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

Floating windows save the user from switching between apps. They can be moved, resized and closed using gestures, and support repliesImproved casting support for documents, apps, videos and games while the relevant app is minimised or the screen is off, also preventing notifications and calls displaying on the external screenUltra Battery Saver mode restricts power-consuming features when the battery is running low, but does not affect calls, messages or network connectivityEnhanced Dark Mode with a darker colour palette and options to automatically adjust the contrast to match ambient lightApp Drawer functionality (optional) can help reduce clutter on the home screen and make MIUI feel more like standard Android. Apps can also be automatically grouped according to user preferences

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:

Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10 LiteMi 9, Mi 9 SE, Mi 9 LiteMi 8, Mi 8 Pro, Mi 8 LiteMi Mix 3, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Mix 2Mi Note 10, Mi Note 10 LiteMi Note 3Mi Max 3Poco F1, Poco F2 Pro, Poco X2Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9S, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro MaxRedmi Note 8, Redmi Note 8T, Redmi Note 8 ProRedmi Note 7, Redmi Note 7S, Redmi Note 7 ProRedmi Note 6 ProRedmi Note 5, Redmi Note 5 ProRedmi 8, Redmi 8A, Redmi 8 DualRedmi 7, Redmi 7ARedmi 6, Redmi 6A, Redmi 6 ProRedmi Y2Redmi Y3Redmi S2

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Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our EMEA and LatAm editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.