Leaked screenshots have surfaced showing the visual direction of HyperOS 4, Xiaomi’s next major software update. The images point to a significant redesign built around translucent, frosted-glass-style surfaces, a revamped control center, and more flexible lock screen and home screen customization. However, all details come from leaks and have not been officially confirmed by Xiaomi.
What you need to know
- HyperOS 4 reportedly adopts a “Liquid Glass” design language with semi-transparent surfaces, but this effect may be limited to select Xiaomi devices.
- Leaked interface changes include stackable same-size widgets, resizable home screen folders, a pinnable control center, and notifications grouped at the bottom of the screen.
- Xiaomi’s promotional splash screens from the leak tout two performance technologies — “precise load calculation” and “memory preloading” — but no independent benchmarks exist yet.
- According to unconfirmed rumors, the presentation could happen by the end of August, with HyperOS 4 underpinning the Xiaomi 18 flagship lineup in September.
A look at the new HyperOS 4 design
New interface design: “Liquid Glass” with caveats
The most prominent change visible in the leaked screenshots is visual. The source describes Xiaomi’s new design language as “frosted glass” — semi-transparent surfaces with a soft, warm appearance. The approach draws obvious comparisons to recent iOS styling. Importantly, the full Liquid Glass effect will reportedly be available only on select Xiaomi smartphones, not across the entire lineup.
The new notification shade with the Liquid Glass effect
Practical interface changes
Beyond aesthetics, the leaked screenshots suggest several functional changes to how users interact with the home screen and quick settings:
- Revamped control center — users can reportedly pin frequently used buttons to the top of the panel.
- Resizable and reshapeable home screen folders — offering more layout flexibility than before.
- Stackable widgets — same-size widgets can be layered on top of each other and cycled through with vertical swipes.
- Lock screen clock font customization — more options for adjusting the clock’s appearance.
- Bottom-aligned notifications — notifications are now grouped at the bottom of the screen rather than the top.
Taken together, the leak suggests changes that go beyond a visual refresh, affecting daily interaction patterns with the home screen and quick settings.
Claimed performance improvements
Based on welcome screens visible in the leaked images, Xiaomi appears to be promoting two new performance technologies described as “precise load calculation” and “memory preloading.” Together, these are said to enable faster app launches and smoother multitasking.
The HyperOS 4 welcome screen
It is worth being cautious here: claims such as “no lag even after prolonged use” come from Xiaomi’s own marketing materials visible in the leak, not from independent testing. Real-world performance can only be assessed once a stable build is publicly available.
When is HyperOS 4 expected?
According to scattered rumors — none officially confirmed — the HyperOS 4 presentation could take place by the end of August. In September, the update is rumored to ship as the software foundation for the Xiaomi 18 flagship lineup. No exact dates or lists of compatible devices have been published, so there is currently no way to confirm whether any specific Xiaomi model will receive the update or when.
How to install the update once available
HyperOS 4 is not yet officially available. When it does roll out, the standard Xiaomi update process applies:
- Connect to Wi-Fi and plug in your charger.
- Open Settings and navigate to About phone.
- Select the system update option.
- Tap to check for updates and wait for the firmware to download.
- Confirm the installation and allow the device to restart.
The update will be available through phone settings
As a general precaution, backing up important data — photos, messages, and app data — before any major OS update is advisable, even if the process typically completes without issues.
