Redesigned MIUI 12 unveiled; Roll out to start from June

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Along with the announcement of Mi 10 Youth, Xiaomi has unveiled the all-new MIUI 12. The new avatar of MIUI brings in new features and improvements that aim to improve the user experience. It comes with a new flat look, Dark Mode 2.0-that we’ve already spoken about, better privacy controls and improved health features.

Among the visual enhancements are a set of new animations, interesting live wallpapers and a new Always-on Display. The animations for opening and closing the app drawer has been changed and the company claims that the new animation is more fluid.

In MIUI 12, Xiaomi has focused on improvements in privacy-related features and the company claims that it is the first mobile UI that has passed TÜV Rheinland’s “Android System Enhanced Privacy Protection Test.” There are three new features including Flare, Barbed Wire, and Mask System that offers users added protection against rogue apps.

In the launch event, the company also revealed that MIUI has over 310 million monthly active users, which basically highlights the fact that Xiaomi has been very successful in selling its mid-budget devices.

The MIUI 12 is still based on Android 10 and its beta program has already started in China while the company aims for a global release in June.

Here are some of the cool MIUI 12 features

Dark Mode 2.0

As revealed earlier, Xiaomi has put a lot of focus on improving the Dark Mode in MIUI. The Dark Mode 2.0 introduces features like wallpaper dimming which unlike earlier, will change the wallpaper shade gradually as the day progresses.

It also introduces features that, as per Xioami, will improve the text reading experience by automatically adjusting the font-weight as you switch from light to dark mode. To improve the legibility of text, Xioami has also introduced a feature that adjusts the font contrast automatically based on the ambient light.

Super Wallpapers and visual improvements

With MIUI 12, the company has introduced new Super Wallpapers which is a collection of high-resolution 3D wallpapers of Mars and Earth. These new live wallpapers are based on NASA's space exploration data and can be used while the screen is locked as well when unlocked.

Every time the phone is unlocked, these Super Wallpapers zoom in from a space shot to an aerial shot. The wallpaper also adjusts automatically based on dark mode settings.

Xiaomi has also made settings app visually appealing and it now shows, system information, storage details and other information in an easy to understand graphical format. The company calls it “Sensory Visual Design” which makes reading text a better experience and has better spacing between texts.

MIUI 12 introduces a various improvement in the system animation which includes new Android 10 like navigation gesture, new animation for screen rotation, app launch and close. Even the app icons have got a new animation and will react differently based on your gesture direction and speed. Simple tasks like deleting an app now have a ripple effect which will animate on the icons close by.

MIUI 12 privacy features

With MIUI 12, Xiaomi has put in extra emphasis on security on privacy. It brings three new applications which are:

Flare: This is to keep an eye on all access permissions granted to applications. It raises an alert as soon as an app tried to access the camera or GPS
Barbed Wire: This lets users allow application permissions for a specific period post which all permissions are revoked automatically. This is helpful for users who wants to allow some apps conditional access to more features.
Mask System: This feature prevents apps from accessing critical personal information like IMEI, Call logs, Calendar, etc.

With the new UI, users will be able to know how an application behaves. It lets users know about what all information it collects from the phone or other applications.

AI calling

This AI-powered feature can transcribe calls and can suggest responses during conversations for people with hearing difficulties. This is much like Google’s Auto screening feature and uses Xiaomi’s Xiao AI to answer calls for you. Though it is not clear if this feature will be introduced in devices outside China.

MIUI 12 launch schedule and eligible devices

The beta testing program for MIUI 12 has already started today. However, the stable version will be released in June 2020. Be mindful that this timeline is only applicable to Chinese devices. The company is yet to announce the global MIUI 12 rollout schedule.

Below is the list of devices that are supposed to get MIUI 12:

First phase