Multitasking in modern smartphones has ceased to be just a marketing term and has become a real productivity tool. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often look for ways to activate the split screen feature to simultaneously watch videos and chat in the messenger or transfer text from one document to another. The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS provide powerful tools for this, but their activation is not always obvious to beginners.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to run applications in split-screen and floating windows. You will learn about hidden settings that may not be available by default, and understand why some programs do not support this mode. The instructions are relevant for current firmware versions, but the interface may vary slightly depending on the model of your gadget.
Before you start setting up, make sure your device is running correctly and has enough RAM. While modern Snapdragon and MediaTek processors are easy to handle a few running tasks, background processes can affect switching speed. Let's look at the basic methods of activating multi-window.
Standard Method through the menu of recent apps
The easiest and most common way to run two apps simultaneously on Xiaomi is to use the running task management menu, which works on most devices without having to dig into hidden engineering menus. First, open the first app you want to use, like a browser or YouTube.
Then swipe from the bottom up (or click the menu button if classic navigation is enabled) to go to the list of recent apps. Find the card of the desired application and click on it, holding your finger for one second. Additional control icons will appear in the upper right corner of the card.
⚠️ Note: If after a long press on the application card, the split screen icon does not appear, then this application does not support Split Screen mode at the software level.
Click on an icon that resembles two rectangles. The screen splits in half: the top will remain the selected application, and the bottom will open the selection menu of the second one. Select the second application from the list or run it through a search.
- 📱 To activate, look for the “Share Screen” icon in the recent task menu.
- 🔄 Switch the active window by touching the desired display area.
- ❌ Close one of the windows, dragging the dividing line to the end.
- ⚙️ Change the size of the windows by pulling the central strip up or down.
Split screen control is intuitive, you can change the proportions of space you occupy by dragging a black or gray dividing line, and you can also have a full screen mode feature for one of the applications if you temporarily need to remove the second one.
Use of sidebar (Toolbar)
The MIUI shell offers a more advanced multitasking tool, a sidebar, also known as the Toolbar, which allows applications to be run as floating windows over the main interface, which is even more convenient than the classic split screen, and activating this feature requires you to log in to special settings.
Go to Settings and find the Additional Features section. In some firmware versions, this item may be called Special Features or be located in the Features menu. Inside, look for the Toolbox and activate the switch.
Settings → Additional functions → Toolbar → EnableOnce activated, you'll see a list of apps that are added to the panel by default. You can edit this list by adding a commonly used messenger, calculator or voice recorder. To call the panel, you need to swipe from the edge of the screen inwards in any application where this feature is active.
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Add only those apps that you use as secondary to the toolbar, which will speed up your search for the right window and reduce visual noise.
When the panel is open, just click on the app icon, and it will open in a floating window that you can move around the screen, resize it, and close it, which is ideal for watching YouTube videos while you're chatting on Telegram or WhatsApp.
- 🖱️ Call the swipe panel from the edge of the screen.
- ➕ Add apps to the list through menu settings.
- 📐 Change the size of the floating window with a pinch gesture (plug).
- 🗑️ Close the window by dragging it to the bottom of the screen.
It is important to note that the toolbar may not work in some games or applications with a special display mode, in which case the system automatically blocks pop-ups to avoid interfering with gameplay.
Configure hidden functions through the engineering menu
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where standard methods do not work or functionality is limited, in such cases you can refer to hidden system settings. However, it is worth remembering that interference with system parameters requires caution. Changing hidden MIUI settings can lead to unstable system operation if you do not understand the purpose of specific parameters.
Access to advanced features often involves entering special codes in the call menu or using apps to activate hidden features such as Activity Launcher. One popular way is to activate forced split screen for all applications, even those that do not officially support this mode.
You'll need to find the option in the developer settings that involves forcefully resizing applications. The path may be different, but it's often hidden deep in the debugging menu. It's recommended that you back up your data before you change the settings.
☑️ Check before changing system settings
Once the hidden flags are activated, the system will allow even those applications that normally block this feature to run in a split screen.The interface may look stretched or have artifacts, since the application is not optimized to work on half the screen.
⚠️ Note: Forced scaling of applications can lead to malfunction, crashes or data loss. Use this feature only if you understand the risks.
If you accidentally activate unnecessary features, you can get it back through a developer reset or a full device reset, so always record the changes you make to hidden menus.
Mode comparison: Split screen vs. floating windows
Users often confuse split-screen mode with floating windows, although these are fundamentally different approaches to multitasking. Understanding the differences will help you choose the most appropriate use case for specific tasks. Each mode has its advantages and limitations.
Split Screen mode divides the display into two equal or proportional parts, both applications are active and occupy a fixed area, which is convenient for copying data, comparing information or conducting a dialogue in parallel with viewing content.
Floating Windows runs on top of the main application, and it can overlay content, it can be folded into a small icon, or it can be moved into a corner, and it's more like working with windows on a computer, where one application is the main application and the other is the support.
| Characteristics | Split Screen (Split Screen) | Floating windows |
|---|---|---|
| Location. | Two windows side by side or above each other | One window over the other |
| Activity | Both apps are active at the same time. | Actively the main, floating can be folded |
| Management | Fixed boundaries are difficult to cover | Free movement, resizing |
| Support for games | Limited. | Often works better for guides and streams |
The choice of mode depends on the diagonal of your screen. On small smartphones (6.1-6.4 inches), split screen may be uncomfortable due to the small font size.
Impact on the battery
Solving multitasking problems
Despite the cleverness of MIUI, users may encounter various problems when trying to open multiple windows. Often the reason lies in aggressive battery optimization, which kills background processes. If the application in the split screen constantly restarts or crashes, you need to change the power saving settings.
Go to the battery settings, find the problem app, and select No Limits mode, which will prevent the system from closing the app when it is in the background or in split-screen mode, and check for updates for the application and system itself.
- 🔋 Set “No Limits” for important applications.
- 🧹 Clear the cache of overflowing RAM.
- 🔄 Update the Security app and system components.
- 📉 Turn off animations in the developer menu for speed.
Another common problem is the lack of response to gestures. If swipes don't work, check if the "In your pocket" mode is on or the protective film doesn't block the sensors. In rare cases, rebooting the device helps.
⚠️ Note: If the split screen problem occurred after the firmware update, it could be a temporary Android version bug or MIUI. Expect a patch from developers.
For advanced users, a use case is available ADB-commands to reset window manager settings, but this requires a connection to the computer and the availability of appropriate drivers.
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Aggressive energy savings are the main reason for app crashes in the background, and setting battery constraints solves 90% of multitasking problems.
Features of work in HyperOS and new versions of MIUI
With the release of the new HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has significantly reworked the logic of working with windows, improved switching animations and added support for more complex scenarios, such as launching three or more floating windows at once.
HyperOS has the ability to save usage scenarios, so you can set up a set of apps that automatically open in a particular order and window location, especially for users who use a smartphone for work and need quick access to email, calendar and instant messengers.
It also improves the stylus, if your model supports it, so you can highlight text in one window and drag it to another with a pen or a finger, and it's smarter at recognizing window boundaries and preventing accidental taps.
It’s worth noting that switching to new firmware versions can change the way you’re used to menus, so if you can’t find the settings described above, search for the settings by entering the keyword “Separated” or “Dashboard”.