How to split the screen in two on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Multitasking has become an integral part of modern smartphones, and Xiaomi devices are no exception. Users often face the need to simultaneously watch YouTube videos and chat in the messenger or copy text from one article into notes. The standard Android interface allows this to be done, but on the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, the process has its own peculiarities. Understanding how to activate this mode significantly improves productivity with the gadget.

Splitting the display into two independent areas is not just a visual effect, but a full-fledged multi-tasking tool that turns the phone into a mini-tablet. However, many Xiaomi device owners do not know where the desired feature is hiding, or find that the split button is simply absent from the menu of recent applications. This may be due to different versions of the firmware, type of navigation or the limitations of the applications themselves. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to activate, customize and solve common problems.

It is important to consider that split-screen operation requires certain CPU and RAM resources. If your smartphone is in the budget segment or has less than 4 GB of RAM, simultaneous operation of two “heavy” applications can lead to slowdown of the system.However, for most modern models of Redmi and POCO, this feature works steadily and is a great way to save time.

The main ways to activate a split screen

There are several ways to start the split-display mode, and the choice of the one depends on your version of the MIUI shell and personal preferences. The most common way involves using the menu of running applications. To do this, you need to open the desired application, then swipe from the bottom up (or the Square button) to go to the menu of recent tasks. In this list, you need to find the application card that you want to place at the top of the screen.

The app card usually has additional control icons, and you need to click on an icon that resembles two rectangles or the letter "P", which is often at the top of the preview or to the right of the program name. Once you click, the screen will shrink and the system will prompt you to select a second app for the bottom of the display. This method is standard for most versions of Android adapted by Xiaomi engineers.

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If the split screen icon doesn’t appear on the app card, try pressing and holding your finger on the program preview in the recent task menu – sometimes this opens a context menu with the desired option.

An alternative method involves using a sidebar or special gestures if they are configured in the system. Some users prefer to use "floating windows", which are technically different from split screen, but give a similar result. However, the classic split-screen captures applications in strictly defined proportions, which is more convenient for working with text or tables. The choice of method depends on how deep you are willing to dive into the interface settings.

Configure through the menu of special features

If standard methods don't work or you need more flexible management, you should look at hidden system settings. There is a separate section in the MIUI shell dedicated to special features where you can force the split screen function to be activated for all compatible applications, especially for older versions of firmware, where the button in the task menu could be hidden by default.

To access these settings, go to the main smartphone settings menu. Find the Additional settings or Advanced settings section. Inside this menu, look for the Limitless Screen (in some versions it may be called Full Screen Mode or have a sub-item "Share Partition"). This is where the switch that globally activates multi-window support for the system hides.

Once the switch is activated, the system may require the interface or device to restart to apply the changes. It is important to understand that enabling this feature in the settings does not guarantee the work with each application, since software developers can block this ability at the level of their code. However, for system applications and popular software (browsers, messengers, maps), this solution works flawlessly.

Another important aspect is how to adjust the behavior when switching between applications, and in the same menu you can often find an option that allows you to save the split-screen state even after you turn one of the windows, which is convenient if you often return to the same pair of applications, such as a calculator and a banking application when making payments.

Use of side panel and floating windows

The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS offer a unique feature called Sidebar (or Floating Windows), which is often confused with classic split screen, but which provides more freedom. The sidebar allows you to display applications as floating windows on top of the main content, move them around the screen and resize them.

To activate the sidebar, you need to go to the settings and find the Sidebar (often in the "Additional" section or searched by settings). Once the slider is turned on, a barely noticeable bar appears on the side of the screen. The swipe from it opens a list of attached applications. You can drag any application from this list to the main screen, and it will open in floating mode.

• 📱 Location flexibility: A floating window can be moved to any corner of the screen, as opposed to a fixed split in half.
• 📐 Size change: The window can be stretched or compressed to take up 20% to 80% of the display area.
• 🔄 Instant Switching: The sidebar allows you to quickly roll the app into a small icon and turn it back with a single touch.

It’s worth noting that floating windows consume more battery life, as the system must constantly render multiple active interface layers at once.If you notice that the smartphone has started to heat up or brake when using the sidebar, it’s better to close out unused background apps.

Application compatibility and system limitations

Not all apps support split screen mode, and this is a limitation at the level of Android’s design and Google’s security policy, such as many banking apps, DRM-protected video services (Netflix, some YouTube content) and games often block split screen functionality, and when you try to run them in the second window, you may see a black image or error message.

The system automatically detects compatibility. If there is no split icon in the recent task menu on the application card, the developer has banned this function. However, there is a way to circumvent this restriction for some programs, although it requires caution. In the Developer menu, you can find the option "Forced resize permission for all applications."

Activation of this feature can lead to incorrect display of the interface of some programs: buttons can go off the screen, and the text becomes unreadable. So you should use this method only in extreme cases and only with applications that are not critical data.

It is important to distinguish between Picture-in-Picture and full screen split. Video services often offer PiPs when the video is folded into a small floating rectangle. This is not the same as split-screens where two apps share the screen equally. For YouTube, for example, a full split-screen often requires a Premium subscription, whereas a PiP can also work in a free version (depending on region and application version).

Controlling windows and changing proportions

When the screen is already split in two, the user can fine-tune the display, there's a dividing band between the two active windows, drag and drop, you can change the proportions of the area you occupy, for example, you can leave only a narrow bar for chat, giving 80% of the screen to the browser, or align the windows 50 by 50.

If you close one of the windows, you just drag the dividing strip to the very edge of the screen, and if you reduce the strip to the top edge, the top app will close, if the bottom app closes, and the bottom one will close, and there is often a swipe button or an "X" icon in the center of the dividing strip, which, if you press it, instantly closes one of the windows and opens the second one to the entire screen.

Switching between split-screen applications also has its nuances. If you roll one of the windows, it can stay in the background in a reduced form. To fully exit split-screen mode, it is usually enough to press the Home button or swipe from the bottom up (depending on the type of navigation), which will fold both applications. Re-entering the menu of recent tasks will show that they are still grouped together.

Solving common problems and errors

Users often experience split-screen functionality that simply doesn't work despite all attempts. One of the most common reasons is an outdated version of the operating system or a particular program. Check for updates in the Google Play store or through the built-in App Store GetApps. Older versions of the software may not have the necessary libraries to work properly in multi-window mode.

⚠️ Warning: If the feature is gone after the firmware update, check the theme settings. Some third-party themes downloaded from the theme store MIUI, They may conflict with system functions of the interface by disabling the window control buttons.

Another problem can be overcrowded RAM: If you have a dozen heavy applications open in the background, the system may force one of the windows to close when trying to split to free up resources. Before starting split-screen mode, it is recommended to clear the background processes by pressing the memory clean button in the menu of recent tasks.

In some cases, resetting display settings helps. This will not delete your personal data, but will return the screen settings to factory settings. To do this, you can find reset options in the Settings menu → Advanced Settings → Backup and Restore, but be careful not to choose a complete reset of the device. Most often, the problem is solved by simply rebooting the smartphone, which cleans the temporary caches of the system.

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The most common reason for splitting the screen is incompatible with a particular application, not a smartphone breakage. Check the function with system programs (for example, Calculator and Notes) to make sure the system is working properly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)