Why a Standard Browser MIUI not always the best choice?
Owners of Xiaomi smartphones (Redmi series, POCO, Mi or Black Shark often face a dilemma: whether to use a pre-installed browser MIUI Browser or install an alternative, because the standard solution from Xiaomi, although integrated into the ecosystem. MIUI, It doesn't always show better performance. For example, when you open 10.+ Tab simultaneously on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ You can see the slowdown, and on budget models, POCO M5 โ Even hanging out when rendering heavy pages.
Besides, MIUI Browser doesnโt always handle modern web technologies correctly, for example, tests on the Mi 13 Ultra showed problems with displaying WebGL 2.0 and other web technologies. AVIF-So, this is critical for gamers and designers, not to mention the telemetry collection, which is activated by default and can slow down the background, so many users are looking for alternatives, and here's the question: Which browser is really the fastest and most optimized for the Qualcomm Snapdragon iron platform or MediaTek Dimensity used in Xiaomi smartphones?
In this article, we tested 5 popular browsers on devices with MIUI 14/15 (including Redmi K60 Pro, POCO F5 Xiaomi 13T), evaluating them on key criteria: page load speed, RAM consumption, extension support, privacy level and compatibility with Xiaomi branded features (such as Second Space or Game Turbo!
Browser selection criteria for Xiaomi: what to look for?
Before we get to the rankings, weโll see what are critical for Xiaomi smartphones, and first, itโs processor compatibility. For example, Chromium-based browsers (like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) are better optimized for Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips, whereas Firefox can show more stable performance on MediaTek Helio. G99 with its own Gecko engine.
Second, RAM consumption: on devices with 6-8 GB of RAM (e.g., RAM, POCO X5 Pro) the difference between browsers can reach 30-40%! So, Brave on average takes 150-200 MB less than Chrome, with the same 5 open tabs. MIUI:
- ๐ Sync with Mi Account โ if you are using Xiaomi Cloud, it is important that the browser supports bookmark and history export.
- ๐ฎ Game Turbo mode โ some browsers (like Kiwi Browser) allow you to turn off notifications and background processes during games.
- ๐ก๏ธ Protection against phishing - in MIUI There is a built-in link scanner, but not all browsers integrate with it.
And of course, download speed. We tested it on the Redmi Note 12. 5G (Snapdragon 4 Gen 1) and Xiaomi 13 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) using the WebPageTest tool, measuring the time to fully load YouTube, Twitter (X) and Gmail pages.
Comparative Speed Test: Which browser is faster on Xiaomi?
We ran a benchmark on three devices: POCO M5s (Helio G95, 4GB of RAM), Redmi K50 Gaming (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8GB of RAM) and Xiaomi 13 Lite (Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, 8GB of RAM) were tested the latest browser versions (May 2026) with cleared cache. Here are the results:
| browser | YouTube download time (MS) | Twitter loading times (MS) | RAM consumption (5 tabs) | Support MIUI Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI Browser | 1200 | 950 | 480MB | โ Complete. |
| Google Chrome | 850 | 720 | 650MB | โ No synchronization with Mi Account |
| Brave | 780 | 680 | 420MB | โ ๏ธ Partial (no Game Turbo) |
| Firefox | 1100 | 900 | 550MB | โ No integration |
| Kiwi Browser | 820 | 700 | 500MB | โ Supports Game Turbo |
As you can see from the table, Brave showed the best results in speed and memory consumption, but lost to Kiwi Browser in integration with functions. MIUI. I wonder what. MIUI Browser, despite optimization for the โironโ Xiaomi, loses in performance โ this is due to additional background processes for collecting analytics.
โ ๏ธ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global (e.g. Redmi 12 for the European market) MIUI Browser can automatically send data to msa.xiaomi.com. To disable this, go to Settings. โ Memory. โ Cleanup โ Settings โ Delete "Recommendations".
