Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the intrusiveness of the standard Mi Browser, which takes up space in memory, consumes CPU resources in the background and periodically displays advertising notifications even if you do not use them.
There are several proven ways to solve this problem, however: You can completely uninstall your browser through your computer using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or simply force it to stop working by hiding the icon from your desktop.
In this article, we will take a look at all the options available, assess the risks and provide step-by-step instructions, and it is important to understand that interfering with system components requires care, but when approached correctly, it is safe for your device.
Why you should get rid of Mi Browser
Xiaomi’s standard browser is often criticized for its aggressive data collection policies, which, unlike Chrome or Firefox, can send information about your search queries and visited sites to the manufacturer’s servers for targeted advertising, putting your privacy at risk.
In addition, the application consumes a significant amount of RAM, even when the browser processes are folded, which negatively affects the autonomy of the smartphone, and removing excess software is one way to optimize the operation of MIUI or HyperOS.
⚠️ Note: Deleting the system browser completely may cause some links within apps (e.g., from instant messengers) to open with an error unless you pre-installe an alternative.
Let’s look at the main reasons why users make the decision to delete:
- 🚀 Saving resources: freeing up RAM and reducing the load on the processor.
- 🛡️ Security: Termination of telemetry and user data collection.
- 🚫 No Advertising: Getting Rid of Pop-ups and News Feeds in the Interface.
Preparing a smartphone to remove applications
Before you start taking any drastic measures, you have to prepare the device, and to use advanced methods, you have to activate the developer mode, which is standard procedure for Android devices to manage system processes.
First, go to the Settings menu and select About Phone. Find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) string and quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row. The system will notify you that you have become a developer.
Then go back to the main settings menu and go to Additional (or Advanced Settings) section. Select Developer here. You need to find and activate the USB Debugging switch. Confirm action in the pop-up window.
☑️ Checklist of preparations
Now your smartphone is ready to connect to your computer, and make sure the cable is good and supports data transfer, not just charging.
Method 1: Disconnect via Settings (Without root rights)
The safest, but less effective, way is to force the app to stop and hide, so you won't delete the browser files from the device, but it will stop starting and interfering with you, and this is ideal for those who are afraid of experimenting with the code.
Go to Settings, then Apps, and select All Apps. Find Mi Browser (may be called Browser or Browser) and click on it to open the control menu.
In the window that opens, select the Stop button and then Disable (if available). If the Disable button is inactive, try pressing Remove Updates in the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.
| Action. | The result | Risks. |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping. | Browser closed until next launch | Minimum |
| Shutdown | The app is hidden and not working | Low. |
| Removal of updates | Return to the factory version | Medium (possible bugs of the old version) |
After this, the browser icon will disappear from the desktop, but the application files will remain in the system partition.
Method 2: Complete removal through ADB (For Advanced)
This method allows you to completely remove Mi Browser from the system without obtaining Root permissions. You will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and an installed ADB Platform Tools. This is the most effective cleaning method.
Connect your smartphone to your PC with a cable. On your computer, open the command prompt (CMD) or terminal in the folder with ADB. Enter the command adb devices. On the phone screen, you'll see a request for debugging permission -- click "Allow."
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browserThis command removes the browser packet for the current user. If you have a global Xiaomi browser installed, its batch name may differ, for example com.mi.global.browser.
Once the command is successfully executed, the browser will disappear completely from the system. If you want to return it, the command will help: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser.
Alternative solutions and browser replacement
Before you remove the system application, you should consider replacing. You can install several browsers on Android, but only one will be used by default to open links. Android requires at least one installed browser to correctly work hyperlinks in other applications.
It is recommended to install a lightweight and fast analog, such as Brave, DuckDuckGo or Via Browser, which consumes less resources and protects privacy better.
- 🦊 Firefox Focus: Perfect for private surfing, automatically deletes history.
- ⚡ Via Browser: ultra-lightweight browser weighing less than 2 MB, fast and functional.
- 🛡️ Brave: Built-in ad and tracker blocking out of the box.
After installing a new browser, go to your phone’s settings, find the Application → Default Applications section, and select the new browser as your primary browser.
Possible problems and solutions
Unforeseen situations may occur during the deletion process, such as when the browser is deleted, links from Telegram or Viber cease to open, this happens if the system has not managed to reassign the application by default.
In this case, just install any other browser from Google Play. The system will automatically detect it and suggest using it to open links. Problems with accessing the Internet through other applications (for example, Google Account) are extremely rare, but are possible on older versions of MIUI.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove system components that have the words "Framework", "Services" or "Provider" in their name unless you are 100% sure of their purpose).
If the phone still stopped loading, you will have to do a full reset via Recovery Mode. To do this, press the power button and increase the volume when the device is turned off.