Xiaomi’s MIUI custom ROM now has over 190 million monthly active users

Xiaomi has now more than 190 million monthly active users on its MIUI customised Android ROM. The company achieved the feat in roughly eight year since the launch.

"Eight years ago, we developed MIUI, which was our first product. The first edition only had 100 users, and with the support of these 100 users, we were able to grow step by step, and we now have over 190 million monthly active users," said Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun while announcing the company's initial public offering (IPO) at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9.

Xiaomi had reported surpassing 170 million users worldwide in February 2016.

The original MIUI was based on Google's archaic Android 2.2 Froyo operating system. The customised ROM not only supports Xiaomi devices but can also be used on non-Xiaomi phones, though it may cause the warranty voids from the original smartphone maker.

The spur in growth of MIUI users can also be attributed to the company's meteoric rise in India where it has become a top smartphone company in certain segments. According to the latest Counterpoint Research study, Xiaomi had 31.1% smartphone market share followed by Samsung with 26.2% in the first quarter of 2018. Xiaomi along with Honor and OnePlus was the fastest growing smartphone brands in Q1, 2018, according to the report.

Xiaomi currently offers MIUI 10. The company recently launched MIUI 10 Global Beta ROM for the following phones: Mi 6, Mi MIX 2, Redmi S2, Redmi Note 5 Pro/Redmi Note 5 and Mi MIX 2S. The new version brings a host of new features ranging from full-screen optimisation, new notification panel, and deeper Artificial Intelligence integration.