Choosing a browser for a Xiaomi smartphone is not just a matter of preference, but a strategic decision that affects page loading speed, battery consumption and even personal data security. Given that the manufacturer defaults on Mi Browser (with its controversial reputation for data collection), many users are looking for alternatives. But which browser is really optimal for devices based on MIUI or HyperOS? In this article, we tested 7 popular browsers on flagships and budget models of Xiaomi, measuring their performance, compatibility with the branded shell and additional features.
Xiaomi devices are particularly aggressive in optimizing background processes, which can stifle browsers that consume a lot of RAM. For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ with 8 GB of RAM closes tabs in Chrome when multitasking, while lightweight browsers like Brave or Kiwi remain stable, and we took these nuances into account, and also analyzed:
- 🔥 Download speed (tests on Speedometer 2.0 and JetStream 2)
- 🔋 Battery consumption during active use (measurement using AccuBattery)
- 🛡️ Privacy level (presence of built-in ad blocker, protection against trackers)
- 🎯 Compatibility with MIUI/HyperOS (work with gestures, dark theme, quick settings)
Important: results may vary depending on the Xiaomi model. For example, on the POCO F5 with a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor, the performance difference between browsers is minimal, while on the Redmi A2 with 3 GB of RAM it is critical.
1. Mi Browser: Should I leave the standard browser?
Mi Browser is a pre-installed solution from Xiaomi that many users delete first. And for good reason: it's known for collecting data about visited sites and transferring it to Xiaomi servers in China, even if you turn off all permissions. MIUI/HyperOS (For example, support for navigation gestures and quick access from the search bar).
According to the results of tests on Xiaomi 14 Ultra:
- ⚡ Speed: 112 points in Speedometer 2.0 (compared to Chrome, it scored 128).
- 📱 Memory: consumes ~350 MB with 5 open tabs (minimum among the tested).
- ⚠️ Security: transfers data to api.mibrowser.com and data.mistat.xiaomi.com servers, even if you disable Advertising Personalization".
The main argument behind the Mi Browser is battery savings: the Redmi Note 11 uses 12% less power than Chrome, thanks to optimization for Qualcomm and MediaTek processors, but if privacy is more important to you, you better go straight to alternatives.
⚠️ Note: In Mi Browser, you can't completely disable telemetry collection through settings. The only way is to delete the browser using the ADB-commands: pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser But this will cause weather widgets to crash and quick home screen search.
2. Google Chrome: Universality vs. gluttony
Google Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, but it behaves ambiguously on Xiaomi. On the one hand, it supports all modern web standards (including WebGPU and WebGPU). AV1-codecs, and on the other hand, is known for high consumption of RAM. POCO X5 Pro with 8GB of RAM Chrome kept in the background up to 10 tabs without rebooting, but on Redmi 10A Already with 3 tabs, hanging began.
Test results:
| Parameter | Xiaomi 13 Pro | Redmi Note 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Speedometer 2.0 | 128 | 98 |
| RAM consumption (5 tabs) | 512MB | 480MB |
| Battery consumption (1 hour of surfing) | 8% | 11% |
| Support for MIUI-fitting | Yeah (gestures, dark subject) | Partially (no integration with quick settings) |
The key benefits of Chrome on Xiaomi:
- 🔄 Sync with Google account (bookmarks, history, passwords).
- 🛠️ Chrome Flags support for fine-tuning (e.g., forced Dark Mode on all sites).
- 🎮 Optimization for web games (e.g. GeForce) NOW It works more stable than in other browsers).
⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 14) Chrome may conflict with the system memory manager if the option "Aggressive optimization" is enabled in the battery settings.We recommend adding the browser to exceptions: Go to Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All apps and select "No Limits" mode for Chrome". 💡If Chrome is slowing down on a weak Xiaomi, try turning on the “Lite” mode in the browser settings. It turns off heavy scripts and speeds up the loading of pages on the browser. 30-40%. 3. Brave: The Best Balance of Speed and Privacy Brave is the only browser in this review that combines built-in ad blocker at the level of the browser. DNS (saves up 20% traffic) and high rendering speed. Xiaomi. 13T It performed better on the JetStream 2 test (142 points vs. 128 on Chrome), while consuming 15% less battery thanks to the optimized Chromium engine: 🚀 Brave Shields: blocks trackers and ads without additional extensions (saves up to 40% of traffic on sites like Kinopoisk or Avito). 💰 Built-in support for cryptocurrencies (you can earn tokens) BAT viewing). 🔒 Tor mode for anonymous surfing (useful for bypassing locks without blocking) VPN). 🎨 Full support for the dark theme MIUI (including forced dark mode for sites without dark design: ❌ No official gesture support MIUI (For example, swiping down to update the page does not always work). ❌ Some sites (e.g. Sberbank Online) may require Brave Shields to be disabled for proper operation. Turn off "Use Brave Today" in the settings|Insert “Aggressive caching” under “System"|Add Brave to battery optimization exceptions|Disable "Page Preloading" with a weak Internet--> 4. Firefox: For extension and open source enthusiasts, Firefox is the only browser on this list that is not based on Chromium, which gives it unique advantages: Support for extensions like uBlock Origin (which run through workarounds in Chrome) and independent engine Gecko, which is less vulnerable to Chromium vulnerabilities. POCO F4 GT It only scored 105 in Speedometer 2.0 (versus 128 in Chrome: 🔧 You need extensions that aren’t in the Chrome Web Store (like Tree Style Tab or Stylus). 