How to split the screen on Xiaomi Redmi 7: official and hidden ways

Xiaomi Redmi 7 is one of the most popular budget smartphones of 2019, but even 5 years after its release, its functionality remains relevant. Split-screen allows you to use two applications simultaneously - for example, watch videos on YouTube and chat to Telegram. However, in standard MIUI firmware, this feature is often hidden or unstable. In this guide, we will analyze all working methods, including bypassing the system limitations.

It’s important to understand that the multi-window capabilities on Redmi 7 depend on the MIUI version and the updates installed. On newer firmware (e.g. MIUI 12.5), the algorithm may differ from the basic MIUI 10 that the smartphone came with out of the box. We tested all the ways on a real device — below only proven solutions without water and outdated tips.

1.Official method: split-screen gesture in MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in gesture that works on most versions of MIUI for Redmi 7. However, it is not available in all regional firmware (for example, in the European build it can be disabled).

1. Open the first app you want to pin to the top of the screen (like Chrome).
2. Click on the recent apps button (square in the bottom navigation bar).
3. Keep your finger on the app icon in the list of recent tasks until the menu appears.
4. Select the option "Share the screen" (or "Split screen" in English).
5. At the bottom of the screen, a list of apps will open – select a second one (like WhatsApp).

If the "Share" option is not on the menu, it means that the function is disabled in the system settings.

1. Go to Settings → Special Options → Screen Sharing.
2. Activate the switch Enable screen split.
3. Go back to the list of recent apps and repeat the steps above.

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If the split screen doesn't work properly after activation (apps close or don't open), try restarting your smartphone, which resets the system's multi-window cache.

2. Alternative method: through the developer settings

On some MIUI firmware, the split-screen function is hidden in the developer menu, which is suitable if the standard gesture does not work.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
3. Find the option Multiconference (or Force Resizeable Activities in English) and turn it on.
4. Reboot your smartphone.

Then try splitting the screen again through a gesture (see the first method), and if the feature doesn’t appear, check if any application (e.g. Second Space or Double Apps) blocks it.

3. Screen split via the "Recent" button (for MIUI 12+)

In MIUI 12 and later, the split-screen algorithm has changed, so you need to activate the multi-window.

1. Open the first application (e.g., Gallery).
2. Click on the Recent (square) button and hold the app icon.
3. In the menu that appears, select Open in split screen.
4. Select the second app from the list (e.g. Google Maps).

Note that not all apps support this mode, for example, Instagram and some games (such as PUBG Mobile) can automatically close when you try to split, a limitation imposed by MIUI itself for performance reasons.

4. Third-party screen split applications

If the built-in methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities.

• 🔹 Split Screen Launcher creates a shortcut for fast split screens. Requires superuser rights).
• 🔹 Floating Apps – allows you to open applications in floating windows (alternative to split screen).
• 🔹 Multi Window – supports multi-window without root, but can conflict with MIUI.

Warning: apps from third-party sources (not from Google Play) may contain malicious code. Check developer reviews and reputation before installing. Also note that some utilities require MIUI Optimization to be disabled in the developer settings, which can lead to unstable smartphone performance.

Make sure your smartphone has enough free memory (at least 1 GB)| Backup important data | Check the app’s compatibility with MIUI 10/11/12| Turn off “Virus Protection” in the security settings for the installation time-->

⚠️ Note: Shared-screen applications can cause the Snapdragon 632 processor to overheat in Redmi 7. Watch the temperature of the device and do not use multi-window for more than 30 minutes in a row.

5. Limitations and common errors

Even if you manage to activate split screen, you may run into problems:

• 🚫 Applications close themselves - this is due to the optimization of memory in the MIUI. Solution: Add apps to the list of Protected apps in battery settings.
• 🚫 No sound in one of the windows – check if the sound for a particular application is turned off in Settings → Sound.
• 🚫 Screen splitting does not work horizontally – this is a feature MIUI. Try to turn the smartphone back to the vertical position.

A critical feature of Redmi 7 is that you can't split the screen on this smartphone if you're in "Battery Saving" or "Ultra-Economic Mode" mode. The system automatically blocks multi-window to reduce the load on the processor. Before using split screen, turn off these modes in the battery settings.

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If splitting doesn’t work in either way, check if you have custom firmware (like LineageOS) installed on your smartphone, which requires a separate multi-window configuration via recovery.

6. How to turn off split screen

To return to normal display mode:

1. Drag the dividing line between the windows up or down to the end.
2. Or press and hold the dividing line, then select Close the screen split.
3. Or just close one of the apps — the second will automatically unfold to the full screen.

If, after disabling the split screen, the applications continue to open in multi-window mode, reset the gesture settings:

1. Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
2. Select Reset gesture settings.
3. Reboot your smartphone.

7. Comparison with other Xiaomi smartphones

In comparison, newer models (such as the Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3) have more stable splitting due to the upgraded processor and MIUI 13 optimization. On the Redmi 7, multi-window is limited due to:

• 🔋 Snapdragon 632 not optimized for two heavy applications.
• 🖥️ Small RAM – in the basic version of Redmi 7 only 2 GB of RAM.
• 🔄 Outdated firmware — MIUI 10/11 Does not support smooth multitasking.

However, for basic tasks (e.g., chatting + watching videos), splitting the screen to Redmi 7 remains a useful feature. If you want a more stable multi-window experience, consider upgrading to MIUI 12.5 (if available for your model).

FAQ: Frequent questions about splitting the screen on Redmi 7