Dividing the screen on Xiaomi Redmi 8: full instructions with pictures and tips

Multitasking on smartphones has long ceased to be a luxury – a necessity for those who are used to working with multiple applications at once. Xiaomi Redmi 8, despite its budget position, supports split-screen mode, but not all users know how to activate it correctly. In this article, we will analyze all working methods, including hidden MIUI chips, and also explain why the function may not work and how to fix it.

It's important to understand that split-screen options depend on the firmware version. Redmi 8 installed MIUI 11 out of the box based on Android 9/10, but after the updates, many people face changes in the interface. We tested all the methods on current versions of the system (up to MIUI 14) and highlighted the ones that work guaranteed. If you tried to split the screen, but nothing worked out, most likely the problem lies in the settings or limitations of specific applications.

Does Xiaomi Redmi 8 support split screen?

Redmi 8 officially supports split screen, but with the following caveats:

• 📱 The function is available on all versions MIUI (11-14), but the path to activation is different.
• 🔄 Android 10 (MIUI 12+) Multi-window interface has undergone changes – it is now integrated into the menu of recent applications.
• ⚠️ Not all applications support split mode (for example, some games or banking programs may block it).
• 🔧 On some custom firmware, the function may be disabled – manual activation will be required through the Developer Settings.

If your Redmi 8 doesn’t share the screen, check first:

1. The MIUI version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. System updates in Settings → About phone → System update.
3. List of supported apps (some, like Instagram or TikTok, may limit multi-window mode).

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 8s MIUI 11 and below, splitting the screen only works for apps optimized for Android 7.0+. If the application does not support mode, the system will issue a notification “Share Sharing is not supported».

Method 1: Separate through the recent app menu (the easiest one)

This is a standard method that works on most versions of MIUI, suitable for users who have updated the smartphone to MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open the first app you want to use in split mode (like YouTube).
2. Click on the “Recent Apps” button (square in the bottom navigation bar) and hold the app icon for a few seconds.
3. In the menu that appears, select “Separate Screen” (or “Open in a split window” in new versions).
4. The screen will split into two parts, and in the bottom will appear a list of applications – choose the second.

If the "Separate Screen" section does not:

• 🔹 Check if you are using navigation gestures (in Settings) → Display. → Navigation panel).
• 🔹 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI.
• 🔹 Try another method (see below).

Make sure both apps are open in the background

Check the MIUI version (should be at least 11)

Turn off energy saving mode for applications

Use standard navigation (not third-party launchers)-->

On MIUI 14, the interface has changed a little: instead of holding the icon, swipe up the app in the recent menu and select “Separate”** in the top corner.

Method 2: Separation through gestures (for MIUI 12 and later)

Newer versions of MIUI now allow for the ability to activate split screens with a gesture, which is faster but requires a pre-setting:

1. Open Settings → Special Features → Gestures and Movements → Screen Sharing.
2. Activate the switch "Separate screen gesture"**.
3. Now swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger – the split menu will appear.
4. Select the first application, then the second.

If the gesture doesn't work:

• 🔹 Make sure the function is enabled in the settings.
• 🔹 Check if the gesture is in conflict with others (e.g., Google Assistant).
• 🔹 Reboot your phone – sometimes helps to reset temporary errors.

Through the menu of recent apps

Through gesture

Through the developer settings

I don't use split screens.-->

An important caveat: on Redmi 8 with MIUI 11, there may be no split-screen gesture control. In this case, use Method 1 or Method 3.

Method 3: Separate through developer settings (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can try to enable splitting of the screen through developer mode, which is true for custom firmware or older versions of MIUI:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version** until the notification “You are a developer” appears.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

«Force resizeable activities»

Reboot the phone.

Then try splitting the screen in any of the previous ways. If the function still doesn't work, check:

• 🔹 Are window animations disabled in the developer settings (they should be enabled).
• 🔹 Are there any conflicts with installed launchers (for example, Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher).

⚠️ Note: Enabling the option “Force resizeable activities”** may cause some applications to display incorrectly. If graphic artifacts appear after activation, return the setting to its original state.

Why is it that the Xiaomi Redmi 8 screen split doesn’t work?

If none of these methods worked, the problem may be one of the following:

A critical feature of Redmi 8 is that on some firmwares, screen splitting is blocked if the Light MIUI mode is enabled (no animations indicate this). To fix, go to Settings → Special Features → Light MIUI and turn it off.

If the problem persists, try resetting to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting), but pre-reverse the data.

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Before resetting, export the list of installed applications through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Export. This will save time to re-install.

How to manage a split screen: useful chips

When the screen is successfully separated, you can flexibly adjust the windows:

• 🔄 Change the size of the windows: pull the dividing line up / down.
• 🔀 Exchange seats: Press and hold the dividing line, then drag it in the opposite direction.
• 🗑️ Close one window: Swipe the window down (like in the menu of recent apps).
• 🔒 Window fixing: in some versions MIUI You can fix one window so that it does not close when swiping (for this, hold the window header).

Also available in split mode:

• 📱 Copy text between windows (hold text) → «Copy, then paste into another window).
• 🔊 Separate volume control for each application (if supported).
• 🔄 Quick switching between pairs of applications (swipe on the dividing line left / right).

MIUI 14 has a feature called "picture-in-picture," which allows you to attach one app to another. To activate it, open the app, swipe up to go into the background, then hold the icon and select "Floating window."

Third-party split-screen applications

If the built-in MIUI features are not suitable, you can use third-party utilities.

• 📱 Split Screen Launcher – Adds a split button to the notification panel.
• 🛠️ Multi Window Mode – Supports arbitrary window size change.
• 🔧 Taskbar – Emulates the taskbar as on a PC, making it easier to switch between windows.

Before installation, check:

• 🔹 Compatible with your version of Android (on Redmi) 8 Android 9/10).
• 🔹 User reviews – some apps may slow down on budget smartphones.
• 🔹 Advertising (in free versions it can interfere with the availability of advertising).

⚠️ Note: Third-party split-screen applications require the “Overlaying Over Other Windows” rights** (c Settings) → Annexes → Special access. Without that, they won't work.

FAQ: Frequent questions about splitting the screen on Xiaomi Redmi 8

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On Xiaomi Redmi 8, splitting the screen only works stably on standard MIUI firmware without deep modifications. If you use custom ROMs (like Pixel Experience), the feature may be missing or error-proof.