Xiaomi has started rolling out its latest HyperOS 2 update in China, bringing a wave of improvements to photo editing, cloud sync, and system performance. While the company is already teasing a next-gen OS—possibly HyperOS 3 or HyperOS 26—this current update lays the groundwork for what looks like a smarter, more connected user experience.
Smarter Photos: AI Tools, Filters, and Background Edits
One of the biggest upgrades lands in the Photos app, which now includes AI Matting 2.0—a tool that helps users isolate subjects in an image with more accuracy and replace backgrounds. The replacement options aren’t just static images either. Xiaomi says users can now add dynamic backgrounds based on time, weather, or location.
Group photos also get a boost with beauty filters, while the addition of animated stickers, collage layouts, and custom templates gives users more flexibility for edits and social sharing.
Search is getting an AI boost too. The new photo sorting system automatically organizes media by people, dates, or locations. And it’s searchable using natural language—type in “beach trip” or “mom’s birthday,” and relevant photos surface instantly. This powers the new Memory Album feature, which automatically builds highlight reels from your media library.
Performance Fixes and Smoother UI Transitions
HyperOS 2 also addresses some long-standing bugs. The status bar and gesture hints now load instantly when exiting apps, a fix that smooths out navigation. UI transitions in general are more fluid, especially on devices with high refresh rate displays.
Cloud Gets a Major Upgrade
Photos and videos backed up to Xiaomi Cloud now retain their original resolution, rather than being compressed. There’s a new gallery-style view for browsing cloud-stored media, and users can monitor backup progress and storage usage in real time.
Cross-device sync has been fine-tuned as well. Shared albums can now update automatically across phones, tablets, and smart TVs. Xiaomi is also improving file transfer speed when sending photos between devices on the same account.
New Smart Service Dashboard
A new Smart Service dashboard has been introduced to help users manage storage. It displays photo stats, highlights duplicate files, and offers space-saving suggestions. It also tracks phone usage habits, making it easier to spot what’s hogging memory over time.
Global Rollout Still Unclear
While the HyperOS 2 update is currently rolling out to select models in China, Xiaomi hasn’t announced a timeline for international availability. It’s likely that these features will surface globally once the next-gen HyperOS version is ready to launch alongside Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship series, expected later this year.
