Xiaomi and its sub-brands smartphones aren’t known for providing the cleanest software experience, and one app contributing to the bloatware is GetApps. The Xiaomi GetApps app store provides updates for Xiaomi’s own apps and is criticised for intrusive ads and unnecessary notifications. However, it seems Xiaomi will phase it out and replace it with a new app store, which is none other than PhonePe’s Indus.
A new dialog box in the GetApps app store is appearing for Xiaomi, Poco, and Redmi smartphone users (via Smartprix). It states that if you own a smartphone purchased in India, GetApps will be replaced by Xiaomi’s third-party app partner, PhonePe. “You can continue exploring, downloading, and updating apps via Indus Appstore. This process will begin automatically from January 2025; no additional action is required from you,” the notice reads.
“The GetApps team will continue providing app installation and support services under the name Indus Services App.” The transition from Xiaomi GetApps to the Indus App Store will occur via a system update. Whether the company will offer a method to uninstall or disable the app store remains unclear. Speaking of GetApps, it can only be disabled by changing your phone’s region to the US.
The switch to the Indus App Store is a good move from Xiaomi, considering users will be offered an Indian alternative to the Google Play Store rather than an app that acts as bloatware without adding any practical features. It also aligns with the competition, such as Samsung, whose first-party app store, Galaxy Store, is also powered by the Indus App Store.
PhonePe’s Indus App store’s consumer launch took place in February this year. The PhonePe Indus Appstore allows Indian consumers to download over 2 lakh mobile apps and games across 45 categories. Users will be able to discover these apps conveniently in 12 Indian languages, thereby catering to 95% of Indians’ language preferences. The app store also offers a new short-video-based discovery feature to discover new apps intuitively.