Xiaomi is working on an India-specific version of MIUI, won’t contain any banned apps

With all the flak Xiaomi and other Chinese OEMs are receiving on social media in India over shipping banned apps in newly launched smartphones. And to assuage users over the debacle, Xiaomi said it will launch a new version of MIUI for India, which won’t have the banned apps preinstalled.

Xiaomi India MD, Manu Kumar Jain published an open letter on Twitter which makes it clear how Xiaomi is ensuring none of the banned apps are installed on their devices. Interestingly, there are more than one Xiaomi apps in the list of banned apps. Jain also made it clear that the MIUI Cleaner app is not the same as the Clean Master app banned in India.

Xiaomi is working on an India-specific version of MIUI

The new version of MIUI will roll out in the few weeks in a phased manner, and is likely to be made available for all Xiaomi smartphones. As for the Clean Master app, Jain wrote “please note that “Clean Master” is a common industry name, used by multiple app developers. MIUI has its own Cleaner app and we are not using the Clean Master app that has been blocked by the Indian Government.”

In fact, Jain claimed Xiaomi was only using the industry definitions that are vital to the functioning of such an app. And in the coming update, Xiaomi will remove all traces of ‘clean master’ from its cleaning app. It also plans on making it uninstallable.

Xiaomi also promised that all upcoming smartphones from Xiaomi will come with the updated software, and that since 2018, “100% of data from Indian users is stored on servers located in India and none of this data is shared with anyone outside of India.”

You can read the full 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 India

A new version of MIUI coming soon.
Please read & spread the news. pic.twitter.com/I1WPAkXVWi

— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) August 7, 2020

The development comes days after the Government showed renewed focus on banning even more Chinese apps, including some by Xiaomi like the Mi Browser Pro, leaving the company no option but to comply with the order and remove them.