How to return the previous version of Yandex on the phone Xiaomi Redmi: 5 working methods

After another update, the Yandex app on your Xiaomi Redmi has become worse? The new interface seems inconvenient, and the features you are used to have disappeared or moved to an unknown place? You are not alone - many users are faced with the fact that the latest versions of services are lost in convenience for the sake of questionable "improvements." Fortunately, returning the old version of Yandex (whether it is a browser, search, maps or other application) on a Redmi smartphone is quite real - and we will tell you how to do it safely and without losing data.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to roll back, including installation via APK, use of built-in MIUI features, and advanced methods for power users (for example, through ADB). We will also analyze which versions of Yandex applications are compatible with MIUI 13/14 firmware and how to avoid downgrade errors. Importantly, some methods require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights, we will warn you about this in advance.

Before you start, make sure you have a backup of important data (browser bookmarks, search history, etc.) as some ways can reset your app settings. Also check your Redmi model - the instructions are universal for most devices (from Redmi Note 10 to Redmi 12), but older models (like Redmi 5) may require additional steps.

1.Why do users want to return the old version of Yandex?

App updates don’t always work well, and here are the most common reasons Xiaomi Redmi owners are looking for ways to roll back:

• 🔍 Modified interface: New versions of Yandex.Browser or Search often carry buttons, remove familiar gestures or introduce unnecessary animations that slow down the work on budget smartphones Redmi.
• 🐢 Performance: Fresh builds can consume more RAM (especially for devices with 3-4 GB of RAM, such as the Redmi 9A or Redmi 8).
• 🚫 Removed features: For example, Yandex.Maps removed offline maps for some regions, and the browser disappeared synchronization with outdated accounts.
• 🛡️ Security issues: It is rare, but it happens, that a new version will have bugs that lead to data leakage or conflicts with MIUI (e.g., persistent permission requests).
• 📱 Incompatible with MIUI: Some Yandex app updates are optimized for pure Android and don’t work well on Xiaomi’s shell (e.g., the search widget stops opening).

According to surveys on the 4PDA and Mi Community forums, up to 30% of Redmi users have tried to roll back Yandex apps at least once, with most complaints related to the browser and maps, which are the services most often “break” with updates.

2 Method 1: Install the old version via APK- file

The easiest and safest method is to download the APK- file and install it manually, which does not require root rights and is suitable for most Redmi models (including Redmi Note 11, Redmi 10, etc.).

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Find a reliable source APK. We recommend using: 🔗 APKCombo stores an archive of Yandex application versions. 🔗 APKMirror checks files for viruses.

⚠️ Warning: Never download APK from unknown sites! malicious files can steal your Mi Account details or bank details.

Download the correct version

22.7.4

21.10.0

Redmi

Snapdragon

Redmi Note 10 Pro

arm64-v8a

Redmi 9C

armeabi-v7a

Allow installation from unknown sources

Settings → Applications → Special Rights → Installation of Unknown Applications

Install APK.

Turn off automatic updates

Google Play → My profile → Application Management → Yandex.Browser (or more)

If the application doesn’t start after installation, try clearing its cache in the MIUI settings. Also check if the MIUI Security block installation – sometimes you need to temporarily disable protection in Settings → Memory → Cleanup.

3. Method 2: Recoil through MIUI Backup (for MIUI firmware 12 and later)

If you have previously backed up your system through the built-in MIUI Backup application, you can try to restore the old version of the Yandex application from the backup.

• 📱 You have firmware MIUI 12 or later (on MIUI 11 and older, there may be no application recovery feature).
• 💾 There is a backup made before the Yandex update.
• 🔄 You are ready to recover all application data (including bookmarks, history and settings).

Instructions:

1. Open the MIUI Backup app (find it through search by system).
2. Select the Local Backups section and find the backup created before the Yandex update.
3. Click on it and select Restore.
4. In the list of applications, tick only those that you want to return (for example, Yandex.Browser or Yandex.Maps).
5. Confirm the recovery and wait until the process is complete.

If you don't have a backup, this method won't work, so move on to the next one.

💡

Before recovering from the backup, check if the old version of Yandex conflicts with the current MIUI firmware. For example, applications in 2021 may not work correctly on MIUI 14 due to changes in the API.

