Floating Windows on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Function PIP

Have you ever wanted to watch YouTube videos and chat on your messaging app at the same time, or watch a match broadcast while you check your email? On Xiaomi smartphones, this task is solved with the help of floating windows – a feature that allows you to “unplug” video or other content from the main application and leave it on top of all other windows. In this article, we will discuss in detail what is Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, how it works on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO, What are the limitations of the function and how to use it most effectively.

Floating windows are not just a handy multitasking tool, but also a way to save time. For example, you can continue to watch educational videos while you take notes in a notebook, or follow the navigator in Google Maps without closing the map when you move to another application. However, not all users know that this feature is available not only in standard video players, but also in a number of other applications, from browsers to instant messengers. Next, we will tell you how to activate floating windows on different Xiaomi models, which applications support this mode, and give tips for solving possible problems.

What are floating windows (PiPs) and how do they work?

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, or picture-in-picture, is a feature that allows you to display video or other content in a small window on top of all other applications. This window can be moved around the screen, resized, and even folded to keep it running on other programs. The technology was first introduced in Android 8.0 Oreo, but Xiaomi has expanded its capabilities in its shell. MIUI, Adding support for additional applications.

How does this work in practice? Imagine you're watching a YouTube video. Instead of staying in the app, you can roll it up into a small window and go to, say, a Telegram or a browser. The video will continue to play, and you can read messages or search for information, and the floating window remains active, so you can move it with your finger, unfold it on the full screen or close it.

It is important to understand that a PiP is not the same as a split screen: In split screen mode, two applications occupy fixed halves of the display, whereas a floating window can be freely moved and resized. In addition, you can work with an unlimited number of applications at the same time (although in practice it is convenient to use the PiP). 1-2 window-hole).

• 📱 The main possibilities of floating windows:
• 🎥 Playing videos from supported applications;
• 🗺️ Navigation display (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps);
• 💬 View video calls in the background (WhatsApp, Telegram);
• 🔍 Viewing web pages in a mini window (in some browsers).

However, there are limitations, for example, not all applications support PiP, depending on the developers’ decisions, and on some Xiaomi models, the feature may be disabled by default or require additional settings.

What Xiaomi models support floating windows

Picture-in-Picture is available on all Xiaomi smartphones running Android 8.0 Oreo and later, which means that floating windows are supported on most of the brand’s modern devices, including the line:

• 📱 Xiaomi 11/12/13/14 (model);
• 📱 Redmi Note 10/11/12 newer;
• 📱 POCO F3/F4/F5, POCO X3/X4/X5;
• 📱 Mi 10/10T/11 (even on the old flagships).

But there are nuances:

• ⚠️ On devices with MIUI 12.5 and older, the feature may not work well in some applications due to shell limitations;
• ⚠️ On budget models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) The PiP can be disabled by default;
• ⚠️ On some firmware (e.g. global versions for Europe), the function requires manual activation.

If your smartphone is Released before 2018 (e.g. Xiaomi Mi) A1 Or Redmi Note 5, which is likely to run on Android 7.0 Nougat or earlier, where the PiP is not supported system-level, and then you just have to update your firmware or use alternative solutions (which we will discuss later).

If you’re not sure if your smartphone supports floating windows, check the Android version in settings: go to Settings → The phone. → Android version: If version 8.0 or higher, the feature should work (possibly after manually enabled).

How to enable floating windows on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

In most cases, the PiP is activated automatically when you switch to the background from a supported app (for example, YouTube or Google Maps). However, if the feature does not work, you can turn it on manually.

1. Open Settings and go to Special Features (on some firmware - Additional Settings) → Special opportunities).
2. Find Floating Windows (or Picture-in-Picture) and turn on the switch.
3. If there is no such item, go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the version MIUI, to activate the Developer Mode.
4. Return to the main settings, open additional settings → For developers, find the Picture-in-Picture option. Turn it on.

After that, try opening the video on YouTube (premium users only or through a browser), Google Maps or another supported app and roll it up with the Home button.The video should automatically go to the floating window.

Check out the Android version (should be 8.0)+)

Enable the function in the settings of special features

Activate Developer Mode and Enable PiP There

Update MIUI firmware to the latest version

Reboot your smartphone-->

If the floating windows still don't appear, the problem could be in a particular app, like YouTube blocking PiPs for users without a Premium subscription, and you can use workarounds, which we'll talk about in the next section.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (especially global) the PiP function may conflict with navigation gestures. If the window does not appear, try temporarily switching to navigation buttons in Settings → Display. → Navigation through the system.

Apps that support floating windows on Xiaomi

Not all programs can work in Picture-in-Picture mode. Developers must specifically add support for this feature to their applications. Here is a list of the most popular services that support PiP on Xiaomi:

• 🎬 YouTube (only for Premium users or through a browser);
• 🗺️ Google Maps (navigation in a mini window);
• 💬 WhatsApp and Telegram (video calls);
• 🌐 Google Chrome and Firefox (playing videos from websites);
• 📺 VLC and MX Player (local video files);
• 🎵 Spotify (Premium Users Only).

