Redmi 7 Screen Split: How to Turn on Multi-Window in 30 Seconds

The split-screen (or multi-window) feature on Redmi 7 allows two apps to be used simultaneously — for example, watching YouTube videos and texting to Telegram without constantly switching. This feature is hidden in the depths of MIUI, and many owners do not even know about its existence. Unlike Xiaomi’s flagship models, where the multi-window is turned on by gesture, the Redmi 7 (with a Snapdragon 632 processor and 2-3 GB of RAM) requires either activation of hidden settings or use of workarounds.

In this article, we have 3 proven ways to split the screen, including a developer-sided method that works even on older versions of MIUI 10-12. We will also look at why the feature may not work, and what to do if the multi-window icon is lost after an update.

⚠️ Important: On the Redmi 7 with a shell MIUI 13+ Android 11+ The standard way to split the screen by long pressing the "Recent" button doesn't work, in which case use the alternative methods in the "Method 3: Forced Activation through the "Recent" section. ADB».

1. Standard method: gesture or button "Recent"

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI feature, but it doesn't work on all firmware versions.

1. Open the first app (like Chrome).
2. Click the “Recent” button (square in the bottom navigation bar) or swipe up and hold your finger for 1 second (if you use gesture control).
3. In the list of open applications, find the app icon (not a preview!) and hold it for 2-3 seconds.
4. If the function is active, a menu with the option “Separate screen” (or an icon with two rectangles) will appear.
5. Select the second app from the list of “Recent” – the screen will split in half.

❌ Problem: Redmi 7s MIUI 12.5 and later, this often doesn't work -- the split-screen icon just doesn't appear. It's about optimizing the firmware for weak devices.

2. Enabling multi-window through developer settings

If the standard method doesn’t work, activate the hidden option in the developer menu, which works on all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 10-14:

Step-by-step:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times in a row until the notification “You are a developer!” appears.
3. Return to the main Settings menu, and a new section will appear there, “For Developers” (or “Advanced Settings → For Developers” in older versions).
4. In the developer menu, find the option Multiwindow (or Shared Screen) and turn it on.
5. Reboot your phone (required!).

After the reboot, try splitting the screen again through the "Recent" button. If the option still doesn't appear, check:

• 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI (Even a minor update can return the function).
• 📱 Reset your gesture settings in Settings → System system → Gestures.
• 🚫 Remove memory optimizers (for example, MIUI Optimization if they block multi-window.

💡

If the developer menu doesn’t have the option “Multiwindow”, try searching for the keyword “split” or “multi-window” in the settings search bar.

3. Forced activation via ADB (for advanced)

If previous methods didn’t work, you have to turn on the multi-window through ADB, the Android debugging tool, which requires a computer, but it’s guaranteed to work on Redmi 7 with any firmware.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/Mac/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📥 Google Platform Tools (download and unpack to a separate folder).
• 🔧 Includes “Debugging of the USB» on the phone (Settings) → For developers).

Instructions:

1. Connect Redmi 7 to your computer and select File Transfer Mode (not Charge).
2. Open the command line (cmd) in the folder with Platform Tools:
3. If the device is identified (serial number appears), type the command: adb shell settings put global. force_resizeable_activities 1
4. Reboot the phone.

After this command, all applications on Redmi 7 will support split screen, even if previously refused (for example, Instagram or TikTok), but some games (for example, PUBG Mobile) can still block multi-windows.

4. Third-party screen split applications

If you don't want to mess with the settings, you can install specialized utilities.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party multi-window apps can slow down Redmi 7, as the device has only 2-3 GB of RAM. If you notice lags, close the background processes in Settings → Annexes → Working.

💡

A standard multi-window in MIUI consumes less resources than a third-party application, and only use them if other methods have failed.

5.Why doesn't split screen on Redmi 7 work?

If you tried all the methods but the multi-window never worked, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔋 Lack of RAM: On Redmi 7 with 2GB of RAM, the system can automatically turn off the multi-window to save resources.Close all background apps and try again.
• 📵 Firmware restrictions: In some regional versions MIUI (For example, for India or China, the function is disabled at the software level.

💡 Tip: Before resetting settings, save data through Settings → The phone. → Backup. On Redmi. 7 backup is created in a folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup memory.

6. Multi-window alternatives on weak devices

If the split screen never worked, or the phone started to brake, try these workarounds:

• 📱 Picture-in-Picture Mode (PiP): Works for video (e.g. YouTube Premium or YouTube Premium) VLC). Click “Home” while watching, the video will shrink into a small window.
• 🔄 Quick switch between apps: Twice click on the “Recent” button for instant return to the previous app.
• 📲 Home Screen Widgets: Add Telegram, Calendar, or Notes widgets to quickly browse information without opening apps.
• 🖥️ Connecting to a PC: Use Xiaomi PC Suite or Scrcpy to control your phone from your computer in multitasking mode.

⚠️ Note: Redmi 7 with Snapdragon 632 processor can run two heavy applications simultaneously (e.g. Chrome) + Facebook) can overheat and automatically shut down multi-windows. → Battery → Status.

FAQ: Frequent questions about split screen on Redmi 7