4 Method 3: Using ADB for downgrade (for power users)

If previous methods didn’t work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a tool for debugging Android devices, which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge, but allows you to roll back the version even without root rights.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 📱 Included debugging on USB on Redmi (path: Settings → About Phone → Version MIUI → 7 times press to activate Developer Mode, then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB).
• 🔗 APK- file of the desired version of the Yandex application (see Method 1).

Instructions:

1. Connect Redmi to your computer via USB-cable (preferably original).
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
3. Check the connection of the device command: adb devices If the phone is determined, you will see its serial number.
4. Delete the current version of Yandex application (e.g. browser): adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 en.yandex.browser For other applications, replace ru.yandex.browser with: 🗺️ Yandex.Maps: en.yandex.yandexmaps 🔍 Yandex.Search: en.yandex.searchplugin 📰 Yandex.Zen: en.yandex.zen

adb install path to file.apk

For example: adb install C:\Downloads\yandex_browser_22.7.4.apk.

adb reboot

⚠️ Warning: Deleting system applications via ADB may cause unstable performance MIUI. Do not delete apps marked system/app — this may cause errors when booting the phone. Also, after rollback, some functions (such as sync with a Yandex account) may not work properly.

If the adb uninstall command gives a DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR error, then the application is protected by the system, in which case only root rights will help (see the next method).

5. Method 4: Rootback with root rights (for unlocked bootloader)

If your Xiaomi Redmi has an unlocked bootloader and root rights (for example, through Magisk), you can roll back the Yandex application using a root-enabled file manager, such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔧 The ability to uninstall any version of an application, even the system version.
• 📁 Direct access to /data/app and /system/priv-app folders.
• 🔄 You can replace the APK- file without completely deleting it (useful if you're afraid of losing data).

Instructions:

1. Download the APK version you want (see Method 1).
2. Open Root Explorer and go to /data/app (for custom applications) or /system/priv-app (for system applications).
3. Find the folder with the current version of Yandex (the name will contain a part of the package, for example, ru.yandex.browser-1).
4. Delete the folder or rename it (e.g., ru.yandex.browser-1_old).
5. Copy the downloaded APK into the /data/app folder.
6. Set file rights: Long tap → Permissions → tick Read for everyone and Write for the owner.
7. Reboot the phone.

If the app doesn’t appear on the menu, try installing it manually through the terminal:

su


pm install /data/app/ru.yandex.browser/base.apk

⚠️ Warning: Changing system files incorrectly can lead to bootloop. Before working with root, make a full backup via TWRP or OrangeFox Recovery. Also note that once you update MIUI through OTA, root rights may fly off and you have to repeat the procedure.

Method 5: Alternative solutions (if rollback is not possible)

If none of the methods worked (for example, the new version of Yandex became system in MIUI and is not removed), consider the alternatives:

• 🌐 Use the web version. For example, instead of Yandex.Browser, open ya.ru in Google Chrome or Firefox.
• 🔄 Install a fork of an application. There are modified versions of Yandex services without ads and with a classic interface (look at 4PDA).
• 📱 Go to analogues: 🗺️ Instead of Yandex.Maps: 2GIS or Google Maps. 🔍 Instead of Yandex.Search: Google or DuckDuckGo. 📰 Instead of Yandex.Zen: SmartNews or Inoreader.
• 🛠️ Turn off updates. On Google Play, search for Yandex's app, click three dots → Disable auto-update.
• 📵 Freeze the app. App Quarantine (without root) or Titanium Backup (with root) can block the unwanted version.

If the problem is in a specific function (for example, the offline mode in Maps disappeared), write in support of Yandex through the feedback form in the application or on the site.

7. Possible errors and their solutions

When rolling back versions of Yandex applications on Xiaomi Redmi, errors may occur. We have collected the most common of them and ways to fix them:

If you encounter an error not described in the table, check the logs through ADB Logcat:

adb logcat | grep -i yandex

This will help identify the problem. For example, if there is a Signature mismatch string in the logs, then the APK- file is signed with a different certificate and cannot be installed on top of the current version.

💡

Before any manipulation of system applications on Xiaomi Redmi, check version compatibility. For example, Yandex.Browser 23.x may not work on MIUI 12 due to changes in WebView.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)