- Xiaomi has announced a new MIUI version for India.
- It will come without any preinstalled apps blocked by the Indian government.
Xiaomi has announced that it will launch a new version of MIUI for its smartphones in India. The company confirmed the news on Twitter in a letter addressing the Indian Mi community.
Xiaomi writes that all Chinese apps blocked by the Indian government are no longer available on its phones. The company states that it is “developing a new version of MIUI that will be built without pre-installation of any of the blocked apps.�
The new software will roll out in a phased manner over the next few weeks. Xiaomi has confirmed to Android Authority that all of its phones running MIUI in India will get the new version. Besides this, all upcoming Xiaomi phones will also carry the new MIUI software.
Related: The best alternatives to Chines apps banned in India
Meanwhile, Xiaomi has also clarified that MIUI has its own cleaner app and that it’s not using Cheetah Mobile’s banned Clean Master app on its phones.
“Clean Master is a common industry name used by multiple app developers,� the company writes in its letter. A new update for the MIUI cleaner app removes some “industry definitions� and is now available to download. Users can manually install the update by heading to the system app updater on their phones.
Closing out its letter, Xiaomi reaffirms the fact that it continues to comply with all data and privacy requirements under the Indian law. It reiterates that 100% of data generated by its Indian users is stored on local servers situated in the country. You can read Xiaomi’s complete letter in the tweet embedded below.
IMPORTANT news about #Xiaomi phones in #India:
1) None of the blocked apps will be available
2) MIUI Cleaner app is not using Clean Master app banned by Indian Govt.
3) 100% of Indian user data stays in IndiaA new version of MIUI coming soon.
Please read & spread the news. pic.twitter.com/I1WPAkXVWi— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) August 7, 2020
Xiaomi’s comments come weeks after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps, including some Xiaomi apps like the Mi Browser. OEMs and app developers have no option but to comply with the latest government guidelines. TikTok was one of the biggest casualties of these app restrictions, but it might soon find a way out thanks to a potential Microsoft takeover.
Also read: Best Xiaomi phones you can buy right now