New features in MIUI 12: Rollout to begin in June
MIUI 12 is the latest iteration of Xiaomi’s custom smartphone interface, based on Android. The rollout will begin in June, coming first to Mi 9, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro.
Xiaomi says MIUI 12 has privacy protection at its core, with various enhancements made to individual app permissions that will help ensure you are not giving away to app developers any more data than is absolutely necessary.
There are new options for how you control when apps are able to access your data, including ‘While using the app’ and ‘Notify’, and you’ll see notifications when they are operating in the background. Classification of sensitive permissions (allowed only while using the relevant app) has also been extended from location permissions to cover the camera, microphone, contacts, call history, calendar and storage.
With MIUI 12 you will also be able to remove location information and metadata before sharing photos.
Xiaomi has also redesigned the interface, making MIUI 12 smoother than ever, with inspired-by-nature system animations and visualisation elements helping to create what it is calling a ‘lifelike’ experience.
One of the most interesting design changes is the fact MIUI will finally get (optional) App Drawer support to match vanilla Android. It’s a relatively small but very welcome change, and one that should go a long way to help new Xiaomi smartphone users feel more familiar within the interface.
Xiaomi has also created a new ‘Super Wallpaper’ feature, which uses official NASA imagery to help create the concept of a journey through space as you move through the Always-on Display to the lock screen and home screen.
New features in MIUI 12
When will my phone get MIUI 12?
In June 2020, Xiaomi will roll out MIUI 12 to the Mi 9, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro.
Thereafter MIUI 12 will be rolled out to existing handsets on a model-by-model basis.
It has been confirmed that the following phones will also receive the update:
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Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director, International
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for almost 20 years, covering all types of consumer tech from smartphones and their accessories to smart home gear. These days she manages our international editorial teams and leads on content strategy, having witnessed first-hand Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
