How to enable a floating window on Xiaomi: all ways for MIUI

The PiP (Picture-in-Picture) on Xiaomi smartphones is a handy feature that allows you to watch videos or make video calls on top of other apps. For example, you can watch YouTube in a small window while texting to Telegram or checking your email at the same time, but not everyone knows how to activate this mode correctly, especially on newer versions of MIUI 13/14.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can enable a floating window, from standard settings to hidden features for Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi’s flagship 13/14. You’ll also learn why the feature may not work, how to fix common bugs, and which apps support PiPs out of the box. If you’ve ever seen a window suddenly close or fail to open at all, here are some solutions.

What is a floating window (PiP) and why you need it

Picture-in-Picture mode allows you to reduce a video or video call to a compact window that stays on top of other open applications, which is especially useful for:

• 🎥 Multitasking: Watch streams on Twitch or YouTube, while working in instant messengers.
• 📞 Video Calls: Communicate in Zoom or Google Meet without interrupting other tasks.
• 🎮 Game streams: follow the guides on the game, without folding it completely.
• 📺 Television: Watch IPTV or Netflix in the background.

Xiaomi function is implemented through system settings MIUI, But it depends on the firmware version and the smartphone model. MIUI 12.5 window opens with swipe down and on Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14 - via a button in the player. Also some applications (e.g, VK Videos can be blocked by the developer due to the limitations of the developer.

⚠️ Note: On devices with Android 8.0 Oreo and below, the floating window may not be supported at the system level. → The phone.

Method 1: Standard Enablement through MIUI Settings

The most reliable way to activate the PiP is through system settings, and the instructions are suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models on MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Special Opportunities section (on some firmwares – Additional → Special. features).
3. Select a Floating Window (or Picture-in-Picture)
4. Activate the slider Allow floating windows.
5. In the list below, mark the apps you want to allow mode (e.g. YouTube, Chrome, Google Maps).

Once activated, try opening the video in a supported app (like YouTube Premium or Google Photos) and swipe down the screen - the window should decrease. If the feature doesn't work, check if it's enabled for a specific app in the PiP settings.

Is the video open to full screen?

Is the mode allowed for this application in the settings?

Has the app been updated to the latest version?

Does the app support PiP (list below)-->

Method 2: Quickly open a floating window with gestures

On Xiaomi with MIUI 13/14, you can open the floating window without clicking into the settings – with the gesture:

• 👆 Open the video to full screen in a supported app (e.g. YouTube or YouTube) VLC).
• 👇 Swipe down the screen (starting at the top edge).
• 🔄 If the window is not reduced, try swiping twice or holding your finger for 1-2 seconds.

The gesture doesn't work in all apps, like TikTok or Instagram, and Google Chrome only has a PiP for videos from some sites (like YouTube).

• 🔧 Is the Floating Window Mode enabled in the settings (see Method 1).
• 📱 Does your Xiaomi model support gestures (budget Redmis may require manual activation).
• 🔄 Is the app updated to the latest version (in older versions of YouTube, the PiP only worked with a Premium subscription).

Through the MIUI settings|

Swipe gesture down |

Player button |

I don't use a PiP.-->

Method 3: Activate via a button in the player (for individual applications)

Some apps (e.g. YouTube, VLC, Google Photos) have their own button to switch to PiP mode.

1. Run the video to the full screen.
2. Click on the Floating Window icon (usually located in the top right or bottom corner of the player). □ (square).
3. If there is no button, check the settings of the application: you need to enable Settings → General → Picture-in-Picture in YouTube.

On Xiaomi with MIUI 14, the PiP button on YouTube may disappear if the mode for this application is disabled in the system settings. To return the button, follow the steps from Method 1 and restart YouTube.

⚠️ Note: On YouTube, without a Premium subscription, the floating window can be blocked after 10-15 seconds of viewing. To circumvent the restriction, use the Firefox browser with the YouTube PiP extension or alternative clients (for example, NewPipe).

Why a floating window doesn’t work: Typical problems and solutions

If the PiP does not open or closes immediately, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🚫 Function disabled in settings: check Settings → Special facilities → Floating window.
• 📵 The app does not support PiP: for example, Instagram or Facebook block the mode.
• 🔄 An outdated version MIUI/Android: Update the firmware in Settings → Updating the system.
• 🔒 Developer restrictions: YouTube without Premium closes after a few seconds.
• 🛠️ System failure: Reboot your smartphone or reset your PiP settings to standard.

If the problem persists, try the following:

1. Clear the app cache: Settings → Apps → [name] → Storage → Clear the cache.
2. Remove the app updates (if the error appears after the update).
3. Turn on Developer Mode and activate the option Do not turn off the screen while charging (sometimes helps with PiP failures).

Hidden Floating Windows Features on Xiaomi

Few people know, but the PiP mode on Xiaomi has additional features that can be activated:

• 🔍 Resize windows: Pull around the corners of a floating window to enlarge or shrink it.
• 🔀 Moving around the screen: Drag the window to any corner of the screen (including the edges).
• 🔇 Turn off the sound: click on the speaker icon in the PiP window.
• 📴 Wrap up to an icon: Swipe the window to the bottom edge of the screen – it will fold into a small icon that can be turned back.
• 🎯 Window Fixing: Hold the window for 2 seconds to secure it in place (will not shift when scrolling).

The Xiaomi 13/14 with MIUI 14 also has the ability to display two floating windows (such as video and maps) simultaneously.

1. Open the first window in PiP mode.
2. Run the second video and swipe down to go to PiP.
3. Place windows in different corners of the screen.

💡

If the floating window is in the way, swipe it to the bottom of the screen, and it will fold into an icon, and to return it, tap the icon or pull it up.

Alternative Ways: How to Enable PiP on Incompatible Applications

If the application does not support PiP (such as TikTok or Twitch), you can use workarounds:

• 🌐 Browser mode: open the video in the browser (Chrome or Firefox) and translate to PiP via the player menu.
• 📱 Third-party players: download the video and play it in VLC or MX Player with PiP support.
• 🔧 ADB-commands: for experienced users - forced PiP activation via adb shell (debugging is required) USB).

To activate the PiP via ADB:

adb shell settings put global multi_window_mode_support 1


adb shell settings put global force_pip_any_app 1

After you've done the commands, restart your smartphone. Now you can try to swipe any video down to the floating window. Attention: this method can cause some applications to crash!

💡

The most reliable way to use PiP in incompatible applications is to play video through a browser or third-party player.

FAQ: Frequent questions about floating windows on Xiaomi