Floating Windows on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Setup

Modern smartphones have long been powerful handheld computers, and Xiaomi is one of the leaders in offering users advanced interface tools. One of the most sought-after features that is often lost in the depth of settings or works obscurely is the floating window mode. This ability to run applications on top of other programs, creating miniature, moveable widgets, which radically changes the experience of interaction with the gadget.

Many owners of devices with a MIUI shell or the new HyperOS do not even suspect that they can watch videos from YouTube while they are texting in the messenger, or keep a calculator open on top of the worksheet. Implementation of this feature in the system from Xiaomi has its own features, different from standard Android, and requires understanding the logic of the window manager. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate this mode, what hidden tools are available and how to avoid typical errors when using multitasking.

What are floating windows in the MIUI system?

Unlike standard split screens, where the display is divided in half or in a predetermined proportion, the floating window behaves as an independent object. It can overlap the content of the main application, move around the screen and change its size. In Xiaomi terminology, this is often called Freeform or window mode. Technically, it is a separate process that renders on top of the current active interface layer.

The main advantage of this approach is flexibility. You're not tied to static areas of the screen. For example, when viewing a navigation map in Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator, the window can be compressed to a minimum and retracted to a corner so that you don't interfere with the view, but remain accessible for quick viewing. The system allows you to keep several of these windows open at the same time, although it is worth considering the limitations of the RAM of your device.

It's important to understand the difference between a regular floating window and the HotSug (or Second Space Windows) feature that came out of the more recent firmware versions. If the former is just a smaller copy of the application, the latter is a full-fledged second layer of the system where you can run any program without interrupting the main layer, which is especially true for gamers who want to respond to a message without leaving the game.

⚠️ Warning: On older smartphones with less than 4GB of RAM, the simultaneous operation of three or more heavy floating windows can lead to forced closure of background processes and a decrease in the performance of the main interface.

To be effective, you need to know which apps support this mode natively and which require additional manipulation. Most system utilities and popular social networks are optimized for window mode, but some specialized programs can be displayed incorrectly, requiring full-screen stretching.

The main ways to activate multitasking

There are several proven methods for running applications in floating mode, and the choice of the particular one depends on your version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. The easiest and most obvious way is to use the menu of recent applications. To do this, you need to open the desired program, then swipe from the bottom up (or menu button) to go to the list of running tasks.

This list usually has an icon above the thumbnail of the app that looks like a dotted square or just a window icon, and if you click on it, you'll see a drop-down menu where you can select "Floating Window" or "Freeform," and then it will instantly fold into a mobile widget that you can drag around the screen, which is a basic method that works on 90% of the brand's devices.

• 📱 Through the sidebar: Activate the "Sidebar" in the settings, then in any application, swipe from the edge of the screen and select the desired program from the list - it will open in floating mode.
• 🖱️ Long press: In some versions of the firmware, holding your finger on the app icon in the recent task menu immediately puts it in window mode.
• ⌨️ Key combinations: When the keyboard is connected, hotkeys often work, for example, a key combination to switch display modes.

Another interesting method that is not widely known is that of splitting the screen, so if you've already split the screen in two, try pulling the dividing line all the way to the edge of the display, and in some scenarios, this action transforms the second app into a floating object, freeing up space for the main content.

⚠️ Attention: The sidebar function may be hidden by default. To enable it, go to Settings → Additional settings → Floating windows and activate the appropriate switch.

Remember, you can use these markers on the edges, and you can actually resize the bottom right corner, and you can drag the top edge and you can change your position, and you can use a double tap on the header of the window to often turn it around the entire screen, or you can roll it into a compact button.

Setting up the sidebar and managing windows

The Sidebar is the center for managing your multitasking, and that's where you store the list of apps you use most as secondary apps, and by default, it can only be a calculator and a voice recorder, but you can and should expand the list, go to the sidebar settings and add messengers, browsers, or video players.

Deep tuning allows you to set the behavior of the panel. You can choose whether it will always appear or only in certain applications. For example, it makes sense to turn off the appearance of the panel inside the video player so that random swipes do not interrupt the viewing of the movie. → Special facilities → Sidebar.

The windows themselves have their own nuances, too. There are usually three buttons at the top of a floating window: roll, unfold, and close. However, if you pinch the top of the window, you'll get an extra menu with background transparency settings, which is a useful feature that allows you to see content under the window, which is convenient when working with documents or maps.

• 🔍 Transparency: The slider allows the window background to be translucent to see what is underneath.
• 🔒 Fixing: Some versions MIUI Allows you to fix the window so that it does not close when cleaning the memory.
• 📐 Proportions: The ability to quickly change the aspect ratio of the window to 16:9 or 4:3 for a comfortable viewing of video.

The "Secure from Above" feature deserves special attention. If you activate this mode for a particular floating window, it will block even system dialogues and full-screen applications. This can be useful for constant monitoring, but requires caution, as it can block access to other elements of the interface.

Comparison of application display modes

To better navigate the system’s capabilities, it’s useful to compare different display modes. Xiaomi offers multiple options for multitasking, and each has its own use cases. Understanding the differences will help you choose the best tool for a particular task.

Below is a table comparing the main modes of application operation on Xiaomi devices:

As you can see from the table, a floating window is in the middle of a full dive and a strict separation, and it's perfect for tasks that require periodic attention, but not constant focus, like waiting for an important message while working with documents.

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Use the "Separate Screen" mode for the main work, and leave floating windows for secondary utilities like a voice recorder or translator, so as not to clutter the workspace.

It's worth noting that switching between these modes is often done by swipes. Practice switching: launch the app, float it, then try to deploy it back. Muscle memory will help you do it automatically after a couple of days of use.

Hidden Features and Second Space

At the bottom of MIUI, there's a feature known as Second Space, or "Second Space," in the context of windows, that's not just floating, it's running an app in an isolated environment. Technically, it creates a second instance of the interface that runs parallel to the main one, which is especially true for the owners of the powerful Xiaomi 13/14 or Redmi Note series of the latest generations.

The main feature of this mode is independence, you can run the game in the main space, and in the second one you can open the browser or YouTube, and when you wind up the game, the second space remains active, which solves the problem when heavy games force other applications to close down to free up resources.

However, the use of such advanced features has its risks. The system may work less stable, and battery consumption will increase. Activation of the developer mode to change the behavior of windows can lead to incorrect display of the interface in some system applications.

You can also create shortcuts to quickly run applications in floating mode, which you can use third-party launchers or built-in scripting tools if your version of the software supports it, and this allows you to tap into, for example, a calculator on top of any screen.

Problem Solving and Optimization

Despite the convenience, users often face problems with floating windows, the most common being the spontaneous closing of a window when switching to another heavy app, due to MIUI’s aggressive energy-saving policies that seek to free up RAM.

To fix this, you need to add important apps to the exception list. Go to the battery settings, find the desired application and select No Limits mode. It is also useful to fix the application in memory: open the menu of recent tasks, press the application window and click on the lock icon. This will prevent the system from unloading the process from RAM.

Another common problem is that the keyboard is not displayed correctly, and when you open a floating window, the keyboard may or may not be able to close it completely, in which case restarting the input service or simply switching the language helps, and if the problem persists, try resizing the window so that the system can recalculate the available area for text input.

• 🔄 Restart: If windows stop opening, try restarting your smartphone or resetting your display settings.
• 🚫 Conflicts: Some design themes can disrupt the functionality of floating windows. Try switching to a standard theme.
• 📉 Lags: When braking the interface, reduce the number of simultaneously open floating windows to one.

⚠️ Warning: If the floating window is getting stuck and doesn't respond to touch, don't rush to restart the phone. Try swiping from the bottom edge of the screen up to call the navigation bar, and closing the got stuck application through the system task manager.

Conclusion and development prospects

The floating windows feature on Xiaomi is a powerful tool that, when properly configured, significantly improves smartphone productivity. It blurs the line between a mobile device and a desktop computer, allowing you to multitask. By mastering window management, sidebar and hidden settings, you can customize your experience with the gadget to suit your unique needs.

With the release of the new HyperOS shell, further improvements in window experience are expected, including smoother animations and better integration with the smart home ecosystem, and there is already a trend towards easier management and more stable background processes.

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The key to effective work is not to open too many windows at once, and it is optimal to use one main application on the full screen and one or two auxiliary ones in floating mode.

Keep experimenting with settings, find your own convenient configurations and don’t be afraid to delve into the special features menu.Your smartphone is capable of much more than just running apps in turn.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)