Floating windows management on Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

The modern MIUI shell installed on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 offers users a wide range of multitasking capabilities, but not all features are equally clear or useful in everyday use cases. One of these features is floating windows that allow you to run applications on top of other programs, creating miniature interfaces on the screen. For many device owners, it is a convenient tool, but for others it is a source of confusion and random clicks, especially when the window appears on its own after a system update or installing new software.

If you’re faced with a situation where miniature apps that interfere with comfortable navigation suddenly pop up on your screen, you need to understand the interface settings. Often users confuse the floating window feature with split-screen mode or system notifications that can also overlap content. Understanding the differences between these modes is the first step to full control of your Redmi Note 7.

In this guide, we will look at all the possible ways to deactivate this feature, from standard system settings to deeper management methods through the engineering menu. We will also touch on the issues of memory optimization, as active background processes often cause incorrect interface behavior.

Differences between a floating window and a split screen

Before you start to shut down, it is important to clearly understand what mode you are dealing with, because in Xiaomi terminology these concepts often overlap. A floating window is a separate layer of the interface that “hovers” over the active application and can be moved to any point of the display. A split screen, on the contrary, divides the display into two equal or proportional parts, where both applications work in parallel, but occupy a strictly designated space without the possibility of free movement.

With the 6.3-inch Redmi Note 7, with a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels, proper space allocation is critical to text readability. If you try to turn off the split screen function thinking you're removing a floating window, you may not achieve the desired result. MIUI handles these processes in different ways: one is managed through the multitasking menu, the other through special features settings.

Often, confusion arises because both modes can be activated by similar gestures, such as a long press on the menu button or a swipe in the corner of the screen. The key difference is the behavior of the window when folding: the floating window turns into a small icon that can be dragged around the screen, while the split screen simply hides into a list of tasks running. Understanding this mechanics will help you choose the method of disconnecting more accurately.

It’s also worth noting that some third-party launchers or optimization programs can interfere with standard system behavior, creating the illusion of floating windows where they should not be. If you installed such utilities, check their settings first. In the regular firmware MIUI Global or MIUI Russia, the logic of Windows is strictly regulated and predictable.

Disconnection through standard system settings

The safest and most recommended way to remove unwanted interface elements is to use the built-in operating system settings menu. In the latest versions of MIUI for Redmi Note 7, window management is made into a separate subsection, which makes navigation easier. You do not need root rights or a connection to your computer, all actions are performed directly on the touch screen.

To start, go to the main settings menu of your device, find a section that can be called "Additional Features" or "Special Features", depending on the firmware version and region, and this is where the switches that control the behavior of windows in multitasking mode are hidden. Be careful when searching, as the item names may vary slightly.

Find the item associated with "Floating windows" or "Window mode." If you have Sidebar enabled, it is the one that most often causes windows to appear accidentally when you carelessly touch the edge of the screen. Disabling this panel will solve 90% of the problems with unwanted pop-ups. Also check the settings for "Accelerated Launch", as they can conflict with the display mode of applications.

After making changes, the system may require a confirmation or reboot of the interface. If you see a message saying "some applications may not work correctly", ignore it, as this is a standard warning when you turn off system multitasking functions. It is important to keep the current settings to avoid resetting the configuration the next system update.

⚠️ Note: Once you turn off the floating windows, you will not be able to use the instant response feature in messengers on top of other apps.

Managing through the Multitasking Menu

The Task Manager interface on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 allows you to manage running applications and their display modes. When you open a list of recent applications (usually a swipe up with a delay or a menu button), you see cards of running programs. This is where you can force you to close or change the mode of a particular application that behaves incorrectly.

If an application is already running as a floating window, there should be special controls on its card or directly on the window thumbnail, usually an icon in the form of two rectangles or arrows, allowing you to expand the window to the full screen or, conversely, turn it down.

In some versions of the shell, a hidden gesture is available: if you pinch the application card in Task Manager and pull it down (or up), a menu with a choice of display mode may appear. Select the option Full Screen or Standard View to forcefully remove the floating status. This action does not close the application, but only changes the way it is visualized.

• 📱 Press and hold the application card in Task Manager to call the context menu.
• 🔍 Look for a two-square icon to switch between screen modes.
• 🗑️ Use the "Clean All" button if you need to force the process to be completed and the window removed.
• ⚙️ Check the settings of a particular application in the About section if it is constantly running in the window.

