Multitasking is one of the key factors affecting the usability of modern smartphones, and owners of budget-friendly but productive devices like the Xiaomi Redmi 9 often strive to make the most of the display area. The ability to run two apps simultaneously opens up new horizons for work and entertainment, allowing you to chat in instant messengers while watching a video or copy text from the browser directly into notes without unnecessary switching. MIUI, installed on these gadgets, has its own features of activating this function, which can be confusing to an inexperienced user.
Unlike some other manufacturers, where splitting the screen is available immediately from the menu of running applications, in Android version 10 with the shell MIUI 11 or 12, this process requires certain preparatory actions or the use of special gestures. Understanding the mechanics of the Split Screen interface (split screen) is critical for those who are used to working in an intense rhythm and do not want to waste a second waiting for programs to load. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to activate the two-window mode, and also consider the hidden settings that make work in this mode truly comfortable.
It’s worth noting that not all apps support split-screen operation, as software developers may limit the functionality of their products for stability or security reasons. System limitations can also vary depending on the firmware version installed on your Redmi 9, so we’ll look at universal methods that work in most cases. Get ready to turn your smartphone into a powerful tool for productive work by mastering these simple but effective window management techniques.
System preparation and compatibility check
Before you start activating split screen, you need to make sure that your software is ready to work with multiple windows at the same time. On Xiaomi devices, the split screen function is native, but it requires that there are enough free resources in RAM to work properly. Redmi 9, equipped with a Helio G80 processor, is quite capable of multitasking, but heavy games or resource-intensive editors may not start in the second window.
It’s important to understand that some applications, especially banking or data security-related applications, can block work in the background or in split screen.This is done by developers to protect sensitive information from potential interception by other running programs. If you notice a particular application folding or emitting an error when trying to split the screen, this is normal Android security behavior, not a malfunction of your device.
It’s also worth checking if your MIUI shell has been updated to the latest available version, as older builds may have bugs that prevent the boundaries between windows from being displayed correctly. Go to settings and select About Phone to check for system updates. The stable firmware version ensures that the control gestures work smoothly, without delays and accidental app closures.
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Before activating the two-window mode, close the background applications that you do not plan to use to free up RAM and speed up the interface.
Activate through the menu of recent apps
The most common and intuitive way to run two apps simultaneously on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is to use the recent task menu.This method doesn’t require additional features to be included in the settings and works out of the box on most devices with a MIUI shell. To start, open the first app you want to see on the top or left of the screen, such as a browser or YouTube.
Once the app is running, you need to go to the task menu. Depending on the type of navigation you use (buttons or gestures), the actions may differ slightly. If you have three virtual buttons on, click on the square menu button or the three-bar button. If you use gesture control, swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger in the center of the screen until the list of open windows appears.
In the list that opens, find the running app card. In the upper right corner of this card, you'll see a small icon that resembles two horizontal lines or a split symbol. Clicking on this icon will split the screen in half: the selected application will occupy the top part, and at the bottom, the system will suggest select a second application from the list of recently used or from the general menu.
- 📱 Click on the split icon in the app card in the recent task menu.
- 📂 Select the second app from the list that appears in the bottom half of the screen.
- ↔️ Adjust the size of the windows by dragging the dividing line with your finger.
- ❌ Close the windows by pressing the cross in the center of the dividing strip.
Managing the space between windows gives the user the flexibility to customize the interface to their current needs. You can make one application occupy three-quarters of the screen, leaving the second only a narrow bar for notifications, or divide the space strictly in half for comfortable reading text and simultaneous typing.
☑️ Screen splitting check
Use of special opportunities for quick access
For those who use split-screen mode all the time, the standard path through the recent task menu can seem too long and inconvenient. The MIUI shell offers a more advanced tool, the Special Features menu, which allows you to run split-screen with just one click from anywhere in the system, a method that is especially convenient when you need to quickly copy information or respond to a message without interrupting the main stream of work.
To activate this feature, go to your smartphone settings. Find the "Additional" or "Extended settings" section, and then select "Special Features." In the option list that opens, find the "Split screen" function and activate the switch. After that, a new way to control windows will appear in the system, available through prolonged pressing or a special gesture.
Once you turn on the feature in the settings, when you start the recent task menu (swipe and hold or menu button), you will see that the interface has changed a little. Now, if you pin your finger on the app card or click on a special icon, you will be prompted to choose a second application, which speeds up the process of context switching and makes multi-window mode much more efficient.
⚠️ Attention: Activating a function through "Special Opportunities" may consume additional battery power, since the system keeps ready mechanisms for instant interface splitting. If you rarely use this feature, it is better to turn it on only as needed.
