How to Open 2 Screens in Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Multitasking

Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, have enormous potential to improve productivity. However, many users do not even realize that their device can display the content of several applications at once. The split-screen feature allows you to turn the gadget into a pocket working tool where you can simultaneously chat in the messenger and watch videos or copy text from the browser into notes.

In this article, we will discuss how to open 2 screens in Xiaomi in detail in a variety of ways. We will look at the built-in system tools, hidden settings for developers and third-party solutions for cases where standard functionality does not meet your needs. Understanding how to multitask in the Xiaomi ecosystem will help you save time and use CPU resources more efficiently.

It should be noted right away that the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the Android operating system and the specific model of the smartphone. Whether it is the flagship Xiaomi 14 or the budget Redmi Note, the basic principles remain similar, but the location of the controls requires careful attention. Let's dive into the settings and learn how to manage the space of your display professionally.

Built-in split-screen function in MIUI and HyperOS

The easiest and most reliable way to open 2 screens on Xiaomi is to use the standard shell functionality. Engineers have implemented a convenient separation mechanism that is activated through the menu of running applications. To get started, you need to open the application that you want to place in the first half of the screen, and then go to the menu of recent tasks.

Depending on the firmware version, the menu interface may look different. In the classic MIUI, you press and hold your finger on the application preview or touch a special icon located above the thumbnail. In the new HyperOS, the logic is retained, but the visual design of the elements has become more minimalist. Once the split mode is activated, the upper or left part of the display will be attached to the first application, and in the second part you can choose the second one.

⚠️ Note: Not all apps support split screen mode. Social networks and instant messengers work consistently, but some games or heavy graphics editors may be forced to close or display in a small window.

It's important to adjust the proportions to work with a split screen in a comfortable way, and it allows you to flexibly resize windows by dragging the dividing line, and this is especially true if you need to see more text in a document or, conversely, enlarge the area of the video player, and it's addictive to managing two active windows, but it speeds up routine operations.

And there's also the floating window feature, which is often confused with splitting the screen, but it works differently. If splitting the screen in half, the floating window allows you to run the application over the main interface as a small widget, which is ideal for watching short videos or using the calculator while working on other tasks.

Setting up the screen expander and the second space

When users are looking for how to open 2 screens on Xiaomi, they sometimes refer to the "Second Space" feature, which is not just splitting the display, but creating a completely isolated environment inside a single smartphone. In fact, you get two phones on the same device: with different accounts, different apps, and different settings.

This function is activated through the system settings menu, so you need to find the section that is responsible for additional features or special features, and select the location for creating a second space, the system will ask you to set a separate password or fingerprint to log in to this mode, which is a great way to separate your work and personal life without buying a second gadget.

• 📱 Complete data isolation: applications in the second space do not see files from the main space.
• 🔒 Different accounts: the ability to sit in two different WhatsApp or Telegram profiles at the same time.
• ⚙️ Individual settings: different wallpaper, ringtones and the location of icons for each space.

It's important to understand the difference between splitting the screen and the second space. Split Screen is for two applications to be used simultaneously here and now. The second space is a separate virtual machine where you switch completely to close the current session. The choice of method depends on your specific tasks: whether you need synchronous work or split contexts.

⚠️ Note: Creating a second space takes up extra memory on the internal drive. If your smartphone has only 64GB of storage, make sure you have enough free space to install duplicate applications.

Switching between spaces is quick, but requires certain actions, such as entering a special pin code on the lock screen or using a sidebar. For many users, this becomes a convenient tool for increasing privacy. You can hide certain applications from prying eyes by simply placing them in a second space.

Using the sidebar for quick access

Another effective way to organize workflow is to use a sidebar of tools, which allows you to keep a list of frequently used applications on hand and run them in floating window or split screen in one touch, which speeds up the process of opening 2 screens on Xiaomi, making it almost instantaneous.

To activate the panel, you need to go to the settings and find the appropriate item, often called "floating windows" or "sidebar." Here you can add shortcuts to the desired programs. After setting up, if you use any application, a swipe from the edge of the screen will call this bar. By clicking on the application icon from the list, you will open it on top of the current window.

