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Xiaomis MIUI is a heavily modified Android skin.
Now that Xiaomi is the second-largest smartphone manufacturer after Samsung, the userbase of MIUI has significantly expanded.
MIUI is popularly known for its customization and theming options.
However, it does have a concerning reputation with regards to its privacy practices and data collection techniques.
Is it Android, or Is it MIUI?
Well, Android 12 introduced several privacy controls that Android 11 (or older) did not have.
While Android 10 already made it easy to manage permissions, it did not offer fine-grained controls.
Android, as it is, has been laser-focused to improve privacy tweaks available in a smartphone.
However, MIUIs focus was not so much on privacy in its early days.
So, it is safe to say that MIUI is to blame for most privacy concerns.
Fret not; you do not need to be a privacy expert to achieve this.
Also, you do not need to flash a new ROM.
But that is totally up to you, and we will not be discussing that here.
Most of the essential options that include data collection can be disabled from the get-go.
And most users often start using Mi applications that come pre-installed with it without thinking about privacy concerns.
One of my personal recommendations would includeAnySoftKeyboard, an open-source and privacy-focused keyboard app for Android.
But, as per my usage, most of the applications work just fine.
Not just limited to MIUI phones, you should always do this for every Android smartphone.
And also, find other special permissions as you scroll down.
Unfortunately, the option seems to be available only for Chinese users.
But, you may want to keep an eye on it.
It will notify you in the status bar when an app uses certain permission access.
Turn off the feature to get rid of it.
It is best to stick to your Google account for sync and backup.
Many users tend to skip the update or wait for a long time, fearing potential bugs.
While that is understandable, it’s crucial that you do it as soon as possible.
In case you did not know, Mi-branded devices usually offer two Android upgrades and four MIUI upgrades.
And the Redmi devices offer one Android upgrade and two MIUI upgrades.
After all, privacy is one of the biggest concerns regarding gadgets used as daily drivers.