There is also an alternative way of calling if it is supported by your firmware version: swiping your finger from the corner of the screen or using a sidebar.The sidebar is a narrow bar that can be displayed to the edge of the screen and it stores shortcuts of frequently used applications. Dragging the application from the sidebar to the open screen automatically triggers split mode.
Sidebar secrets
Size setting of windows and interface management
One of the main features of the Redmi 9 split screen is the ability to dynamically change the proportions of windows. Unlike the static 50/50 separation that occurs in some launchers, the Android system allows you to flexibly adjust the space. At the border between two running applications is a dark stripe with dots or lines, which serves as a size manipulator.
To change the proportions, you just have to touch that dividing line and drag it up or down (in portrait orientation) or left and right (in landscape orientation), and this action instantly redistributes the useful area of the display between active tasks, for example, when watching a YouTube video, you can leave it a minimum strip, and give the main part of the screen to a text editor or messenger.
However, you should consider the minimum window size limitations. The system will not allow the application to be compressed to a state where its content becomes unreadable or functionally unusable. If you try to make the window too small, it will either automatically expand to the minimum permissible value, or the application will fold into a floating window if such an option is supported. The minimum resolution for applications is usually about 30% of the screen height.
| Action. | The result | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Tug-up line | Increase of the upper window | The bottom appendix is shrinking. |
| Pulling the line down | Increase in the lower window | The top appendix is shrinking. |
| Double tap on the line | Automatic alignment | Divide the screen in half (50/50) |
| Pressing the cross | Closing one window | The rest of the app is unfolding |
In landscape mode, when the phone is rotated horizontally, the control logic is maintained, but the direction of the separator changes. Now you move the line left or right. This is especially convenient when watching movies with subtitles or when working with tables where the width of the displayed area is important. Redmi 9 with its diagonal of 6.53 inches provides enough space for comfortable operation in horizontal separation mode.
Solution and typical problems
Despite the system’s fine-tuning, Xiaomi Redmi 9 users may encounter a number of typical split-screen issues. One of the most common complaints is that a particular application cannot be run in a second window.This is often because the app developer has not optimized its interface to work in Split Screen mode, and the system blocks startup to avoid display errors.
Another common problem is the spontaneous shutdown of one of the applications. This can occur due to a lack of RAM. When two applications are running simultaneously, the RAM consumption doubles, and if the system lacks resources, it begins to aggressively close the background processes. On Redmi 9 with 3 or 4 GB of RAM, this can happen when you run heavy games or browsers with many tabs.
Also, users sometimes face a situation where touch input stops responding correctly in one of the windows, or the keyboard blocks the contents of the bottom application, in such cases, restarting the interface service or simply restarting the smartphone helps. If the problem is systemic, special features may need to be reset.
⚠️ Warning: If the smartphone starts to heat up or discharge rapidly when splitting the screen, immediately close one of the applications. G80 and may lead to trottling (decreased productivity).
To diagnose problems, you can use the developer mode. Turn it on by quickly clicking seven times on the build number in the About Phone section. Then, in the Developer menu, look for Inactive Apps or Background Process Limit and make sure there is no restriction that prohibits more than one application from running in the background. This is a common reason why the second window closes immediately after opening.
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The stability of the two windows depends on the amount of free RAM and the optimization of the applications themselves for multitasking.
Alternative methods and floating windows
Beyond the classic splitting of the screen into two equal or unequal parts, the MIUI shell offers an even more advanced option of multitasking, floating windows, which allows you to run applications in the form of small windows that can be moved around the screen, resize them regardless of the screen boundaries and use them on top of other applications, which is actually the third level of multitasking after the usual full-screen mode and split-screen.
To move an application that is already open in split-screen mode into a floating window, you need to press the central button on the dividing line (or make a gesture like swiping a line). The application will unstuck from the edge and turn into a freely moving rectangle. This is ideal for messengers, calculators or video players, which should always be at hand.
Floating windows can be scaled by the corner and hidden in the sidebar so they don’t interfere with the view, but remain running. On Redmi 9, you can keep several floating windows open at the same time, although their simultaneous active operation can significantly affect the smoothness of animations. Hybrid mode, combining one full-screen application, one split and one floating, is not available in all versions of MIUI, but it is worth trying.
- 🪟 The floating window can be moved to any point of the display.
- 📏 The size of the floating window is adjusted independently of other elements.
- 📑 You can roll a floating window into a bubble for quick access.
- 🔄 Easy switching between floating and full screen mode.
Using floating windows combined with split screen makes the Xiaomi Redmi 9 a real handheld workstation.You can watch tutorial videos in a floating window, chat in the bottom half of the screen, and work with documents in the top. This configuration makes the most of every pixel. IPS-display.