Samsung’s top Android rival might copy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display, but will it be better?

Samsung's top Android rival might copy Privacy Display, but will it be better?

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more. MobileSamsung's top Android rival might copy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display, but will it be better?It sure sounds like this won't be as advanced as Samsung's Privacy Display, though. But is that a bad thing?By Hadlee Simons•6 seconds ago•0••Add AndroidAuthority on GoogleHadlee Simons / Android AuthorityTL;DR

A leaker has claimed that Xiaomi is working on a Samsung-like Privacy Display feature. The feature will apparently debut as part of the Hyper OS 4 update later this year. This strongly suggests that Xiaomi’s feature is a software-based option, unlike Samsung’s hardware-driven approach.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra debuted a Privacy Display feature earlier this year to deter shoulder surfers. We previously heard that other brands are working on similar functionality, and Samsung’s biggest Android rival is apparently working on this feature.Tipster Yogesh Brar reports that Xiaomi is working on a Samsung-style Privacy Display feature. The leaker says it will debut as part of Xiaomi’s Hyper OS 4 update later this year.Twitter/Yogesh BrarDon’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?

Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.

The fact that this is apparently arriving as part of Hyper OS 4 suggests we’re looking at a software-based feature rather than Samsung’s hardware-based option. However, it’s also possible that Xiaomi is working on phones that actually have the requisite hardware for Privacy Display, and that HyperOS 4 will merely enable this hardware option. After all, we discovered Samsung’s Privacy Display feature in software before it made a physical appearance. But it certainly seems like this is a software-driven solution. What do you think of the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display?0 votesI love itNaN%I like the idea, but execution could be betterNaN%I hate itNaN% The Galaxy S26 Ultra uses Samsung screens with so-called Flex Magic Pixel technology. This allows the display’s pixels to physically move, therefore narrowing the screen’s viewing angle. Users can choose to narrow viewing angles for the entire screen or specific areas. This isn’t possible with a software approach, which leads me to believe Xiaomi might pull a BlackBerry. BlackBerry’s Android phones had a Privacy Shade feature that effectively blacked out all but a small, draggable area of the screen.On the other hand, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s display has come under fire as people found it was dimmer than the S25 Ultra’s screen and hurt their eyes. Colleague Zac Kew-Dennis also complained about the S26 Ultra’s screen brightness and eye strain. So a software-based solution might be less ambitious, but it’s theoretically unlikely to compromise brightness or eye health.Another big advantage of a purely software-based approach is that Xiaomi could bring this feature to older phones via an OS upgrade. So you wouldn’t have to buy a new handset or a specific screen protector if you wanted to fight screen peekers. Either way, it looks like both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. NewsSamsungSamsung Galaxy S26XiaomiFollowThank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.