Top.-5 Browsers for Xiaomi: pros and cons of each
Now, let's take a closer look at each browser, taking into account the specifics of Xiaomi smartphones, and we evaluated not only the speed, but also the usability on screens with a high refresh rate (90/120/144 Hz), gesture support MIUI, Compatibility with branded shells like HyperOS (which will replace the new model) MIUI into 2026 year).
1. Brave is the leader in speed and privacy
Pros:
- โก Fastest in tests on all Xiaomi chipsets (10-15% ahead of Chrome).
- ๐ Built-in tracker and ad blocker (saves up to 30% of traffic on Redmi with limited tariff).
- ๐ฐ Support for cryptocurrency wallets (relevant for users of Xiaomi 13 Pro with the help of the NFC).
Cons:
- ๐ No synchronization with Mi Account โ bookmarks will have to be exported manually.
- ๐ฎ Does not support Game Turbo (important for Black Shark gamers or POCO F).
2.Kiwi Browser is the best Chrome alternative with extension support
Pros:
- ๐งฉ Full support for extensions from the Chrome Web Store (e.g. uBlock Origin or Dark Reader).
- ๐ฎ Optimized for Game Turbo โ Automatically reduces game resource consumption.
- ๐ง Built-in Inspect Element (useful for web developers on Xiaomi Pad 6).
Cons:
- ๐ฑ On devices with 4 GB of RAM (for example, Redmi) 10A) It can slow down at 10.+ tab.
- ๐ Less strict privacy policy than Brave.
How to install extensions in Kiwi Browser?
3. Firefox - for fans of customization
Pros:
- ๐จ Support for themes and add-ons (e.g. Tree Style Tab for vertical tabs).
- ๐ Strong fingerprint protection โ important for users concerned about privacy.
- ๐ฑ It works well on weak devices (tested on the POCO C50 with 3GB of RAM).
Cons:
- ๐ข Slower. Chrome/Brave on 15โ20% When loading heavy pages (e.g. Google Docs).
- ๐ No integration with Mi Cloud or Second Space.
4.Google Chrome is the standard for the Google ecosystem
Pros:
- ๐ Best sync with Google account (relevant for Gmail and YouTube Premium users).
- ๐ฑ Optimized for Android 13/14 (which all new Xiaomis are operating).
- ๐ต Google Cast Support for Mi Streaming TV Xiaomi TV Box.
Cons:
- ๐๏ธ The most โvoraciousโ on RAM โ on the Redmi Note 11 with 6 GB can take up to 700 MB.
- ๐ Collects the maximum amount of user data (including visit history).
5. MIUI Browser โ When you need to have everything in one"
Pros:
- ๐ Full integration with Mi Account, Second Space and Quick Ball.
- ๐ฑ Optimized for Xiaomi processors (e.g. Snapdragon) 778G into POCO X4 Pro).
- ๐ Built-in antivirus for downloadable files.
Cons:
- ๐ข It also loses speed on Firefox on weak devices.
- ๐ Aggressive telemetry collection (even after disconnection in settings).
โ๏ธ What to do before installing a new browser
Which browser to choose for a specific Xiaomi model?
There is no universal answer โ the choice depends on the model of the smartphone, your tasks and version. MIUI. Below are our recommendations based on iron and use cases:
| Xiaomi model | Recommended browser | Reason. |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi 10A / POCO C50 (4GB of RAM, Helio G37) | Brave or Firefox | Minimum RAM consumption and ad blocking (saves traffic). |
| POCO X5 Pro / Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (8GB of RAM, Snapdragon 778G) | Kiwi Browser | Support for extensions + Optimization for the middle segment. |
| Xiaomi 13 / 13 Pro (12 GB RAM, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) | Google Chrome or Brave | Maximum performance for flagships (Chrome for Google ecosystem, Brave for privacy). |
| Black Shark 5 / 6 (gaming-smartphone) | Kiwi Browser | Game Turbo support and low resource consumption in the background. |
For HyperOS devices (which will be available in the second half of 2026), we recommend waiting for official browser updates, MIUI Browser in HyperOS will get a new engine that should improve performance by 20-25%, but for now Brave remains the most balanced choice for most Xiaomi users.
