The functionality of modern Xiaomi smartphones has long gone beyond just a call, turning into powerful working tools. One of the most sought-after productivity opportunities is split screen or create a second space. Users often confuse these concepts, but both options allow you to effectively manage content on a single display.
In this article, we will discuss how to activate split screen mode on devices with the MIUI shell and HyperOS. Also touch on the setting of the second profile to separate personal and work life. Understanding these mechanisms will allow you to multi-drag on a professional level, using the entire diagonal of the display to maximum benefit.
It’s worth noting that interfaces may vary slightly depending on the firmware version. However, the basic principles of navigation remain the same across the Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco ecosystem. Get ready to optimize your workflow right now.
Screen splitting: the main activation method
The most common dual screen scenario is to run two apps at once, which is convenient for watching videos while chatting or comparing products in the browser and store. There are several proven ways to activate this feature in MIUI that do not require root rights.
The first and fastest method is to use the menu of recent apps: click on the Menu button (square or three bars, depending on navigation) or swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger to open the list of running programs. Find the desired application, click on the icon above its window and select an icon that resembles two rectangles.
And then the screen splits in half, and the top app is the first app, and the bottom system will tell you to pick the second app, and you can change the proportions freely by dragging the dividing line, and that's a key feature of MIUI, which allows you to adapt the space to a specific task.
- 📱 Click on the recent task menu icon.
- 👆 Select the app and click on the split icon.
- 🔄 Specify the second app for the bottom of the screen.
- ↔️ Adjust the size of the windows by dragging the divider.
☑️ Application compatibility check
It's important to understand that not all programs support this mode, and some developers block split screens for security reasons or interface reasons, and in such cases, the system may issue a notification that it cannot start.
Configure through the Quick Action Panel
For those who prefer to control a smartphone with one hand or use gesture navigation, there is an alternative way: it requires pre-tuning, but in the future saves time. You need to add the appropriate switch to the notification curtain.
Lower the top curtain completely and find the edit button (usually a pencil or three dots). In the list of available widgets, find the "Share Partition" item and drag it to the active zone. Now it takes just one tap to start the mode.
⚠️ Warning: Once the switch is activated in the curtain, you still need to select two apps from the list of recent tasks.
This is especially useful if you're using the same bundles of applications often, like messenger and browser, or navigator and music player, and fast access to the feature improves your performance by several times.
The Developer's Secret Menu
Second Space: The Complete Digital Divide
If by "dual screen," you meant having two completely independent desktops with different passwords and accounts, then you need a "Second Space" feature, which is not just splitting the screen, but creating a virtual clone of the system inside your phone.
To go to settings, go to Settings → Additional Settings → Second Space, where the system will suggest creating a new profile, you can set up a separate fingerprint or pin code to log in, which creates the feeling of using two different phones.
The data in the first and second spaces are completely isolated, and apps in one profile are not visible in the other unless you're using cloning, and it's the perfect solution to split work and leisure, or to give your phone to your children without the risk of accessing your personal photos.
| Parameter | Main space | Second space |
|---|---|---|
| Access to files | Full access | Isolated (by default) |
| Google/Xiaomi account | Basic | Maybe different. |
| Notifications | All right. | Only the second profile. |
| Memory consumption | Basic | Enlarged (copy of system) |
Switching between spaces is instantaneous through a notification curtain or a special gesture, so you can set the switch widget to appear on the home screen for maximum convenience, and this creates the effect of having a second physical device.
Use of floating windows
The third way to organize the workplace is to float windows, so you can run the application on top of the other one without taking up half the screen, which is more like working with windows on a computer than a classic split screen.
To activate a floating window, run the app in split-screen mode, then press the central button in the separator (or use the sidebar).The app will fold into a floating rectangle that can be moved around the screen and resized.
This mode is ideal for a calculator, translator or messenger, which should be at hand, but do not require constant attention. You can roll the window into the sidebar and pull it out at any time. This gives flexibility that is not available with hard splitting the screen.
💡
Use the sidebar to quickly access frequently used applications in floating window mode, and you can activate it in special feature settings.
The sidebar is a separate productivity tool, and you can add up to 10 apps to it, and a swipe from the edge of the screen calls this panel, allowing you to instantly open the desired program in a small window on top of the current task.
Specificity of models with E-Ink screens
Special attention should be paid to the devices of the Xiaomi Duokan series or the model with two displays, where one is made using electronic ink technology, in such smartphones the concept of “double screen” takes on a literal meaning.
These devices are set up through a special Duokan Reader app or system settings on the display, where you can assign which apps open on a color screen and which on a monochrome screen, and usually the system itself offers to translate the book or text document to an E-Ink display to save charge.
To enable the read or switch mode of displays, a physical button or swipe is often used in a special menu, and it is important not to confuse the software division of MIUI with the physical switching of the video stream on the second matrix.
⚠️ Note: On devices with E-Ink screens, the refresh rate is much lower. Do not try to run video or dynamic games on the second display - this will lead to a strong blurring of the image.
Content can be managed between screens through a "flip" function, so you read an article on a color screen, you press a button, and the text moves to a black and white display, a unique feature that is not available in conventional smartphones.
Solution and optimization
When multiple windows are activated, users may experience performance declines. If your smartphone starts to slow down, check the amount of free RAM. Simultaneous operation of two “heavy” applications, such as the navigator and the game, may not be possible on budget models.
There are also cases where an application doesn't want to turn on the full screen or doesn't fold, which is where cleaning the cache of a particular application or reinstalling it helps, and sometimes the problem lies in an outdated version of the MIUI shell.
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The stable operation of the split screen depends on the amount of free RAM (RAM). Close the background processes before starting resource-intensive tasks.
Remember that some banking applications may block second-space or split-screen operations for security reasons, which is normal behavior driven by financial institutions’ security policies.