With the HyperOS 4 update, Xiaomi is preparing to introduce a new screen privacy mode similar to the Privacy Display feature offered by Samsung in the Galaxy S26 Ultra model. The new feature is built on a structure that will make it difficult for people looking at the screen from the side to see the content, especially in public transportation, cafes, offices and crowded areas. Xiaomi’s new screen privacy mode may come with HyperOS 4.
Screen brightness, refresh rate and panel quality have long been at the center of competition on smartphones. Recently, screen privacy has also been added to this race. Samsung introduced the Privacy Display feature with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. While this feature allows the user to see the content normally when looking at the screen from the front, it narrows the viewing angle for people looking from the side. According to the information shared by Yogesh Brar, Xiaomi is working on a screen privacy mode similar to Samsung’s Privacy Display feature.
The feature is expected to come with the HyperOS 4 update later in the year. The most critical point here is that Xiaomi’s solution may not be as hardware-focused as Samsung’s. The Privacy Display used in the Galaxy S26 Ultra is based on Samsung’s Flex Magic Pixel technology. This structure works with special panel technology that physically narrows the viewing angle of the screen. Users can turn this mode on for the entire screen or use it in specific areas.
The fact that Xiaomi’s feature will come with HyperOS 4 indicates a software-based solution at the first stage. In this scenario, the company can use a privacy layer that runs within the operating system rather than a dedicated panel. Such a structure may not be as advanced as Samsung’s Flex Magic Pixel solution, but it may provide the advantage of reaching more devices. It is not possible to narrow the physical viewing angle of the screen in a software-based solution.
Instead, the system can darken, blur, or leave only the area the user is focused on on the screen. This approach may be similar to the Privacy Shade feature that BlackBerry offered on Android phones in the past. In BlackBerry’s solution, most of the screen was darkened, leaving only a small and portable area visible. Samsung’s method is technically different because it offers a more advanced hardware solution. Flex Magic Pixel technology on the Galaxy S26 Ultra controls the light emission of the pixels, making the screen difficult to read when viewed from the side.
Thus, the user achieves a similar effect without using a privacy film or special screen protector. Xiaomi’s possible software approach may bring another advantage. If the feature doesn’t just depend on a new screen, it may also come to older Xiaomi models that will receive the HyperOS 4 update. This allows users who want screen privacy to try this mode without having to buy a new phone. Despite its technical success, Samsung’s Privacy Display feature was criticized in some user comments regarding screen brightness and eye comfort.
There are users and review comments stating that the Galaxy S26 Ultra screen offers lower brightness than the S25 Ultra. If Xiaomi uses a software-based method, a different balance can be established on this side. Since the feature does not interfere with the hardware, its effect on brightness and panel character may be more limited. On the other hand, software-based privacy solutions may not offer the same level of protection as Samsung’s system because they do not physically narrow the actual viewing angle.
Especially in bright environments, people looking from different angles can still select content outside the darkened or blurred areas. Therefore, how Xiaomi’s solution will work will become clear with the introduction of HyperOS 4.
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