MIUI

MIUI (pronunciation: Me You I)[1] is a heavily modified software skin for Android developed by Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi. This is a fork of the Android OS.[2] MIUI includes various features such as theme support.[3]

MIUI
DeveloperXiaomi
OS familyAndroid 5-11 (Unix-Like)
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source (Android Base and Main Framework) with Proprietary components (Miui Apps and Kits)
Initial release0.8.16 / 16 August 2010 (2010-08-16)
Latest release12.2.9.0 (Mainland China)
12.2.5.0 (Global market)
Latest preview[12.5] 21.2.1 (Mainland China) / 1 February 2021 (2021-02-01)
Marketing targetAlternative OS replacement for Android devices;
Stock firmware for Xiaomi mobile devices
Available in77 languages (varies by country)
Package managerGoogle Play
Mi GetApps
.APK files
Platforms32-bit ARM, MIPS, x86, x64
Kernel typeMonolithic (modified Linux kernel)
LicenseApache License 2.0
GNU General Public License v3
Proprietary
Official websiteen.miui.com

Xiaomi has released some smartphones with Android One while others have MIUI, based on the current version of Android. Xiaomi devices usually get one Android version update, but get MIUI updates for four years.[4]

The first MIUI ROM was based on Android 2.2.x Froyo and was initially developed in the Chinese language by Chinese startup Xiaomi Tech.[5] Xiaomi added a number of apps to the basic framework, including their Notes, Backup, Music, and Gallery apps.[6]

MIUI and Google Play services

Google has had disagreements with the Chinese government, and access to many Google services is blocked. MIUI does not ship with Google Play Services in mainland China. However, Xiaomi has expanded its operations outside China; MIUI releases for Android devices outside mainland China have Google Play Services and Google Apps such as Gmail, Google Maps, Google Play Store pre-installed and functioning as on any other Android device. MIUI global versions are certified by Google.[7]

Comparison of all MIUI variants
China Global xiaomi.eu
Languages available Few, including Chinese and English Wide selection
Selection of downloadable themes All Some
Drag up search Yes

with international Bing and selection of Chinese search engines

 Google Yes
Smart Assistant App vault
Default source of apps GetApps Google Play

Additionally in India: Mi Picks (renamed to Apps)[8]

 Google Play
Mi Cloud services All Some All
Updates Developer Stable Beta Stable Dev/Beta Stable
Highest priority.

Updated every Thursday

 Usually updated every two months[9] No longer available Usually updated every two months Updated every Friday Usually updated every two months
OTA Yes Yes; patches are not supported, so a complete new ROM is downloaded each time
Official Yes
(made by Xiaomi)		 Approved by the official distribution in the European Union.

Use on devices from the EU distribution does not void warranty.[10]

Made by fans gathered on Xiaomi.EU website.

Custom recovery requirement No Yes
Additional features
  • Optional access to various Chinese online services
  • built-in root support (unlocked bootloader is required)
 Optional access to various Chinese online services N/A
  • Additional icons for some third party apps
  • Unlocked some hardware features on selected devices
Supported Xiaomi devices All

excluding Redmi Note 3SE and Mi 4i (dropped)

Older devices may not be updated

 Majority

excluding devices never released outside PRC

MIUI vs Android

Although the MIUI is built on the Android platform, the default user interface of its earlier iterations resembled iOS due to the absence of the application tray,[11] with a grid of icons arrayed in the home panels. Other iOS similarities include the app icons being in a uniform shape, the dialer and in-call interface, the organization of the Settings app, and the visual appearance of toggles in the UI. This prompted some observers to cite how the devices running on MIUI could appeal to iOS users wanting to switch to the Android platform.[11] By 2018, MIUI was increasingly shifting towards a design aesthetic more similar to the stock Android. For instance, several elements in the MIUI 10 build resemble Android Pie features such as the multitasking menu and gesture controls.[12] This change was first seen in the MIUI 9 (ver. 8.5.11) that shipped with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S. The MIUI firmware already looked like stock Android P.[13]

Another difference from Android is the MIUI's support for themes and custom fonts. Users can download theme packs and fonts, which can change the user interface of the device once installed from the Mi Themes Store. It allows advanced users to tweak the hard-coded firmware of their handsets.[14]

Issues

MIUI's kernel was proprietary, and in breach of Linux kernel's GPL.[15][16] Source code for certain components was released to GitHub on 25 October 2013.[17] Kernel sources for a few devices, including the Mi3, Mi4, MiNote, and Redmi 1S, were released in March 2015.[18]

In order to raise funds for the company, MIUI has its own online services from Xiaomi, including cloud services, paid themes and games. Payments are transacted using the MiCredit digital currency.[19]

