In late February 2021, Xiaomi relaunched MiTalk as a Clubhouse clone in China for both Android and iOS platforms. The app is also known as ‘Jushou’ (Hands Up) and it is marketed as a voice chat app for professionals. Almost a month later, a new report from China says that a Xiaomi-backed company has released another audio-based social app.

Back in 2015, Xiaomi acquired a company called Metso Software Design (Beijing) Co., Ltd. According to MyDrivers, the smartphone maker spun-off Metso as a legal entity before its IPO in 2018. However, Metso is still said to be owned by Xiaomi.

Coming back to the topic, Metso has released an app called Heyy on Xiaomi Mi App Store. Unlike the new MiTalk (Jushou), Heyy is an audio-based dating app. 

It allows users to connect with other users via one-to-one voice chats, group chats, and games. The group chatrooms are categorized based on sports, karaoke, and games to name a few. There are several other options to socialize with users on the platform.

In simpler words, Heyy is targeted at single youngsters who are looking to meet new people via voice. On the other hand, MiTalk is for professionals to share their insights, just like Clubhouse.

What are your thoughts on the rise of audio-based social media platforms? Do let us know in the comment section below.

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Clubhouse is an audio-based social media introduced in April 2020. But the app went mainstream in January 2021 when Elon Musk gave an interview on the platform. As its popularity rose, social media giants like Facebook and Twitter started prepping their alternatives. In fact, Twitter is already testing its solution called ‘Twitter Spaces’. Additionally, there are already several Clubhouse clones from different companies around the world. Now, Xiaomi has also officially joined this bandwagon.

For those unaware, Xiaomi had released an instant messaging app called MiTalk back in November 2010. This was even before the birth of WeChat in China. But unfortunately, the smartphone maker’s messaging platform never really took off. Therefore, the company finally shuttered its operations on February 19, 2021.

But to everyone’s surprise, on February 26, Xiaomi revived this application as a Clubhouse clone in China. As per netizens, the company reportedly published this new app on the Apple App Store and the Mi App Store with the name ‘Jushou’ (Hands Up) on the same day as the original MiTalk app was discontinued.

However, with the official announcement of MiTalk’s revival, the application’s listing on the app stores was changed accordingly. As per the official website, the new MiTalk is a ‘voice chat app for professionals’. The description clearly screams that it is a Clubhouse clone.

MiTalk Description (Translated)

MiTalk, start again.

The new “MiTalk” is a voice chat app for professionals. Here, you can hear the sharing and insights of professionals in various industries, and you can also raise your hands to participate in the sharing; at the same time, you can create topics of interest to you, communicate and collide ideas with friends and colleagues.

At present, we are in the small-scale invitation closed beta phase. The public beta time will be synchronized on the official website in the future. Thank you for your attention.

At present, only Xiaomi employees in China can use this app with their company registered contact number as well as invite code. But the application should be available for the general public (only China) very soon. Interested users will still require an invite code nonetheless.

That said, though MiTalk is a clone of Clubhouse, it is available on both Android and iOS app stores right from its launch. And with the original Clubhouse being banned in China, there might be a chance for Xiaomi to tap into this new market.

But it is worth noting that there are already multiple local Clubhouse competitors in China like Dizhua, Tiya, and Yalla. So we’ll have to wait and see how the app fares in the Chinese market.

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Xiaomi first launched the MiTalk back in November 2010, way before Tencent launched the popular WeChat. Although the service was quite popular a couple of years back, hitting 70 million users with 7.5 million active users by September 2014.

However, the popularity of the MiTalk app has dwindled over the years. As such, the Mi Talk team has announced that the service will be discontinued next month. Specifically, Xiaomi will pull the plugs off the service at 12 noon on February 19, 2021.

To this end, the brand advises that users should individually export the chat history, personal data, and other information themselves. Devices running on Android v8.8.70 and above support batch export. The team also alerts that after the service is stopped, any of the users’ information cannot be exported.

Here’s the complete message;

Dear MiTalk users:

Since its release, Mi Talk has been deeply supported and loved by everyone, and the Mi Talk team is deeply grateful. Due to business changes, we will stop the Mi Talk service at 12:00 noon on February 19, 2021. The specific schedule is as follows:

-At 12:00 on February 1, 2021: Account registration and messaging will be stopped;

-At 12:00 on February 19, 2021: Stop MiTalk login and shut down the server. Then and after that, you will not be able to log in and use MiTalk.

Users are requested to export their chat history and personal data and other information before stopping the service (Android v8.8.70 and above support batch export). After stopping the service, they will not be able to export any user information in MiTalk. In addition, the relevant information collected legally when we provide services to you will be stored in accordance with national laws and regulations and the “MiTalk Privacy Policy”. After the retention period, we will delete or anonymize your personal information.

Finally, I would like to thank every MiTalk user for their support and company in the past. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the suspension of MiTalk. In the future, the Mi Talk team will work hard to bring you more new services.

January 19, 2021

Mi Talk Team

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Xiaomi has updated its messaging app, MiTalk also known as Mi Liao. The update is known as MiTalk 2015. The very first mobile messaging app from Xiaomi, MiTalk was launched four years back in November 2010. This MiTalk was launched way before than WeChat by Tencent. These messaging apps from China based companies like WeChat by Tencent, MiTalk by Xiaomi, Kouxin by Qihoo have proved a real threat to the well-established messaging apps like Kik and Talkbox.

WeChat was the most dominating app in China’s smartphone market before the launch of MiChat. Lei Jun, CEO and co-founder of Xiaomi in an event, mentioned that if Tencent would release its messenger WeChat 6 months later than the MiTalk then definitely the Xiaomi’s MiTalk would be a hit. But Tencent released WeChat within two months of the launch of MiTalk.

Xiaomi never felt under confident and always tried hard to be the best in the field of instant messaging. MiTalk managed to survive in the presence of WeChat. Xiaomi has claimed that MiTalk has got 70 million users out of which 7.5 million are active every day. Last month company has confirmed this news of 70 million users all over the world.

The company has now decided to revamp the MiTalk. The new updated version MiTalk 2015 will have some new features for instant mobile messaging and a supercool feature of integrated music streaming services. The app will also have Xiaobing, Baidu Maps, etc.

This new app will also have some social networking angle in it. So, on the whole, Xiaomi MiTalk will be presented to users with complete makeover.

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