Modern smartphones have such powerful performance and huge displays that using only one app at a time seems inefficient. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often wonder how to maximize the potential of their gadget by performing several tasks at once. The split-screen feature, or Split Screen, allows you to run two apps side by side, which is ideal for multitasking in everyday life.
You no longer have to constantly switch between browser tabs and messenger or interrupt video viewing to respond to a message. The interface of MIUI and the new HyperOS offers flexible tools for organizing the workspace. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to activate split-screen mode, adjust its parameters and solve typical problems.
Not all apps support this feature, but most popular services such as YouTube, Telegram and browsers are fully compatible with multi-window mode. Proper settings will help you significantly improve productivity or simply make using your smartphone more comfortable.
The main ways to activate Split Screen
There are several methods to run split screen mode on Xiaomi smartphones, the choice of the specific method depends on the version of the installed firmware, the model of the device and the personal preferences of the user, the most common method is to use the menu of the latest applications launched.
To do this, you need to open the desired application, then swipe from the bottom up (or click the corresponding navigation button) to the menu of running tasks. Find the application card in the list that you want to place at the top of the screen, and click on the window management icon.
- 📱 Click on the "Separate" icon (usually looks like two vertical bars) in the corner of the app card.
- 📱 Select the second app from the list or find it in the menu of recent tasks.
- 📱 Adjust the size of the windows by dragging the dividing line down the middle of the screen.
If the standard menu doesn’t display the split button, it may be hidden in the additional interface settings.In some versions of MIUI, you need to press and hold your finger on the application card to see the context menu with the Split Screen option.
Why is the split button missing?
Using the sidebar for quick access
The second efficient way is to use a floating window or sidebar, which is available in modern versions of the HyperOS shell and MIUI 13/14. This method is convenient in that it allows you to run a second application on top of any other without having to fold the current one.
To activate this feature, you first need to turn on the sidebar in the settings. Go to Settings → Special Options → Sidebar and activate the switch. After that, a translucent marker will appear on the screen that calls up the menu of frequently used applications.
You can configure a list of programs that will be displayed in the dashboard by adding the most popular tools for multitasking, which can be a calculator, notes, messengers or a browser.
☑️ Setting up the sidebar
To split the screen, open the main application, call the sidebar, and drag the icon of the second application to the free area of the display. The system automatically offers options for placement: top, bottom or as a floating window.
Hot keys and gestures for separation
For users who appreciate speed, Xiaomi offers the ability to use special gestures, which allows you to split the screen with just one finger movement, without being distracted from the main process.
In the special features settings, you can activate the Three Fingers function, and the essence of the method is to swipe three fingers down the screen, which instantly triggers split-screen mode for the current application.
| Action. | The result | Where to set up |
|---|---|---|
| Swipe three fingers down | Split Screen Launch | Settings → Additionally. → Gestures |
| Long press on the card | Window control menu | Menu of recent apps |
| Drag from the panel | Opening of the second window | Sidebar. |
In such cases, the system may ignore the command or perform scrolling instead of splitting the screen.
Setting up parameters and managing windows
Once the screen is split, the user can flexibly control each window, you can change the proportions, close one of the applications or change the places. To resize the windows, touch the central dividing line and drag it up or down.
At the top of the split screen (or, depending on the orientation, on the side), a small control panel is often displayed, which contains buttons to close one of the windows, expand the application to the full screen or completely stop the mode.
- 🔄 The button changes the top and bottom applications in places.
- ❌ The cross closes the currently active window.
- ⬆️ The arrow deploys the selected application to the full screen.
Some users prefer to use the "Floating Window" mode, where the second application does not occupy half the screen, but hangs over the main one in the form of a small rectangle, which is especially convenient for watching videos or using a calculator.
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Use horizontal orientation for more comfortable work with two windows, as in landscape mode, each application gets more space in width.
Application compatibility and system limitations
Not all apps installed on a smartphone are split-screen, which is due to the way they are designed and adapted to different resolutions, usually for banking applications, some games and specific utilities.
If the application does not support Split Screen, the system will either prevent it from running in the second window or warn you about possible malfunction. In the list of compatible programs in the split menu, such applications are often marked with a special icon or simply absent from the recommended list.
⚠️ Warning: Forced launch of an incompatible application in split-screen mode can lead to interface distortion, system freeze or spontaneous closure of the program.
To check compatibility, you can use the hidden developer menu or simply try to run the application through the recent task menu. If the split button is inactive (gray), then the developer did not provide this option.
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Optimal operation of Split Screen is guaranteed only for applications adapted for large screens and tablets.
Solution and troubleshooting
Sometimes users are faced with situations where the split screen function stops working or does not work correctly, this can be caused by a memory overflow, a software failure or a conflict of application versions.
The first step in diagnosing the problem is to check the available RAM volume. If the phone is slow, the system can block the launch of heavy applications in the background. Close the unnecessary tabs and try again.
It’s also worth making sure that the device has an up-to-date firmware version, and older versions of MIUI may have had bugs patched in newer security updates.
⚠️ If after splitting the screen the phone starts to heat up, immediately close one of the applications, as the simultaneous operation of two active processes significantly loads the processor.
In extreme cases, you can reset special features or clear the cache of the system interface, which will help eliminate software errors that prevent the correct display of windows.