HyperOS 4 Rewrites Poco Phone Experience

Poco phones are heading into a big software change. The new HyperOS 4 will stop using the old Poco Launcher and replace it with a single, unified interface. The change is driven by a new update method called SOTA (Super OTA) that lets phones refresh without restarting.

The idea behind SOTA is simple. While you scroll or watch videos, your phone can download and install new software in the background. Traditional Android updates require a reboot: the device shuts down, installs changes, then starts up again. SOTA keeps the phone running all the time.

To make this possible, HyperOS splits its core system from the apps and interface. The base files stay in one area while the launcher, widgets, and other components live elsewhere. Each part can update independently, so no single reboot is needed.

Because Poco’s launcher has been almost identical to Xiaomi’s for years, keeping two separate versions was unnecessary. In test builds the Poco icon already looks like the Xiaomi one, showing how close they were getting to merging. The new unified launcher will look the same on both brands, saving time for developers.

For users, this means faster access to new features. On high‑end Xiaomi models, fresh animations and tools appear first, but with the single launcher those same updates reach Poco devices right away. Bug fixes also roll out faster because developers can focus on one code base instead of two.

Poco phones used to feel like they were getting updates later than Xiaomi. With the new system, everyone gets the same experience at the same time. Performance and polish stay consistent across all models.

If Xiaomi can master SOTA, it could change how Android updates work everywhere. Security patches and new features would become almost invisible to the user, improving overall phone use.