How to Open Two Windows at the Same Time: A Complete Guide to Multi-Windows

Why you need two windows on Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s current MIUI-based smartphones support split screen and floating Windows, which allow you to work with two apps simultaneously, which is convenient for comparing information, chatting with simultaneous viewing of content or copying data between programs, but not all users know how to activate this mode — especially on newer versions of firmware, where the location of settings often changes.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can enable multi-windows on Redmi, POCO, Mi, and Black Shark, including hidden MIUI 14 chips and circumventing restrictions for incompatible applications, and why some models may not have the feature and how to fix it.

Important: Multitasking capabilities depend on the firmware version and device model, for example, budget Redmi A series devices or older smartphones on MIUI 11 and below may not support split screen at all.

Method 1: Standard split screen through "Recent Apps"

The easiest method is to use the recent app menu, which works on most devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the POCO F4, Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13.

1. Open the first app (like Chrome or Telegram).
2. Click on the square navigation button (or swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger for gesture navigation) to open a list of recent apps.
3. Tap the app icon at the top of the card and select Split screen (or Open at the top/bottom).
4. Select the second app from the list and it will open at the bottom of the screen.

If there is no split screen, it means:

• 🔹 Your model does not support the function (e.g. Redmi). 9A or POCO C31).
• 🔹 Function disabled in settings (see Method 2).
• 🔹 The application is not compatible with multi-windows (for example, some games or banking programs).

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If the split screen doesn't work for a particular application, try opening it in normal mode first, then swiping it into the background (Home button) and repeating the steps, sometimes helping to wake up the function.

Method 2: Enabling multi-windows in MIUI settings

On some firmware (especially MIUI 13/14 for Chinese regions), the split screen function is hidden in the settings to activate it:

1. Go to Settings → Special features → System functions.
2. Find the option Split screen or Multi-window and turn on the slider.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Functions Lab (on some models) and activate Floating Windows.

After that, the menu of recent apps will be able to open programs in separate mode. If there is no item, try:

Update MIUI to the latest version

Make sure you use global/European firmware (Chinese versions may not have a feature)

Restart the device after changing the settings

- Check if the function is disabled through Settings → Battery → Performance mode

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Note for POCO: On POCO smartphones with POCO Launcher shells, the path may be different. Try Settings → System → Additional → Multitasking.

Method 3: Floating Windows for quick access

In addition to split screen, MIUI supports floating windows, miniature versions of apps that can be moved around the screen, a feature available on flagships (Xiaomi 12T, Mix 4) and some Redmi models with MIUI 13+.

How to turn on:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Floating windows.
2. Activate the slider and select the apps that can be opened in this mode.
3. Now, when you open the application from the recent menu, the Open option will appear in the floating window.

Restrictions of floating windows:

• 🔸 Not all apps work (for example, Instagram and TikTok often block this mode).
• 🔸 On budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4) function may not be present.
• 🔸 Some games (such as Genshin Impact) automatically close when you try to swerve into a floating window.

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Method 4: Multiwindow through gestures (for MIUI 14)

MIUI 14 has a new way to control multi-windows with gestures, and it's a way to use this.

1. Make sure you have Gesture navigation enabled (Settings → Display → Navigation on the system).
2. Open the first appendix.
3. Swipe your finger from the bottom edge of the screen upwards and hold your finger to open recent apps.
4. Drag the icon of the second application to the top or bottom of the screen – it will open in separate mode.

Important: On some models (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro+), this gesture works only after pre-enabled function in Settings → Additional → Multitasking.

If the gesture doesn't work:

• 📱 Check if multitasking gestures are disabled in the settings.
• 📱 Update the firmware to the latest version.
• 📱 Reset your gesture settings (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Reset your gesture settings).

Table of compatibility of multi-windows on Xiaomi models

Not all Xiaomi smartphones support split screen and floating windows, and here is the compatibility table for popular models (relevant to MIUI 14):

If your model is not in the table, check the support of the function experimentally or check in the official Xiaomi Telegram channel for your region.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if your smartphone supports multi-windows, you may encounter difficulties, and consider common errors and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI split screen stopped working, try to clear the system cache (Settings) → Warehouse → Clean the cache. In 30% of cases, this solves the problem without resetting the settings.

Problem 1: There is no “Share up” item in the recent app menu.

• 🔧 Check if the function is enabled in the settings (see Method 2).
• 🔧 Install global firmware (on Chinese versions) MIUI function often disabled).
• 🔧 Update Google Play Services – Sometimes the problem is with outdated services.

Problem 2: The application does not open separately.

• 🛠️ Some apps (such as Netflix or YouTube Premium) block multi-windows for security policies.
• 🛠️ Try opening the app first, then adding the second.
• 🛠️ For Google Chrome, use Desktop Mode – This Sometimes Helps.

Problem 3: Multiwindows only work in horizontal orientation.

This is normal behavior for some models (such as the Black Shark or POCO F3 GT) to make the upright mode work:

1. Turn on Autoturn in the notification curtain.
2. Open the first application horizontally, then deploy the second.
3. Then you can return to the vertical orientation – the windows will remain active.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions