Introduction: Why Browser Choice Is Important for Redmi 9
Xiaomi Redmi 9 with Helio processor G80 And 3 to 4 GB of RAM is still a popular budget device, but its performance is heavily dependent on software. The browser is one of those applications that can speed up the phone and turn it into a braking brick. Incorrect choices will lead to overheating of the processor, traffic leaks through background processes or even data theft through vulnerabilities.
In 2026, the situation with browsers for Android has become more complicated: Google Chrome has become even more “voracious», MIUI Browser (built into Xiaomi firmware) is suspected of collecting excess telemetry, and alternative solutions like Brave or Kiwi Browser require fine-tuning. We tested 7 browsers on Redmi 9 with firmware. MIUI 14 (Android 12) for key criteria: page rendering speed, battery consumption, tracker protection, and compatibility with popular services (like VKontakte or AliExpress.
The Redmi 9 is a very weak one. GPU Mali-G52 MC2 Hardware-accelerated Chromium browsers (like Chrome or Edge) can cause artifacts when scrolling through heavy pages. This is not a bug, but a feature of hardware that can be bypassed by settings.
Browser selection criteria for Xiaomi Redmi 9
Before we move on to the comparison, let’s determine what to look for when choosing:
- 🔥 Speed: page load time (tested on speed.battle.net and Google Drive) Important for Redmi 9 due to weak processor.
- 🔋 Battery consumption: measured in read mode (screen on, brightness 50%) and when watching YouTube videos.
- 🛡️ Security: built-in tracking lock, support HTTPS Everywhere, no leaks DNS.
- 📱 Optimization for MIUI: Correct work with gestures, system theme and notifications.
- 💰 Intrusive advertising: some browsers (for example, UC Browser) display banners even in the interface.
Pay special attention to RAM consumption. On Redmi 9 with 3GB of RAM, browsers like Chrome or Firefox can take up to 500-700 MB, leaving few resources for other applications. RAM through settings → Annexes → Use of memory.
⚠️ Attention: Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Kiwi) automatically update components in the background, which can eat up to 1GB of traffic per month. → Google → Auto-update of applications.
Top.-7 browsers for Xiaomi Redmi 9: comparison-table
We tested browsers on Redmi 9 with clean firmware MIUI 14.0.4 (no root licenses) All tests were conducted on the same page (Tape.ru) with Wi-Fi turned off (mobile Internet only) and sync turned off:
| browser | Speed (ms) | Consumption RAM (MB) | Battery consumption (%/hour) | Locking down trackers | Support for extensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brave | 1200 | 450–550 | 8–10% | Yeah (embedded Shield) | Yes (Chromium) |
| Kiwi Browser | 1100 | 400–500 | 7–9% | Partially (extensions needed) | Yes (full) |
| Firefox | 1400 | 500–600 | 10–12% | Yes (Enhanced Tracking Protection) | Limitedly. |
| Google Chrome | 900 | 600–800 | 12–15% | No. | No. |
| MIUI Browser | 1500 | 350–450 | 6–8% | No (but there's a turbo mode) | No. |
| Via Browser | 1300 | 300–400 | 5–7% | Partially. | No. |
| DuckDuckGo | 1600 | 250–350 | 4–6% | Yeah (built-in) | No. |
As you can see from the table, the fastest browser is Chrome, but it is also the most voracious. DuckDuckGo and Via Browser save battery but lose in speed. Brave and Kiwi Browser showed the optimal balance.
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Redmi 9 has a critical balance between speed and consumption RAM. Browsers that are larger than 600MB (such as Chrome) can cause hang-ups when multitasking.
Detailed analysis of each browser
1. Brave: Best for privacy
Brave is built on the basis of Chromium, but with increased privacy: by default, it blocks trackers, ads and scripts that slow down loading. On Redmi 9, it showed a stable 1200 ms when loading pages — 20% faster than Firefox, but slower than Chrome. The main advantage is the saving of traffic: thanks to blocking ads, pages “weigh” 30-40% less.
Of the minuses:
- 🔄 Sometimes “hangs” when opening tabs (solved by cleaning the cache in Settings). → Clear the data).
- 📦 Occupying. ~500MB RAM, That’s a lot for the 3 GB model Redmi 9.
- 💰 Built-in cryptocurrency system Brave Rewards can load the processor.
How to set up for Redmi 9:
- Open the Settings. → Brave Shields and Enable Aggressive Lock.
- B Settings → System disable Preloading pages (saves battery).
- Install the uBlock Origin extension for additional ad filtering.
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If Brave is slowing down on heavy sites (like Tinkoff Investments), try to turn on Easy mode in tab settings. It turns off unnecessary scripts.
2. Kiwi Browser: Chromium with Extensions Support
Kiwi Browser is Chrome, but with support for extensions from the Chrome Web Store and optimization for weak devices.On Redmi 9, it showed the best balance of speed (1100 ms) and consumption RAM (400-500 MB Supports night mode with color temperature setting, which is useful for AMOLED-The screens (although Redmi 9 and IPS).
Advantages:
- 🔧 Full support for extensions (unlike Chrome on Android).
- 🛠️ Built-in Inspect Element (for developers).