The convenience of the sidebar is its versatility: You can watch YouTube videos and write a message to Viber at the same time without interrupting playbacks, or take screenshots and send them to chat immediately. The flexibility of setting up an app list allows you to adapt your smartphone to any needs, whether it is studying, working or entertainment.

💡

Add not only apps to the sidebar, but also shortcuts to specific contacts or features to open them in floating mode even faster.

Developer mode and forced separation

For advanced users who want to gain full control of the system, there is a developer mode. In this hidden menu, you can find settings that allow you to force applications to run in split-screen mode, even if the developers of these applications did not provide such a possibility, This is the answer to the question of how to open 2 screens on Xiaomi in non-standard situations.

To activate the developer mode, you need to click on the MIUI version number in the About Phone section several times in a row. After the corresponding notification appears, a new option will appear in the settings "Additional" or "Extended settings", where the developer menu will be hidden. Be careful: changing the parameters in this section can affect the stability of the system.

Inside the developer menu, we're interested in the option Force activities to be resizable, which allows the system to ignore the constraints set by the application manifest, but it's worth remembering that malfunctioning applications can behave in an unpredictable way: text can go beyond the boundaries, and buttons can not be pressed.

• 🛠️ Access to hidden window management functions.
• 🚀 Ability to test application interfaces.
• ⚠️ Risk of unstable system operation if the system is set up incorrectly.

⚠️ Warning: Enabling developer features can lead to increased battery consumption and heat on your device. Use these tools only if you understand what you're doing and are willing to roll back changes in case of problems.

And in developer mode, you can change the minimum screen width (DPI), which is visually reduced to allow more information to fit on a single screen, not really splitting into two screens, but an effective way to increase the density of content that is often required when working with tables or drawings.

Third-party applications for multitasking

If you don't have enough of Xiaomi's built-in tools, Google Play offers a lot of third-party solutions, which create their own layer on top of the operating system, emulating the operation of multiple windows, and are especially useful on older smartphones, where MIUI functionality can be stripped down.

One popular solution is Split Screen or similar launchers, which allow you to create presets for different use cases, for example, with a single tap you can open a browser and text editor in a ratio of 70 to 30 percent, which is convenient for students and office workers who often perform the same type of tasks.

However, the use of third-party software has its disadvantages: such applications consume additional RAM resources, which can lead to more frequent unloading of background processes. In addition, they can conflict with the system gestures of Xiaomi management, causing delays in the response of the interface.

When choosing an app, pay attention to the permissions it requests. To implement the split-screen function, the program often requires rights to display on top of other applications and access to special features. Only trust trusted developers with a good reputation to not compromise the security of your data.

💡

Third-party apps are a good temporary solution, but the standard MIUI/HyperOS features always work more stable and optimized for Xiaomi hardware.

The solution: Why separation doesn’t work

Often users are faced with a situation where the split screen function simply does not activate, the most common reason is the lack of support from the application itself, many modern programs, especially games and banking services, block the possibility of working in split mode for security or maintaining the integrity of the interface.

Another reason could be a lack of RAM: If your smartphone has only 3 or 4 GB of RAM, the system can block two heavy apps from running at the same time to avoid freezing, in which case try to close the background processes or free up memory before splitting the screen.

It's also worth checking for system updates. Older versions of MIUI may have bugs that were patched in security patches. If the problem occurred suddenly after the update, special features settings may have been lost, in which case resetting special features settings or completely resetting the smartphone to factory settings will help.

• 📉 Lack of RAM for two active applications.
• 🚫 Blocking by the developer of a specific application.
• 🐛 Errors in the current version of the firmware MIUI.

If nothing helps, you can try using USB debugging mode and adb commands to force you to run, but this requires a computer connection and having basic knowledge of ADB. For most users, the optimal solution is to use compatible applications or switch to a more powerful device.

Questions and Answers (FAQ)