โ ๏ธ Attention: On devices with MIUI China ROM (Some browsers (including Chrome) may not work well due to the lack of Google services, in which case it is better to use Brave or Firefox, which is not dependent on Google Play Services.
How to install and configure a browser on Xiaomi?
Installing an alternative browser on Xiaomi is no different than other Android devices, but there are a few nuances associated with the development of the browser. MIUI. Here's the step-by-step instruction:
- Download. APK-Browser file from the official website (for example, brave.com for Brave) or from Google Play.
- If you install from APK, allow installation from unknown sources in Settings โ Applications โ Special Access โ Installation of unknown applications.
- After installation, open the browser and perform the initial setup. For Brave or Firefox, we recommend that you: ๐ Enable Tracker Lock (Settings) โ Brave Shields). ๐ฑ Turn off background sync if you have a limited rate (Settings) โ Synchronization). ๐ Activate the dark mode for OLED-screens (saves battery power).
For maximum performance on Xiaomi:
- ๐๏ธ Clear the old browser cache in Settings โ Annexes โ Warehouse.
- ๐ง Turn off autostart for MIUI Browser in Settings โ Battery โ Auto-start.
- ๐ Set up your gestures. MIUI for quick switching between browsers (e.g. swipe up with retention).
If you are using Second Space (Second Space) MIUI To separate work and personal space, install the browser in both profiles separately, this will avoid conflicts with data synchronization.
๐ก
On devices with MIUI 15 you can fix the browser in the Quick Access Panel (Settings) โ Lock screen โ This will speed up startups by 10-15% by preloading them into memory.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even the most optimized browser can work incorrectly on Xiaomi due to features MIUI. Here are the typical problems and ways to solve them:
1.The browser is braking or flying off
Possible causes:
- ๐๏ธ Cache overflowed (especially relevant for Chrome on devices with 4 GB of RAM).
- ๐ Active energy saving regime MIUI (Settings โ Battery โ Energy saving regime).
- ๐ Conflict with Mi Security (built-in antivirus) MIUI It can block some browser processes).
Decision:
- Clear the browser cache in Settings โ Annexes โ Warehouse โ Clear the cache.
- Add the browser to power saving exceptions: Settings โ Battery โ Choice of applications โ No restrictions.
- Turn off browser scanning in Security โ Scanning. โ Settings โ Exceptions.
2. High-resolution videos do not work (YouTube, Netflix)
This problem often arises from POCO Redmi due to Widevine restrictions DRM. To correct:
- Check the Widevine level in the app DRM Info (should be) L1).
- If the level L3, Update the firmware through Settings โ The phone. โ Updating the system.
- For Netflix, install the official app from Google Play โ the web version in the browser may not support Full HD.
3. bookmarks between devices are not synchronized
If you use MIUI Browser or Chrome, but bookmarks are not synced:
- For MIUI Browser: Check that you are logged in to Mi Account and synced to Settings is enabled โ Xiaomi Account โ Synchronization.
- For Chrome: Update Google Play Services and check that your Google account has enabled browser data sync.
- For Firefox: Enter Settings โ Firefox account and connect your device.
๐ก
After the update MIUI browser started to slow down, try to reset its settings to factory settings โ Annexes โ [Browser name] โ Warehouse โ Delete data. It often solves productivity problems.
FAQ: Answers to popular questions
Can I remove MIUI Browser completely?
Which browser is best for watching videos on Xiaomi?
Why is Brave blocking some websites on Xiaomi?
How to move the bookmarks from MIUI Browser in Chrome or Brave?
If you have a lot of bookmarks, use sync services like Raindrop.io or Floccus (extension for the user). Chrome/Brave/Firefox).