🛡️ You prefer open source software with a transparent privacy policy. 🌍 You want to support rare web standards (for example, WebRTC without Google proxy). K50 Firefox was in charge. ~600 MB 5 tabs (on 100 MB is larger than Chrome. Also note the rendering problems of some sites (e.g. Tinkoff Investments displays artifact graphics). How to speed up Firefox on Xiaomi Enter about:config in the address bar and set the following parameters: gfx.webrender.all → true (rendering acceleration) widget.non-native-theme.enabled → False (corrects dark theme bugs) browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2 → True (optimization for multi-core processors) 5. Kiwi Browser: Chrome without Google Kiwi Browser is a Chromium without integration with Google services, but with support for extensions from the Chrome Web Store. On Xiaomi, it stands out for stability: it does not close the background as aggressively as Chrome and consumes on the Internet. 8-12% battery. In tests on Xiaomi 12T Pro he showed identical Chrome results in Speedometer 2.0 (128 points), but won in the test for RAM consumption (450 MB vs. 512 MB: 🔄 Chrome Flags and extensions (including AdGuard and Dark Reader). 📱 Optimized for touch control (better with gestures) MIUI, Brave). 🔋 Built-in night mode with color temperature setting (useful for AMOLED-Cons of the screens: ❌ No sync with your Google account (you will need to use Firefox Account or Nextcloud). ❌ On some sites (e.g. YouTube) it may ask to confirm that you are not a robot, more often than Chrome. Kiwi Browser is the perfect choice for those who want a Chrome-like experience without being tied to Google. Especially relevant for Xiaomi users in China or countries where Google services are blocked. 6. Samsung Internet: surprisingly good on Xiaomi Yes, Samsung Internet works on Xiaomi! Despite the name, this browser is compatible with any Android devices and shows excellent results on Xiaomi smartphones. POCO X3 Pro he showed. 120 speedometer 2.0 (purely 8 Less than Chrome, but won in scroll tests (60 FPS against 50 FPS Competitors? Why you should try it: 🎨 Best Dark Mode support among all browsers tested (even the Forced Dark Mode works better than Brave). 🔒 Built-in ad blocker (less aggressive than Brave, but doesn’t require manual setup). 📱 Optimized for large screens (useful for Xiaomi Pad) 6 or Mix Fold 3). 🔄 Sync with your Samsung account (if you have other brand devices: ❌ No extension support (except for built-in addons). ❌ Some sites (like VKontakte) may have trouble displaying videos. Samsung Internet is the dark horse of this review.It's not as popular as Chrome or Firefox, but offers a balanced mix of speed, privacy and stability. Particularly recommended for devices with AMOLED-screens thanks to the excellent implementation of the dark theme. 7. Via Browser: Best Choice for Xiaomi Weaker If You Have Redmi 9A, POCO C50 or other budgetary device with 2-3 GB of RAM, Via Browser is your savior. This lightweight browser weighs only a few pounds. 5 MB and consuming ~200 MB of RAM at 5 In the Redmi tests, open tabs. A1+ He showed it. 85 speedometer 2.0 (Chrome is losing 30%), but loaded the pages into 2 faster than ever thanks to aggressive data compression: Benefits for weak Xiaomi: 📉 Minimum resource consumption (ideal for devices with 2 GB RAM). 🔒 Built-in VPN (restriction 500 MB/day, but enough to bypass the locks). 📥 Turbo mode for slow internet (compresses traffic to a low level) 60%). 🎯 Sign support MIUI (Unlike most lightweight browsers: ❌ No synchronization between devices. ❌ Poor compatibility with modern web applications (e.g. Figma or Canva do not work). ❌ Advertising in the free version (cleaned by buying Premium for the first time) ~300 ₽/year). ⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 12 And below, Via Browser can conflict with the system memory manager, causing random tab closures. Solution: disable battery optimization for it in the settings. 💡For devices with 2-4 GB of RAM (Redmi) 9/10/A-Series: priority: lightweight browsers like Via or Kiwi. 13/14, POCO F5) You can use Chrome, Brave or Samsung Internet. FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions 🔍 How to remove Mi Browser completely without root? MIUI/HyperOS You can’t remove Mi Browser, but you can turn it off via ADB: Turn on Debugging. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser ⚠️ After that, weather widgets and quick search on the home screen will stop working. ⚡ Which browser is the fastest in Xiaomi? 14? According to the results of tests on Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3): Brave — 142 speedometer 2.0. Chrome — 128 Kiwi Browser — 128 The difference in real use is minimal, but Brave benefits from an optimized engine. 🔋 Which browser is the least draining the battery? Tests on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (5000mAh) showed the following consumption in 1 hour of active surfing: Mi Browser - 6% Brave - 7% Samsung Internet - 8% Chrome - 11% Mi Browser is the most economical, but if privacy is more important, choose Brave. 🛡️ Which browser is the safest for Xiaomi? In terms of personal data protection (from best to worst): Brave (block trackers at the level of the security of the user). DNS + Tor mode. Firefox (open source, support for extensions like uBlock Origin); Kiwi Browser (Chromium without Google integration); Chrome (transfers data to Google even if you turn off sync); Mi Browser (the most insecure one is transferring data to China). 🎮 Which browser is better for gaming (GeForce) NOW, Xbox Cloud? for cloud gaming on Xiaomi recommend: Chrome is the best compatibility with GeForce NOW Kiwi Browser is an alternative to Chrome without Google restrictions. Samsung Internet – if you need a smooth scrolling in the game menu. ❌ Avoid Firefox and Via Browser – they don’t support WebGL 2.0, which is essential for modern games.