Remember that some system applications, such as a calculator, voice recorder or Security, have the default floating mode priority, which is designed by developers to make quick access, and to change this behavior forever, you sometimes need to reset the settings of the application itself through the program management menu.

Customization of special features and side panel

The sidebar (or "floating window" in some translations) is one of the main sources of the problem. It is a translucent strip at the edge of the screen that, when pressed, opens a list of favorite applications. Accidental touching of this zone often leads to the application running in floating mode, which annoys users.

To completely protect yourself from accidental launches, you need to find the settings of this panel. The path can look like Settings → Additional Features → Floating Windows → Sidebar. Inside this menu, you will see a list of applications that are allowed to open in this mode. It is recommended to either remove all applications from this list or completely disable the panel itself.

Turning off the sidebar does not affect the overall performance of the system, but it frees up the usable area of the screen and prevents accidental activation. If you use a smartphone with one hand, the likelihood of accidentally touching the edge of the screen increases significantly, so this measure is preventive.

You should also look at the notification settings. In MIUI, there is a chat answer feature that opens a dialog in a small floating window on top of the current task. If you are concerned about pop-ups, turn off this option in the settings of specific messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) or in the general settings of system notifications.

Using Developer Mode for Advanced Users

For those who do not find a solution in the standard menu, there is access to hidden settings through the developer mode. This method requires caution, since changing the system parameters can affect the stability of the Redmi Note 7. However, this is where you can find deeper settings of animation and window behavior that are not available to the average user.

To activate the developer mode, go to Settings → About the phone and find the line "Version" MIUI". You need to press this line quickly. 7-10 Once in a row, until the message "You became a developer" appears, and then a new item "Developers" will appear in the menu "Additional" or "Extended settings".

Inside the developer menu, we're interested in sections related to animation and window size. Although there may not be a direct "turn off all floating windows" button, you can limit the number of background processes that indirectly solve the problem. Find "Limit background processes" and set a value of "No more than 2 processes" or "No background processes" for testing.

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Another useful option is “Do Not Save Actions.” If it is enabled, the system will destroy background activity as soon as the user leaves the application, which is guaranteed to remove any “tails” in the form of floating windows, but can increase the time to launch applications when you re-access them.

⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in developer mode, such as interface scale or minimum width, can make text unreadable or move controls outside the screen.

Application-specific problems and solutions

Sometimes the problem is not the MIUI system itself, but a specific application that is not properly adapted for the Redmi Note 7 screen. Such programs can be forced to run in window mode or create their own floating widgets, most often this applies to video players, picture-in-picture browsers and navigators.

Check the settings of the most problematic application. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, select the desired program and find the section "Additional" or "Extended settings." There may be a switch "Allow floating window" or "Run in window." Disabling this checkmark will prevent the application from using this mode.

Special attention should be paid to browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) and video players, which often have a Picture-in-Picture feature built in, which allows the video to continue playing when you turn off the browser. If you are annoyed, turn off this feature in the settings of the browser itself or in the system permissions for this application.

• 📺 In video players, look for the setting "Floating Video" or "Mini Player".
• 🌐 In browsers, disable permission to create pop-up windows in the section "Privacy".
• 💬 In messengers, turn off "Quick Answers" or "Pop-up notifications".
• 🗺️ In navigators (Yandex, Google Maps) check the settings of voice support, which can cause windows.

If the application doesn't have internal settings to turn off windows, try clearing its cache and data. Sometimes accumulated configuration errors cause the program to behave inappropriately. Go to Settings → Applications → [Application Name] → Memory and click "Clean." This will return the application settings to factory.

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Most often, the problem lies not in the global system configuration, but in the individual resolution for a particular application, which must be revoked manually.

Additional methods and resetting settings

If none of these methods worked, and floating windows keep popping up, it may be a system failure or a software conflict, and you might want to try more radical but effective measures before you use them, make sure you have a backup of your important data.

The first step can be to reset the interface settings. This will not delete your personal files (photos, contacts), but will return all system settings to the original state. To do this, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Reset and Reset and select Settings Reset (not to be confused with a full factory reset that deletes all data).

In rare cases, the cause may be viruses or ad modules embedded in the system through third-party applications: scan the device with Xiaomi's built-in Security antivirus or install a reliable antivirus from Google Play. Advertising windows are often disguised as system floating windows.

To sum up, the floating window management on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is a standard interface, and the key is to consistently check the settings for special features, sidebars and customized app permissions, and hopefully your smartphone is now working exactly the way you want it to, without any distractions.