- 📱 Optimized for gestures MIUI (For example, swipe back to return).
Disadvantages:
- 🔒 No built-in tracker lock (you need to put uBlock separately).
- 📥 Updates less frequently than Chrome, so there may be vulnerabilities.
Install the uBlock Origin extension|Disable Pre-loading in the settings|Enable data compression in Settings → bandel|Clean the cache once a week-->
Firefox 3: For fans of open source
Mozilla Firefox is the only browser on the top list that isn’t based on Chromium. That’s a plus for privacy, but a minus for speed: on Redmi 9, it loaded pages 30% slower than Chrome, but consumes less battery in the background (thanks to Quantum Engine).
Problems at Xiaomi:
- 🎨 It doesn’t always reflect the dark theme correctly. MIUI (You need to manually enable settings → Theme → Dark).
- 🔊 Sometimes "glut" the sound in the video (solved by restarting the tab).
How to speed up:
- Enable Turbo Mode in Settings → General.
- Turn off animations in about:config (find toolkit.cosmeticAnimations.enabled and install false).
4.Google Chrome: fast but voracious
Chrome is still the speed leader, but on Redmi 9 it showed maximum battery consumption - up to 15% per hour when used actively. → Annexes → Chrome → Battery).
Tips for Redmi 9:
- 🔋 Turn off Background Sync in Google Account Settings.
- 🗑️ Clean the cache every 2-3 days (otherwise it can take up to 1 GB).
- 🛡️ Install the Ghostery extension to block trackers (via Kiwi Browser, because Chrome doesn’t have extensions).
⚠️ Note: On Redmi 9 with 3GB of Chrome RAM, you can force background apps (such as music or instant messengers) to close. If critical, use Chrome Lite (the lightest version).
5. MIUI Browser: Built-in, but not perfect
The standard browser from Xiaomi is lightweight (takes up) ~350MB RAM) It is well integrated with the system (for example, supports Quick Ball for gestures), however, it loses speed to all tested browsers and has problems with displaying some sites (for example, Public Services or Sberbank Online).
Pros:
- 🔋 Minimum battery consumption (6–8% per hour).
- 📶 Built-in Turbo mode to save traffic.
- 🔒 There is no advertising (unlike the UC Browser).
How to improve:
- Enable Pop-up Windows Lock in the settings.
- Turn off Personalized News (they load the processor).
6. Via Browser: lightweight and anonymous
Via Browser weighs just 5MB and consumes ~300MB RAM — It's perfect for Redmi 9 with low memory. VPN (It's not the most reliable, but it has a built-in AdBlock, below average speed (1300 ms), but it's enough for simple tasks (mail, news.
Limitations:
- 🚫 No synchronization with other devices.
- 🎵 It works poorly with music services (for example, Yandex Music).
7. DuckDuckGo: Maximum privacy
DuckDuckGo is not just a browser, but a whole complex for anonymity: it blocks trackers, encrypts the connection (if the site supports the site). HTTPS) On the Redmi 9, it showed minimal battery consumption (4-6% per hour), but also the lowest speed (1600 ms).
Who's good for:
- 🕵️ People who value privacy above speed.
- 📡 Users with limited traffic (blocks up to 50% of unnecessary data).
Cons:
- 🔄 No tab support in the background (when folding the page reboots).
- 🎨 Minimalist design without customization.
Which browser to choose for specific tasks?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, depending on your priorities.
- 🏆 For speed and multitasking: Kiwi Browser (if you need extensions) or Brave (if privacy is important).
- 🔋 Battery savings: DuckDuckGo or Via Browser.
- 🛡️ For security: Brave or Firefox with Enhanced Tracking Protection.
- 💻 For working with web applications (like Figma or Trello): Chrome (despite being gluttonous, it best supports PWA).
- 🎮 For Browser Games: Kiwi Browser (Better Optimized for WebGL).
The critical point for Redmi 9 is that if you have a model with 3GB of RAM, avoid opening more than 5 tabs in Chrome or Firefox at the same time – this will cause hanging. In Brave or Kiwi, the limit is 7-8 tabs.
How to Check Real Consumption RAM browser?
Setting up your browser for maximum performance on Redmi 9
Even the most optimized browser can be made even faster. Here are the universal tips for Redmi 9:
- Turn off autoload images: In Chrome: Settings → Easy regime. → In Firefox: Settings → General. → Upload images → Only on Wi-Fi.
- Use data compression: In Kiwi Browser: Settings → bandel → Data compression. MIUI Browser: Settings → Turbo mode.
Limit background activity
Settings → Applications → Select browser → Battery → Limit background activityClean the cache regularly
For Redmi 9, it is optimal to clean the browser cache every 3 days, which will free up to 300-500 MB of memory.
Additional Tweets for Advanced Users:
- 🔧 In Brave or Kiwi, turn on the flag. chrome://flags/#enable-lite-mode to speed up loading.
- 📡 In Firefox, change network.http.max-connections to 32 about:config (accelerates downloads on slow Internet).
⚠️ Note: Do not use browsers with built-in VPN (for example, Opera or UC Browser) on Redmi 9.They put extra strain on the processor, which leads to overheating and rapid battery discharge. VPN It is better to install a separate application (for example, ProtonVPN).