This ensures that all queries from the address bar will go to Yandex servers.

For system integration at the MIUI or HyperOS level, the algorithm may differ depending on the version of Android:

• 📲 Go to your phone settings.
• 🌐 Go to the "Applications" section» → «Application management».
• 🔍 Find the item “Search in Device” or “Search Engine” (often hidden in a three-point menu).
• ✅ Select Yandex from the proposed list of system search engines.

System search Xiaomi (Global Search), which is called swipe down on the desktop, by default uses Bing or Google. Replace it with regular means in global firmware is often impossible without the use of third-party launchers. However, if you install the search widget Yandex, as described in the first section, you will actually get an analogue of fast access, which will work faster and more convenient system.

Using launchers for full integration

For those who want to achieve the maximum similarity with the “Yandex ecosystem” and completely replace the standard interface Xiaomi, there are special launchers. Yandex.Loncher (or its current counterparts, since support for the old version is discontinued) allows you to replace the standard shell MIUI with an interface that is sharpened for services of Yandex.

Installing a third-party launcher requires care. After installing and first running the Android system, ask which application to use for the home screen. You need to select the launcher installed and press Always. This action replaces the standard desktop, control panel and application menu for products from Yandex. In this mode, the launcher interface with the built-in search bar and widgets becomes the launch page.

Comparison of standard shell and launcher:

⚠️ Note: Using third-party launchers on Xiaomi can lead to incorrect gesture control (return swipes, menu call) and increased battery consumption.

If you decide to install a launcher, be sure to set up the exceptions in the Battery menu for this application. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Find a launcher → Select No Limits Mode. This will prevent the process from being “killed” by the system and returning to the standard desktop after locking the screen.

Solving Display and Access Problems

During the setup process, Redmi and Poco users may experience aggressive battery optimization, which is typical of the MIUI shell. The system can turn off Yandex widgets or rearrange them if it thinks they are consuming too much resources in the background, manifested in the widget stops showing the weather or the search bar disappears.

To fix this, you need to manually configure autostart and work in the background. Find in the list of applications “Yandex”, click on the gear settings of the application and activate the Autostart and Display on top of other applications. Also in the “Saving charge” section, select the option “No restrictions. This is a critical step for the stable operation of widgets on Android from Xiaomi.

Another common problem is the widgets fail after the system update. In this case, cleaning the launcher cache helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Find Work Desk (or System Launcher) → Clear → Clear cache. Importantly, don’t confuse it with Clear All Data, as this will reset the location of all your icons on desktops.

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If Yandex widget “floats” or changes size by itself, try to disable the option “Adaptive widget” in the widget settings (if available) or fix the desktop grid in the launcher settings.

Also worth mentioning is the problem with Google Discover: Many Xiaomi smartphones swipe right on the home screen opens Google News Feed, replace it with Yandex feed with regular funds, the only option is to disable this swipe in the desktop settings or use a third-party launcher, where the left panel will be replaced by Yandex services.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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The key for Xiaomi owners is to adjust battery resolutions and auto-runs. Without this step, Yandex widgets will not work as smoothly due to aggressive MIUI optimization.