But there are limitations, like Netflix and Disney.+ PiPs are blocked because of content protection policies, and TikTok is not stable, because video can be interrupted when it is folded, and it is worth noting that some apps (such as Instagram) do not support PiP at all.

If you need to use floating windows in an unsupported app, you can try the following workarounds:

• 🔄 Open a video in a browser (such as Chrome) and request a desktop version of the site;
• 📱 Use alternative players (e.g. NewPipe for YouTube);
• 🛠️ Install a modified firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience) where the PiP runs wider.

Important: on Xiaomi smartphones with firmware MIUI 14 and later, the floating window function can automatically turn off to save battery.To avoid this, add the desired application to the list of optimization exceptions in battery settings.

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If you use YouTube in PiP mode often but don’t have Premium, try opening videos via Chrome browser in desktop mode. → "Computer version".

How to set up and manage floating windows

When a floating window is active, you can interact with it in several ways:

• 👆 Move: Press the window with your finger and drag it anywhere on the screen;
• 🔄 Size change: Pull the corners of the window to stretch or narrow it;
• 🗑️ Closing: Swipe the window down or click on the cross;
• 📱 Deployment: Twice tap the window to return to the app.

In addition, in MIUI There are additional settings for the PiP:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Floating Windows.
2. Here you can turn on or off the function completely, as well as adjust the behavior of windows: 🔇 Turn off the sound when clotting; 📶 Allow mobile traffic for PiP; 🔄 Automatically deploy when connecting headphones.

Some firmware has an option to Always Show a Floating Window, which causes applications to switch to PiP even if they don't officially support this mode, but this can cause crashes, so use it with caution.

If the floating window gets in the way, you can temporarily roll it into the corner of the screen, and just swipe it to the edge, and it turns into a little icon that you can turn back with a single touch, which is convenient when you need to quickly release the screen, but not close the video completely.

Common problems with floating windows and their solutions

Despite the convenience, the PiP on Xiaomi sometimes doesn’t work properly, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods helped, try resetting the special features settings: go to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting special features, it'll bring all the PiP parameters back to factory values.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 with) MIUI 13) Floating windows may conflict with Game Mode. If you notice that the PiP is missing when you start games, turn off Game Mode in the settings or add the app to exceptions.

Another common problem is that the floating window does not appear on top of some applications (such as banking or high security), which is due to Android’s policy that prohibits displaying windows over flag apps. FLAG_SECURE. Unfortunately, this restriction cannot be circumvented without root rights.

Alternatives to floating windows on Xiaomi

If the PiP is not suitable for your tasks or does not work on your device, you can use alternative ways to multitask:

• 📱 Split-screen: allows you to use two apps at the same time, activated by long pressing the "Last Apps" button or through the multitasking menu;
• 🖥️ Desktop Mode (DeX Mode): Some flagships (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra) have a mode similar to Samsung DeX, where apps open in windows;
• 🔄 Quick switching between applications: Double-clicking on the "Last Apps" button instantly switches between the last two programs;
• 📲 Pop-up View (Pop-up View): in MIUI Open applications in small windows (such as a calculator or notes) on top of other programs.

For advanced users, there is another option: third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, which offer advanced multitasking capabilities, including customized floating windows. However, for their full operation, it may be necessary to disable the standard launcher. MIUI.

If you want to play video in the background, but the PiP doesn’t work, try the Floating Apps app from Google Play.It allows you to create floating windows for any application, but requires additional permissions and can affect performance.

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Separate screen and desktop mode are the best PiP alternatives if you need to work with multiple apps at once rather than just watching videos.

The Future of Floating Windows: What to Expect in New Versions MIUI

With every update. MIUI Picture-in-Picture is becoming more flexible in recent firmware versions (starting with the MIUI 14) the following improvements have been made:

• 🎨 The ability to change the transparency of the floating window;
• 🔊 Individual volume setting for each window;
• 📱 PiP support for more apps (including some games);
• 🔄 Automatic window folding when running full-screen applications (e.g. cameras).

Future updates are expected to include even more integration with artificial intelligence. MIUI 15 (which will be released with Android 15) may feature Smart PiP, which will automatically prompt to transfer video to a floating window when you move to another application).

Another interesting innovation is interactive floating windows, for example, Google Maps is already testing a feature where the navigation window not only shows the route, but also allows you to interact with it (for example, change the route or add stops) without deploying to the full screen.

If you want to stay up to date with all the updates, follow Xiaomi announcements on the official website or in the application. MIUI Community. Usually new features first appear in beta versions of the firmware for testers, and then come out in stable builds.

FAQ: Frequent questions about floating windows on Xiaomi