MIUI 12.5 | Features and Eligible Devices

In this guide, we will be discussing MIUI 12.5 features and the devices that will be getting this update. The MUI 12 is the latest Android skin from Xiaomi. The MIUI 12 is the successor to the MIUI 11, and is made for devices with Android 10 and Android 11 both. It brought in major updates and newer features for eligible Xiaomi, Mi, Poco and Redmi devices and was liked by many users. These new additions and features included an entirely new dark mode, new animations, newer wallpapers, improved privacy for users, better security and many other goodies.

The latest version for the MIUI 12, the MIUI 12.5 was recently released. Even though the update was announced back in December 2020, it is still being rolled out to Xiaomi, Mi, Redmi and Poco devices one after and another. The MIUI 12.5 update makes the Android skin much faster and lighter than the original MIUI 12. Many features have been added along with some other tweaks to the previous version, both visual and functional. These tweaks include more responsive gestures, better management of permissions and clipboard authority. Xiaomi also boasts that due to being lighter on the system, MIUI 12.5 consumes less power.

As Xiaomi says, the MIUI 12 is the only Android OS skin that passed TÜV Rheinland’s “Android System Enhanced Privacy Protection Test.” Further, it also has more than 310 million active users monthly. So read on further to get to know about the features and the devices that are eligible for the MIUI 12.5 update.

MIUI 12 Features

Sensory Visual Design

With the MIUI 12 , users get to see a neatly summarized core system information. It gets easy for users to take a look at the stats of their device and the status by just taking a quick peek. This new addition by Xiaomi is called the Sensory Visual design. This means that whenever you open the Settings app on your Xiaomi device, you will be able to see all the information for your device such as available storage, status and specs presented to you in a graphical manner and diagrams which make it very user friendly. The image above is an example of the same.

Revamped Dark Mode

The dark mode for MIUI 12 is very different from any other dark mode. It brings in a concept of darkening the wallpapers a little bit when dark mode is turned on. What is even more exciting that it works in sync to the time of the day. As night approaches, the wallpaper of the device is dimmed gradually. You can also schedule dark mode to be turned on for a specific time of the day.

Another aspect of the dark mode which is still being addressed is how the text style and font changes with the dark mode and the light mode. For example, when you turn on the Dark mode on MIUI 12, the boldness and weight of the letters and text is reduced so that the light coming out is minimized. Further, the text visibility in low light conditions is also improved by adjusting the contrast according the lighting of the environment of the user.

New animations

The MIUI 12 brings in a lot of changes in design and animations. The new version features many realistic animations, one of which is the animation for weather. With the weather widget on your home screen, you get to see weather animations which keep changing according to the weather and are shown on your device’s home screen in the form of a time lapse video.

Other animations are also changed. One of which are the animations for app icons. The animations and responses from the app icons depend on your actions. For instance, if you tap quickly, the icon for the application will react differently as compared to it’s reaction when you tap on it slowly. Another new animation for the app icons is when you delete an app, the ripple animation will also be seen on the surrounding app icons.

Some other animations that are new are for charging, buttons, closing applications screen rotation and others.

Super Wallpapers

There are some new wallpapers that are added by Xiaomi in MIUI 12. But why are they called “Super Wallpapers”? This is because the brand has created 3D models of Mars and Earth with the help of data and images from NASA. The wallpapers are highly precise and are realistic. These super wallpapers can be equipped on your home screen as well as lock screen. If you have turned on Dark mode for your device, then the time of the day will also change in the image. This vastly improves the overall experience of these amazing wallpapers.

New gestures

With the new MIUI 12, we also get to see some new gestures. For instance, you can slide down the notification shade and then interact with a notification, such as reply to a message without having to quit your current application. Further, a pop up notification on the notification panel can also be dragged down to open another app as a mini window, giving the experience of using a split screen effect.

The notification shade has also got an upgrade. If you swipe down from the left side on the top of your screen, the notification shade will open on your phone. But if you swipe down from the top right of your screen, you will be able to access the control center for your device and easily change settings for your device. You can also revert to the old notification shade from the device’s Settings.

Enhanced privacy

The privacy for users has been greatly improved. With one-time permissions, you have the options to grant an app a specific permission for only one time. Once you have exited an app, permissions will be taken away and you will have to grant them again for later use. But there are some apps that do not follow these rules properly, so you can still use the Always allow option for them.

In addition to that, you can also keep an eye on how different apps are behaving on your device. You can keep a record of any information that an app collects from your device or any interactions it makes with other applications on your device. An impressive aspect of this is that whenever an app uses sensitive permissions, you will get a notification. For instance, if an app accesses your location, you will be instantly notified.

Another feature called the Mask System by Xiaomi protects your identity from rogue apps or duplicate apps. What does the Mask System do? Well, it creates a fake virtual identity for you and protects your data for five permissions which include contacts list, calendar, call records and more. Furthermore, you can also now share your photos safely. This is done by removing sensitive data from your photos such as device details.

More Features

There are other new features as well, such as enhanced casting such as casting while screen is turned off or hiding sensitive content while casting. Then there is also the ultra power saving mode which makes your phone last up to 5 hours with only 5% battery. This is possible because in this mode, you can only use basic features such as SMS, Calls and Network. In addition to that, the new AI Calling and Health Tracking features are also great features.

MIUI 12 release date and availability

The stable version of the MIUI 12 has already been rolled out to most of the eligible Xiaomi, Mi, Redmi and Poco devices. These include the Mi 10 series, Mi 9 series, Redmi Note 9 Series, Redmi Note 8 series and many more devices.

The latest iteration of the Android skin, MIUI 12.5 has also started rolling out to the eligible devices. The update is rolled out to devices in different batches and devices in different regions also receive the OTA update at different times. So if you do not receive the update for your device, you should remain patient as the update may come a little late.

Phones that have received the MIUI 12 update

There are many Xiaomi, Mi, Redmi and Poco devices that have received the original MIUI 12 update. Below mentioned is the list of devices that have already received the update. If your device appears on this list and you still have not updates your device, proceed to the Settings app on your device and then check for updates.