Xiaomi's Marshmallow-flavored MIUI 8 beta goes live

Xiaomi has released its latest MIUI 8 ROM for public beta testing. If you own a Xiaomi phone and are of the adventurous type, this is your chance to be among the first to have a go at the Chinese company’s latest OS based on Marshmallow.

Although the software has been tested internally for a couple of weeks, there’s a good chance that it may still host quite few bugs. And keep in mind that failing to flash your phone properly can render it into one expensive paperweight.

Now that we are past the obligatory words of caution, here’s the list of phones compatible with MIUI 8 beta: Mi 2, Mi 2S, Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 5, Mi Note, and Mi Max. The world’s second most valuable technology startup is working to get the Developer ROM release on June 17, which will add support for all Redmi and Mi series handsets. On a related note, if you are wondering what Mi stands for, it is simply “Mobile internet.”

According to Xiaomi’s website, MIUI 8 comes with new animations, a brand new font, and a palette of new colors. Other notable features include: the ability to capture more than what you see on the screen area in one screenshot; the dual account system that provides users full control over their data, address book, and call history; and the Gallery app has picked up some more photo editing capabilities. MIUI 8 also comes with a built-in scanning feature that can read QR codes and business cards. Lastly, there’s a power saving mode that freezes background app activity to prolong your phone’s battery life. For more on all the changes coming in this iteration of MIUI, check out our What’s new in MIUI 8 rundown.

If the new features excite you enough to put up with a few bugs, head over to the MIUI 8 flashing guide. Good luck, and do share with us your experience.