India

As a result of the government of India banning 59 Chinese apps they worked on rebuilding MIUI.[20][21]

Vulnerabilities

In April 2019, security researcher Arif Khan reported that Xiaomi's browser apps Mi Browser and Mint Browser suffered from a vulnerability that allowed the URL address bar to be spoofed, which affected Indian as well as certain global versions of MIUI. Xiaomi gave Khan a bug bounty but opted not to fix this issue.[22][23] In addition, a vulnerability in a wallpaper carousel app Glance on Indian versions of MIUI allowed a user to bypass the lock screen and access clipboard data.[24][25] This vulnerability was eventually fixed by Xiaomi.[25]

Version history
Version Screenshot Android version Date of release Last Stable release Initial Beta release Last Beta release Notable change
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI V1 2.1
 16 August 2010 N/A 0.8.16 Un­known Initial release
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI V2 2.1-2.3.6
Un­known N/A Un­known Un­known Redesigned user interface
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI V3 2.3.6 Un­known N/A Un­known Old version, no longer maintained: 2.4.20 Redesigned user interface
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI V4 4.0.4 – 4.1.2 Un­known ICS24.0[26] Un­known Old version, no longer maintained: 3.2.22
  • New user interface
  • Added anti-virus
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI V5
4.1.2 – 4.4.2 1 March 2013[27] 31.0[28] 3.3.1 Old version, no longer maintained: 4.12.5
  • New user interface
  • Google Services were removed from the Chinese version
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI 6
4.4.2 – 5.0.2 29 August 2014[29] 6.7.2.0 4.8.29 Old version, no longer maintained: 5.8.6 New user interface
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI 7
4.4.2 – 6.0.1 13 August 2015[30] 7.5.9.0 5.8.12 Old version, no longer maintained: 6.5.26 Locked bootloader on selected old devices and all released afterwards
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI 8
4.4.2 – 7.1.1 16 June 2016[31] 8.5.10.0 6.6.16 Old version, no longer maintained: 7.7.20
  • Minor changes to the user interface
  • Updated system apps
  • Added support for Second Space and Dual apps.
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI 9
4.4.2 – 8.1.0 10 August 2017 9.6.5.0 7.8.10 Old version, no longer maintained: 8.5.24
  • Minor changes to the user interface
  • Added split screen
  • Improved Notification Shade and QuickCard (currently known as App Vault)
  • New silent mode
  • Added key and gesture shortcuts
  • Added face unlock.
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI 10
6.0 – 9 19 June 2018[32] 10.4.5.0 8.6.14 Old version, no longer maintained: 9.9.6
  • New notification shade
  • Extended notifications' functionality
  • New recent apps screen, volume control, Clock, Calendar and Notes
  • Higher integration with XiaoAI
  • Minor changes to the user interface
  • Removed black theme (Mi Note 2)
  • Dropped devices run Android Lollipop or below other
Old version, no longer maintained: MIUI 11 7.0 – 10 22 October 2019 11.0.14.0 9.9.24 Old version, no longer maintained: 20.3.26
  • Dropped devices running Android Marshmallow or below other
  • Based on Android 10 on some devices
  • System-wide dark mode, with dark mode scheduling.
  • Monochrome ultra power saving mode
  • Mi calculator (Pip mode)
  • Miui Notes App Download
  • New icons
  • Optional app drawer setting for system launcher
  • Smoother animations
  • Status bar optimizations
  • Automatic screenshot management[33]
  • Opt Out Of Adverts Settings
  • China ROM only first
Current stable version: MIUI 12
9 – 11 27 April 2020 12.2.9.0 20.4.27 Current stable version: 21.2.x 12.0 - 12.2
  • Dropped devices running Android Oreo or below.
  • Dark Mode 2.0
  • New gestures and animations (Smoother animations, in boxes)
  • New Icons
  • New notification shade
  • AI help for calls (automatic reply)
  • Super Wallpaper (Planet zoom from always on display to Lockscreen to Homescreen)
  • App drawer for 1st time
  • More privacy focused
  • 1 time permission for location, contacts etc in 3rd party apps
  • Added floating windows
  • Added ultra battery saver for global version
  • Added Lite Mode
  • Added video toolbox.
  • New fingerprint animations[34]
  • New camera & gallery filters
  • Redesigned app vault

12.5

  • New nature sounds of notifications
  • Smoother animations
  • Redesigned app folders
  • Added vertical layout for Recents
  • Improvements for Mi Notes
  • Added new Super wallpapers ("Geometry" and "Mount Siguniang")
  • Added heart rate measure using the camera

