How to permanently remove Mi Browser on Xiaomi: from disconnection to complete removal

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to remove the pre-installed Mi Browser browser, an app that not only takes up space in memory but also regularly sends analytics to Kingssoft Cloud (according to research from Citizen Lab). Although MIUI does not allow you to remove system applications by standard methods, there are workarounds – from simple disabling to complete removal with ADB or root rights.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to get rid of Mi Browser on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices (including models from 2020-2026), as well as how to avoid typical errors when removing system applications. Particular attention will be paid to security - improper actions can lead to a loss of warranty or a "brick" of a device on MIUI 14+ firmware with a bootloader lock.

Why Mi Browser is Better to Remove: 3 Good Reasons

Before we go to the instructions, let’s understand why you should get rid of the standard browser at all:

• 🔍 Data collection without consent: Research shows that Mi Browser transfers your browsing history, device data, and even information about other installed applications to Kingssoft’s servers in China and Xiaomi, even if the user has disabled all permissions. This is confirmed by traffic analysis in tools like Packet Capture.
• 📱 Unnecessary system load: The app runs in the background, consuming up to 100-150 MB of RAM (according to Developer Options), and is regularly updated via Google Play, taking up space in memory.
• 🚫 Intrusive advertising. Even when you turn off the personalization of ads in the settings MIUI, Mi Browser shows banners and pop-ups on the homepage and in the SERPs.

In addition, the browser duplicates the features of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, which are more convenient for most users. For example, Mi Browser does not sync with a Google account, and extensions work unstable.

Method 1: Disable Mi Browser without removing (no root)

The safest method is to disable the app through the MIUI settings.This won't delete the browser files, but will stop it working and hide the icon from the menu. Suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, type Mi Browser (or com.android.browser for older versions of MIUI).
3. Click on the app, then select Disable (or Remove Updates if the Disable button is inactive).
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

Once disabled, the browser icon will disappear from the menu and the background processes will stop. However, the application files will remain in memory (taking ~50-80 MB). To return the browser, just go to the same settings and click Enable.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 14 (for example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro) disabling system applications can cause Google Play services to fail. If push notifications stop working after the disabling, return the browser to active state.

Method 2: Remove via ADB (without root but with PC)

If the shutdown isn’t enough, you can completely remove the Mi Browser using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that doesn’t require root rights, but you’ll need a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and the ADB tool.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Completely delete browser files (frees up to 100MB of memory).
• ✅ Does not affect the warranty (unless the bootloader is unlocked).
• ✅ Works on MIUI 12–14 (including global and Chinese firmware).

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect the phone to the PC, confirm the trust in the computer on the smartphone screen.
4. Open the command prompt (CMD on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed. If not, install Xiaomi USB Drivers.)

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

If the command fails, try an alternative package:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.mi.globalbrowser

Once executed, the browser will be removed for the current user (without affecting system files), and to return it, you will need to reset your settings or manually install the APK.

Method 3: Removal with root rights (for advanced)

If your Xiaomi bootloader is unlocked and you have Magisk or another root manager installed, you can delete the Mi Browser permanently, including system files, which is suitable for users who are willing to risk the stability of the system.

Warning: Incorrect removal of system APK can cause a "brick" (inoperability) of the device, especially on the MIUI 14 dynamically partitioned (dynamic_partitions).

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Mixplorer).
2. Go to /system/app/MiBrowser or /system/priv-app/MiBrowser (the path may vary depending on the firmware).
3. Remove the MiBrowser folder or rename it to MiBrowser_bak (in case of restoration).
4. Reset the device.

An alternative way is to use ADB root access:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




rm -rf /system/app/MiBrowser




rm -rf /system/priv-app/MiBrowser




reboot

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 13/14 removal APK This can cause a com.android.phone error. If it does, restore deleted files from backup or re-flash the device.

Method 4: Replacing the Mi Browser with the default alternative

If you do not want to delete the browser, but it constantly opens instead of your main browser (for example, when clicking on links in messages), you can reset the default application settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select App Preference Reset.
3. Confirm the action.
4. When you next open a link, select the browser you want (such as Chrome or Firefox) and mark Always.

You can also manually set the default browser:

• 🌐 For Google Chrome: Open the app, click on three dots → Settings → Browser by default.
• 🦊 For Firefox: Settings → Make Firefox a default browser.

This won’t remove the Mi Browser, but it will prevent it from running automatically. Note that some system applications (such as Mi Video) can still open links in Mi Browser – in this case, only complete removal will help.

Method 5: Remove via TWRP (for custom firmware)

If your Xiaomi has custom recovery (TWRP), you can remove the Mi Browser directly from it without having to resort to ADB or root.This method is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader and TWRP installed (for example, POCO F3 or Redmi K40 on LineageOS).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off your phone and press Volume Up + Power to enter TWRP.
2. Select Advanced → File Manager.
3. Go to /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/ and find the MiBrowser folder (or com.android.browser).
4. Select the folder and press Delete (delete).
5. Go back to the main TWRP menu and select Reboot → System.

If errors occur after the reboot (e.g. Android.process.acore fell), the browser was linked to other system services.

• 🔄 Restore deleted files from backup TWRP.
• 📥 Refuse the cleaning device Dalvik/Cache.

💡

Before removing system applications via TWRP, always back up /system! This will allow you to quickly restore functionality if something goes wrong.

Table: Comparison of Mi Browser removal methods

For most users, the best option is ADB-Deletion (method 2) – it does not require root, but completely removes the browser for the current user. If you are not willing to risk, just disabling the application (method 1).

💡

On devices with MIUI 14 and dynamic partitions (dynamic_partitions) removal APK It may cause the inability to update the firmware OTA. In this case, it is recommended to use a disconnect instead of a complete deletion.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you delete Mi Browser, users often face problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🔧 "Team team. ADB Not working": Check if the package is entered correctly (com.android.browser or com.mi.globalbrowser). MIUI 14 may need to first disable the application in the settings, and then use ADB.
• 📵 "After Deletion, the Internet is Lost: This Means Mi Browser Was Linked to System Services MIUI. Restore it through ADB: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser
• 🔄 "Browser is back after the update MIUI": System applications are restored when you update your firmware. To avoid this, disable auto updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Settings → Auto-update.
• 🚨 "Phone does not turn on after deletion": This is a critical error, meaning damage to the system partition.The solution is to flash the device through the Fastboot using the Mi Flash Tool (instructions are available on the forum 4PDA).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi devices with bootloader lock (for example, Redmi Note 11 on global firmware) try to get root or install TWRP Before any manipulation, check the status of the bootloader by the command: fastboot oem device-info If Device unlocked: false, unlock it officially through the Mi Unlock Tool.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions