Xiaomi was one of the first smartphone makers to release stable Android 15 after the official release by Google back in October 2024. The Chinese company is expected to lead the charge with Android 16, and they seem to be doing just that. With Android 16-based HyperOS 2 publicly available, the company has become just a few companies to start the testing.
Google has changed the release model of the new Android OS upgrade. They usually start beta release after the yearly I/O event where they announce new features coming to Android. This year, a beta update arrived in January as the company targets a June 2025 release. The idea is for new Pixel phones to arrive with the latest OS. That also means older phones will get the new OS on time, including Xiaomi phones.
According to the Weibo post by Xiaomi Surge OS, the Chinese company has started the public testing of the upcoming OS. The beta preview is currently limited to the Chinese units and only two devices are eligible.
Details of Xiaomi Android 16-based HyperOS 2 public release
Xiaomi has released Android 16-based HyperOS 2 build for the Xiaomi 15 and Redmi K70 Ultra. The latter is known as Xiaomi 14T Pro globally, meaning the global release might soon commence. We understand the latest build is based on Android 16 beta 2.
While the build can be installed by anyone with an eligible phone and Android 16 beta 2 is quite stable, it’s still a beta build. Also, it is based on HyperOS 2, which might need time to adapt to the newest Android OS. Hence, we do not recommend installing the build on a daily driver and if you must do so, ensure to back your data before proceeding.
How to install Android 16-based HyperOS 2 on your Xiaomi phone
Xiaomi has released the build in the Chinese Mi community. You can access the ROM there and guide on how to flash it. Again, the build is exclusive to Chinese ROM users, it will not work on your global phones. We expect the global release in the coming days, but if you are using the Chinese units eligible, visit the source link.
While Xiaomi is previewing Android 16 with HyperOS 2, we expect the final release to arrive with HyperOS 3. There is limited news about the next iteration of HyperOS, but we believe work is going on internally. It will be easy to move over when the build is ready. That means we are still months before the stable release, but you can join the beta preview if you cannot wait.
source: Xiaomi on Weibo
