Xiaomi is preparing a response to Samsung's Privacy Display. It will reportedly be part of HyperOS 4

If you are worried that someone on a tram or in a cafe will look over your shoulder at your phone, apart from buying a special protective glass, there’s usually not much you can do. Samsung solved this problem with the Galaxy S26 Ultra model using the Privacy Display feature, which narrows viewing angles and shows content only to those looking from the front. Now it seems that the biggest rival of the South Korean brand is also preparing similar protection. Xiaomi will reportedly integrate it into the upcoming version of its system, although it is not yet clear exactly how it will work.

The new feature will reportedly arrive with HyperOS 4

The information comes from the well-known leaker Yogesh Brar, according to whom Xiaomi is working on a similar feature to Privacy Display. The feature should appear as part of the HyperOS 4 update, and that’s still this year.

Xiaomi is working on a Samsung's Privacy Display like feature

It will launch with the new HyperOS 4 later this year.

— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) May 26, 2026

The principle itself is clear for Samsung. The Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a panel with Flex Magic Pixel technology, which combines regular pixels for standard display and directional pixels limiting light emission to the sides. The user can narrow the viewing angles either for the entire screen or only for selected applications, typically banking or messages. It is therefore a hardware feature of the display, not just a software filter.

The main unknown: purely software, or also hardware?

This is where the catch is. The fact that the feature is supposed to arrive as part of a system update strongly suggests a software solution. If Xiaomi does not prepare phones with a special panel, it cannot physically rotate pixels like Samsung. A software variant would therefore most likely work differently.

However, a hardware path cannot be completely ruled out. Even mentions of Samsung’s Privacy Display first appeared in software and only then in physical form, so HyperOS 4 could theoretically only unlock the capability of a new panel.

A software approach would also have its advantages. The Galaxy S26 Ultra display received criticism for being darker than its predecessor and straining some users’ eyes. A purely software-based solution would not have to interfere with brightness or eye health in this way, and could also come to older phones, but of course, the question arises as to how effective it would be in practice.

In short, we will simply have to wait for further details. However, it is evident that Chinese manufacturers are trying to create a relevant response to Samsung’s Privacy Display, which became the center of attention after the release of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Would you welcome shoulder-surfing protection on your phone too?

Sources: Android Authority, xiaomiui.net, Yogesh Brar (X)