See also

References
  1. About MIUI Video on YouTube
  2. http://tech.sina.com.cn/t/2011-07-28/01255847379.shtml
  3. MIUI Official English Site, en.miui.com, archived from the original on 15 February 2014, retrieved 16 March 2014
  4. Xiaomi Phone with MIUI OS: a $310 Android with 1.5 GHz dual-core SoC and other surprises, Engadget, 16 August 2011, retrieved 17 September 2011
  5. Jason Lim, MIUI, Lei Jun, TechNode, retrieved 17 January 2012
  6. MIUI Official English Site, archived from the original on 9 April 2014, retrieved 12 April 2014
  7. "Android – Certified - Partners". Android. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. Forum, Xiaomi MIUI Official. "Mi Picks - pick your next favorite- officially launched! Give us your feedback! - App - Xiaomi MIUI Official Forum". en.miui.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  9. "MIUI ROM Downloads". en.miui.com. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  10. "MIUI 9 - 7.8.10 - First Miui 9". Xiaomi European Community & Store. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  11. Black, Marie. "What's the difference between TouchWiz, MIUI, EMUI, OxygenOS, LG UX and standard Android?". Tech Advisor. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  12. "MIUI 10 To Offer Updated Design, Its User Interface Leaks | Androidheadlines.com". AndroidHeadlines.com |. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  13. "Latest MIUI 9 build for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 brings Android P-style UI changes". xda-developers. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  14. Pfeffermann, Nicole; Gould, Julie (2017). Strategy and Communication for Innovation: Integrative Perspectives on Innovation in the Digital Economy. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. p. 30. ISBN 9783319495408.
  15. "小米的MIUI被指违反GPL许可证" (in Chinese). Solidot. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  16. "MIUI is accused of non-compliance with free software license, users request MIUI to be free software (MIUI被指责不遵守开源软件协议，网友要求公开源代码)" (in Chinese). tech2ipo. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  17. "Commits". GitHub. 25 October 2013.
  18. GitHub MiCode/Xiaomi_Kernel_OpenSource, GitHub, 31 March 2015, retrieved 8 April 2015
  19. "删除谷歌，内置杀毒，MIUI终于突破底线".
  20. Wright, Arol (8 August 2020). "Xiaomi is rebuilding MIUI for India without any of its banned apps". xda-developers. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  21. "Xiaomi India working on new MIUI version without banned Chinese apps". Android Police. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  22. Akolawala, Tasneem (5 April 2019). "Xiaomi's Mi Browser, Mint Browser Said to Contain Critical URL Spoofing Security Vulnerability". NDTV. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  23. Merchant, Zaheer (8 April 2019). "Xiaomi warned about critical flaw in its two Android browsers but does nothing". MediaNama. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  24. "[Unpatched Vulnerability] CVE-2019-11015: Lock Screen Auth Bypass leading to Sensitive Information Disclosure and an Improper Access Control issue in Xiaomi MIUI OS (latest stable releases affected) - Andmp | A blog about infosec, bug hunting and more!". www.andmp.com. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  25. Singh, Jagmeet (17 April 2019). "MIUI Lock Screen Vulnerability Provided Access to Clipboard Data, Fix Released". NDTV. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  26. "MIUI Official English Site - Redefining Android". 6 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  27. Forum, Xiaomi MIUI Official. "MIUI ROM 3.3.1 Changelog: MIUI V5 for Xiaomi MI2 Released!!! - MIUI General - Xiaomi MIUI Official Forum". en.miui.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  28. Forum, Xiaomi MIUI Official. "MIUI Stable ROM (Global) KXDMIBF22.0 for MI3-WCDMA/CDMA Changelog & Download - Xiaomi Mi 3 - Xiaomi MIUI Official Forum". en.miui.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  29. Forum, Xiaomi MIUI Official. "MIUI ROM 4.8.29 Full Changelog. MIUI 6 Released for Public! (Released) - MIUI General - Xiaomi MIUI Official Forum". en.miui.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  30. Forum, Xiaomi MIUI Official. "About MIUI 7 China ROM 5.8.13. What Device Will MIUI 7 Global ROM Support First? - MIUI General - Xiaomi MIUI Official Forum". en.miui.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  31. Forum, Xiaomi MIUI Official. "MIUI 8 China Developer ROM 6.6.16 Full Changelog & Supported Devices - MIUI General - Xiaomi MIUI Official Forum". en.miui.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  32. "MIUI 10首批机型公测下载 - MIUI官方网站". www.miui.com. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  33. https://www.xda-developers.com/miui-11-new-features/
  34. https://www.techindeep.com/miui-12-1-coming-soon-here-are-all-the-whats-new-58927
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