Xiaomi’s Screen Split: A Complete Guide to Multitasking in MIUI

Xiaomi’s split-screen feature allows you to work with two apps at the same time — for example, chatting in the messenger and watching videos, or copying text from the browser into notes. Despite the obvious benefits, many users of Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi lineups do not know how to activate this mode correctly or face errors such as “The application does not support split-screen.” In this article, we will analyze all the working methods for different versions of MIUI (12 to 15) and models – from the budget Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

It's important to understand that Xiaomi's multi-window doesn't work like Google's "pure" Android. The manufacturer modified the standard feature by adding its own gestures and limitations. For example, MIUI 14 introduced floating windows support, and MIUI 15 enabled the screen aspect ratio capture. We tested all the methods on current firmware and collected only working solutions, including bypassing locks for incompatible applications.

1. Standard way: split the screen through the panel of recent apps

This is the most versatile method that works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later. Suitable for the Redmi Note 11/12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 12/13/14 and others. The main condition is that both applications must support multi-window mode (see the list of restrictions in the table below).

Algorithm of action:

• 📱 Open the first app (like YouTube), then swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger to open the recent taskbar.
• 🔍 Find the app icon (its icon) at the top of the screen and click on it. MIUI You need to make a long tap on the icon.
• 🪟 In the menu that appears, select “Separate screen” (or “Multiwindow” in English firmware).
• 🔄 The screen will split into two parts, and the bottom panel will show the panel of recent applications. Select the second app (like Telegram) to open in the bottom half.

First appendix opens|Recent Tasks Panel activated|App icon clicked|Selected item “Separate screen"-->

If the “Separate Screen” icon does not appear, check:

• ⚙️ Whether the function is enabled in the settings: go to Settings → Special facilities → Multi-window and activate the switch.
• 🔄 Is the firmware updated: in MIUI 13 and older, the interface of the menu of recent tasks has changed – application icons have become smaller, and the item “Share the screen” can be hidden under three dots.

Screen splitting by gestures (for MIUI 14 and later)

MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 now offer gesture support for fast split screens, which is more convenient than the standard one because it doesn’t require you to open the recent taskbar, and runs on Xiaomi 13/13T/14, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and other models with up-to-date firmware.

How to split the screen by gesture:

• 👆 Open the first app (e.g. Chrome).
• 🪟 Swipe your finger from the lower right corner of the screen upwards and hold until the dividing line appears.
• 🔄 Release your finger, the screen splits into two, and in the bottom half, you'll see a panel of recent apps to select the second one.

Important! The gesture only works when the function is on in the settings:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode.
2. Activate the option “Share-Share Gestures” (or “Swipe for Multi-Window” in English firmware).

Standard (via recent panel)|Gests|Voice assistant |I don't use multi-window |Other way-->

In the models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi) K60 Pro) the gesture may not work the first time because of the sensor's sensitivity, in which case try to swipe your finger more slowly or with a lot of pressure.

3. Floating Windows in MIUI

The floating window feature allows you to open applications in small windows on top of the main interface. It is not a full-screen split, but is convenient for quick access to messengers or a calculator. It works on all devices with MIUI 12.5+, including POCO F4/F5 and Redmi 10C/11C.

How to turn on floating windows:

1. Open Settings → Special Opportunities → Multi-window.
2. Activate the Floating Windows switch.
3. Return to the recent taskbar, click on the app icon and select Open in a floating window.

Restrictions of floating windows:

• 🚫 Not all apps support this mode (for example, Instagram or TikTok can block display in a small window).
• 📏 The size of the window can be changed by pulling around the corners, but the minimum dimensions depend on the application.
• 🔒 Some games (such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) automatically closes when you try to open in a floating window.

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To quickly roll a floating window, tap the top panel twice. To return, click on the window icon in the lower right corner of the screen.

4. Forced screen splitting for incompatible applications

Many apps (like WhatsApp, VK, or 1Password) block multi-window mode by default, but MIUI has a hidden feature to get around this limitation.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable the option “Forced split screen” (or “Force split screen”).
3. Reset the device.
4. Try splitting the screen in the standard way – now incompatible apps must open in a multi-window.

Warning: Forced mode may cause malfunctions in some applications (for example, banking or other applications). DRM-We tested the method on Xiaomi 12 Pro and Redmi Note 11 Pro+ — The only problems were with Netflix (video was not played) and Sberbank Online (the app was closed).

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Forced screen splitting can violate the security policies of some applications (e.g. banking), and use this method only for non-critical tasks.

5.Separate screen with Google's voice assistant

If you have Google Assistant installed, you can split the screen with a voice command, which is suitable for users who prefer handless control or if the touch screen is faulty, and works on all Xiaomi devices with Google services (including POCO X3 Pro and Redmi 9A).

How to activate:

1. Say “OK Google” or hold the Home button to call the assistant.
2. Say the command: Split the screen and open [appendix name 1] and [appendix name 2] For example: "Separate the screen and open YouTube and Telegram."
3. Confirm the action on the screen.

Limitations:

• 🗣️ Works only in English, Russian and Chinese (in other localizations, the team may not be recognized).
• 🔊 Active Internet connection required to process voice commands.
• 🚫 Some apps (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams) ignore voice split-screen commands.

6. Multi-window application compatibility table on Xiaomi

Not all apps support split-screen mode, and here is a table of popular services tested on Xiaomi 13 and Redmi Note 12 with MIUI 14:

If your application is not in the table, test its compatibility experimentally. For banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff) and encrypted messengers (Signal, Session), multi-window mode is often blocked for security reasons.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

When trying to split the screen into Xiaomi, users face typical problems, and we have collected the most common errors and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Warning: If one of the apps crashes or doesn't respond to touch after splitting the screen, try restarting it in the multi-window. Swipe down from the top edge of the split screen and select "Reset».

Error 1: “The app does not support split screen”

• 🔧 Solution: Use Forced Mode (Section 4) or open the app in a floating window.
• 🔄 Alternative: Try another app with similar features (e.g., instead of using the same app). VK Use Kate Mobile to use it).

Error 2: The screen splits, but the second app doesn't open

• 📱 Solution: Check if RAM is enough. Close background applications through Settings → Annexes → Clean up.
• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes helps to reset temporary crashes MIUI.

Error 3: The split screen gesture doesn't work

• ⚙️ Solution: Make sure the function is included in Settings → Display. → Full screen mode.
• 👆 Try to make a gesture from the other corner of the screen (for example, not from the lower right, but from the left).

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If one of the apps doesn't show up correctly after splitting the screen (e.g., stretched or cropped), try changing the aspect ratio. To do this, pull the dividing line up or down.

8.Alternative applications for multitasking

If the built-in MIUI features don’t suit you, you can use third-party split-screen utilities that offer additional features, such as saving multi-window templates or supporting more than two apps at a time.

Top.-3 Multitasking apps on Xiaomi:

• 🔹 Split Screen Launcher - allows you to create shortcuts to quickly open pairs of applications in a multi-window. MIUI 12-15, but requires overlay rights (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Overlay).
• 🔹 Floating Apps emulates floating windows for any application, including those that block multi-windows. Works without root, but shows ads.
• 🔹 Multi Window is an advanced multi-window manager with gesture and dividing line customization. The paid version removes the limit on the number of apps open simultaneously.

Warning: Third-party multitasking apps may conflict with MIUI, especially on HyperOS devices (new firmware for Xiaomi 14 and newer).

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The side of multi-window applications can drain the battery faster because of constant background work. Turn them off if you don't use split screen.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions