How to Make Two Screens on Xiaomi Mi 9: Multitasking in MIUI

Introduction: Why you need a split screen on a smartphone

The split-screen (or multi-window) feature on the Xiaomi Mi 9 allows you to work with two apps simultaneously — for example, chatting in a messenger and watching videos, or copying text from the browser into notes — a feature that is especially useful for owners of smartphones with large screens, where space can be efficiently distributed between tasks.

In MIUI (Xiaomi's branded shell), multitasking is implemented at the system level, but not all users know how to turn it on. Moreover, depending on the firmware version and regional settings, the interface may differ. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to activate the two-window mode, including hidden chips and solving typical problems.

Important: If your Mi 9 runs MIUI 12.5 or later, some of the features can be moved to other menu sections, and we have taken these nuances into account and provided relevant paths for the latest versions of the software.

Method 1: Screen sharing through gestures (MIUI 12+)

The fastest method is to use gesture controls, which are enabled by default in newer versions of MIUI. Here's how it works:

1. Open the first app (like YouTube).
2. Swipe your finger from the bottom edge of the screen upwards and hold your finger on the app icon until the context menu appears.
3. Select the option "Share the screen" (or "Split screen" in English firmware).
4. The screen will split into two, and the bottom panel will show the recently used apps. Tap the second to open it in the bottom half.

If the gesture does not work, check the settings:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Display. → Full screen mode.
• 📱 Make sure that you have the option of "Gest buttons" (or "Full screen gestures") enabled).
• 🔄 If you use classic navigation buttons, this method will not work – go to Method 2.

💡

If one of the windows hangs after splitting the screen, try restarting the application. Some programs (such as games) block multi-window mode.

Method 2: Classic method with the "Recent" button

For Mi 9 owners with three virtual buttons (back, home, recent) the algorithm is different:

1. Launch the first app.
2. Click on the Recent button (square in the bottom panel).
3. Hold the app icon at the top of the screen until the menu appears.
4. Select Divide Screen.
5. At the bottom of the screen will appear a panel with other applications – choose the second.

If the split screen button is not in the menu, it means:

• 🚫 The function is disabled in the developer settings (see the section on hidden parameters).
• 🔧 The app does not support multi-window mode (for example, Netflix or banking programs).
• 📱 You have an outdated version. MIUI (Update the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system).

Both apps must be multi-window compatible |Disable VPN (some programs block mode due to geo-restrictions) |Close background tasks (lack of RAM can cause lags) |Check out that battery balancing does not limit performance-->

Method 3: Application side for extended multi-window

If standard methods don’t work or you need additional features (for example, free resizing of windows or support for three applications at once), use third-party utilities.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party multi-window apps, turn off battery optimization for them in the settings MIUI (Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start, otherwise the system may force the windows to close.

Correspondence + video|Copying text between applications|Game. + guide|Other-->

Size setting of windows and multiscreen management

After activating the two windows mode, you can:

• 🔄 Change the proportions: Pull the central dividing line up/down.
• 🔀 Switch apps: Hold the icon in the top panel and drag it to another part of the screen.
• ❌ Close one window: draw the dividing line to the edge of the screen.
• 📱 Return to full screen: press the Home button or make a gesture down from the top edge.

MIUI 13+ has a feature called Floating Windows, which are miniature versions of apps that can be moved around the screen, to enable it:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Floating windows.
2. Add the required applications to the list of allowed.
3. Now hold the app icon in the Recent menu to open it in floating mode.

Hidden settings: Developer mode and forced split-screen

If the multi-window doesn’t work even after the MIUI update, check the developer’s settings:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the Forced split-screen option and turn it on.

⚠️ Warning: Enabling Forced split-screen may cause some applications to work unstable (e.g., banking or other applications). DRM-If the program starts to crash after activation of this parameter, return the setting to its original state.

Also in the developer menu it is useful to check:

• 🔧 Do not unload active applications – prevents the closure of background tasks.
• 📱 Background Process Limitation – Set the Standard Limit.
• 🔄 Windows animation – turn off to speed up switching between windows.

💡

Developer mode allows you to force multi-windows on even for non-so-optimized applications, but this can disrupt their work. Use this feature only for testing!

Typical problems and their solutions

Despite the convenience, the split-screen mode on the Xiaomi Mi 9 sometimes fails.

If none of the methods helped, reset the settings (without deleting the data):

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset all settings (do not delete all data!).
3. After restarting, check the multi-window.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the multi-window on Xiaomi Mi 9