Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to change the standard behavior of the operating system, especially after upgrading to new versions of MIUI or switching to HyperOS. Android by its nature allows for flexible configuration of interaction between programs, but the shell interface can hide these options in non-obvious places. When you install a new browser, messenger or music player, the system must understand what software to run when performing certain actions, for example, when opening a link or incoming call.
Configuring these parameters correctly eliminates the constant pop-ups asking “What to open?” and speeds up the device. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithms of actions for different use cases, look at the features of working with system constraints and tip you how to avoid typical errors that can lead to instability of the interface.
Principles of the Priority System in MIUI and HyperOS
The Android architecture is built on the idea that each type of action (intent) can be assigned a single master handler. In the shells from Xiaomi, this mechanism is complemented by its own optimization services that can aggressively manage permissions. The default application is a program that starts automatically when a certain event occurs without additional confirmation from the user.
The system categorizes queries into several categories: navigation, communication, multimedia and system functions. If you don’t make a specific choice, Android will ask you about preferences every time or use pre-installed solutions from Google and Xiaomi.
⚠️ Warning: Forced change of system components (for example, launcher or keyboard) to third-party analogues can lead to unstable operation of the touch screen or the appearance of bugs in animations if the selected software is not optimized for your firmware version.
It is important to understand the difference between “opening by default” for files and global category settings: the former concern specific file extensions, the latter determine the behavior of the entire system. Deep integration of Google services sometimes creates conflicts when two applications claim the same role, requiring manual user intervention to resolve the situation.
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If the system stopped asking “What to open” and immediately starts an unnecessary program, then an automatic choice was previously installed, which now needs to be reset manually.
Set up a web browser and search engine
Changing your browser is the most common task that users face. A standard MI Browser or Chrome might not suit you for functionality or privacy policy. To change this, you need to go to the appropriate settings section, where the system stores a list of all installed web browsers.
The process is as follows: you need to find the item responsible for web applications, and select from the list the option you installed, for example, Firefox, Opera or Yandex. After that, all links from messengers, mail and other programs will open in the selected interface.
Special attention should be paid to the search engine inside the widgets and voice assistant. Often changing the main browser does not change the search engine on the desktop, this requires you to go separately to the settings of the search widget or global search Google and choose your preferred service, whether it is Yandex, Bing or DuckDuckGo.
Some users prefer to use minimalist browsers, but forget that to properly work authorization through Google or VK accounts in third-party applications may require the presence of a WebView component installed.
Configuration of calls, SMS and messengers
Communications management is a critical part of setting up a smartphone. Xiaomi’s standard “calling” has its own features of recording conversations and blocking spam, which may not be suitable for everyone.
To change the call and message app, you need to go to the category management menu, and here you will see lists of available programs registered in the system as a phone and a mobile phone. SMS-Select the right option so that the system redirects all incoming calls and text messages to the new interface.
☑️ Checking the communication settings
Telegram, WhatsApp or Viber are not system applications in the classical sense, so you can not globally assign them “for all calls.” tg:// or wa.me through specific programs, if there are several.
⚠️ Note: When changing the application for SMS Make sure that the new software is given all the necessary permissions to read contacts and send messages, otherwise you may miss important confirmation codes from banks.
If you use enterprise communication solutions, for example, special SIP-customers, they can also be tried to assign priority, but the functionality may be limited by the capabilities of the shell itself. MIUI background.
Managing Media Files, Gallery and Music
Multimedia content makes up the lion’s share of smartphone usage. Xiaomi’s standard gallery is convenient but heavyweight, and the music player may not support specific audio formats. The appointment of alternative programs to view photos and listen to tracks greatly improves the user experience.
In the app category settings section, find Photos and Music. The system will list all the programs installed that can handle the corresponding file formats, and if you choose Google Photos or PowerAmp, you will specify them as the main tools for working with the media library.
A separate point to mention is video. When you try to open a video file from a file manager or messenger, the system will ask how to play it. By selecting Always and specifying your favorite player (for example, VLC or MX Player), you automate this process for all future launches.
Why aren’t all formats open?
It is important to note that some system previews (miniatures) in the interface may still be generated by standard means, even if another application is assigned to open, which is normal shell behavior designed to keep the system running.
Work with maps, navigation and mail clients
Navigation and email are two other areas where users often prefer third-party solutions, standard cards may not have detailed offline modes, and Xiaomi’s email client does not always work correctly with enterprise Exchange servers.
To change navigation maps, find the appropriate category in the settings. If you have installed Yandex Maps, 2GIS or Waze, they should appear in the list of available ones. After selecting, all route requests from other applications will be forwarded to the selected program.
The mechanism is similar to email, and you can assign Gmail, Outlook, or Spark as your primary client, which is especially useful when mailto links: sites automatically generate new email in the interface you want, rather than in the standard one.
Often, there is a situation where links to maps in the browser open in the web version, not in the application. To fix this, you need to go to the settings of a particular map application, find the “Open by default” section and enable support for web links.
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The appointment of the navigator by default ensures that the address from the correspondence immediately opens in the application with traffic jams, and not in the browser.
Resetting settings and solving selection problems
Sometimes the system forgets to ask about the choice of program or starts running the wrong software incorrectly, in which case the default settings reset helps, not delete the application data, but only returns the system to choose the next action to start.
You can do the reset in two ways: for a specific application or globally, the first option is more secure and accurate, and you need to find the problem program in the installed list, go to its properties and press the reset button.
Global reset affects all categories at once, which is useful if you're confused about settings and want to return the post-purchase state. After this operation, Xiaomi will start asking you again for each type of action.
| Action. | The way is on the menu | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Reset for one application | Settings → Applications → All Apps → [Select] → By Default → Reset | The system will ask again when you start the functions of this application |
| Global discharge | Settings → Applications → Settings → Three dots (top right) → Reset application settings | All categories are reset to factory values |
| Browser change | Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Browser | Links open in the selected browser |
| Change of bells | Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Phone | Incoming calls are processed by the selected application |
After any manipulation, it is recommended to restart the device, which will allow Android and MIUI services to correctly redistribute resources and fix new priorities in the registry.
⚠️ WARNING: Global application resets may cause you to have to re-confirm permissions for dozens of programs, so use this method only as a last resort.