How to Make Two Screens on Xiaomi Poco X3: A Complete Guide to Pictures and Videos

Xiaomi Poco X3 (including the NFC and Pro versions) supports split-screen functionality, but many users don’t know how to activate it. In this article, we’ll look at everything from standard MIUI gestures to hidden settings and third-party utilities, learn how to open two apps at once, adjust window sizes and avoid typical errors.

Multi-window (or Split Screen) is useful for multitasking: you can simultaneously watch YouTube videos and chat to Telegram, compare prices in the browser and shopping cart, or copy text between documents. However, on Poco X3, this mode does not work as clearly as on flagships Samsung or Google Pixel. We tested all methods on MIUI 12.5-14 firmware and identified the most reliable ones.

Important: split-screen capabilities vary depending on the firmware version. Some custom builds (like Pixel Experience) may not have the function or work differently. If your Poco X3 doesn't support standard mode, there are alternatives at the end of the article.

1. Standard method: split screen gesture in MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in Split Screen feature, which is activated through the recent app bar, which works on all official Xiaomi firmware without additional settings.

Instructions:

1. Open the first app you want to pin to the top of the screen.
2. Click on the “Recent” button (square in the navigation bar) or swipe up with a delay (if you use gesture control).
3. In the list of recent applications, find the icon of the first application and hold it for 1-2 seconds.
4. In the menu that appears, select “Separate Screen” (or Split Screen in English firmware).
5. The screen will split into two parts, and the bottom will open the panel of recent applications – select the second app for the bottom.

Now you can interact with both windows at the same time. To swap them, pull the gray dividing line up or down. To close the mode, pull the line to the edge of the screen or press the Close button in the center of the separator.

☑️ Check before activating Split Screen

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If the gesture doesn't work, it's possible that the function is disabled in the settings. Go to Settings → Special Options → Split Screen Mode and make sure the switch is active. On some firmware, this item may be called Multi-Window or Split screen.

2. Alternative method: through the notification panel

On MIUI 13 and later, a quick way to activate split screens through the notification panel is available, which is convenient if the gesture controls are disabled or not working.

How to turn on:

1. Turn the notification bar swipe down from the top edge of the screen.
2. Find the “Split screen” tile (if not, click on the pencil icon to add).
3. Slip on the tile – the screen will split and you will be able to select apps for the top and bottom parts.

If Split screen tile is not listed, you can add it manually:

1. Open Settings → Notification panel and control panel.
2. Choose Change the order of the tiles.
3. Find the Split screen in the list of inactive tiles and drag it to the active area.

This method works more stable than the gesture method, especially if the smartphone has non-standard launchers (for example, Nova Launcher), but on some firmware, tile may be absent, in which case the following method will help.

3. Screen splitting through developer settings

If standard methods don't work, you can try activating Split Screen through the developer's settings, which is suitable for power users and requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
3. Find the option Enable freeform multi-window and activate it.
4. Reset the device.

After the reboot, try splitting the screen again through the recent app bar, and if the feature works, you can not only split the screen in half, but also change the size of the windows arbitrarily (for example, make one window wider than another).

Attention! Not all apps support free multi-window form, for example, games and some instant messengers can automatically unfold to the full screen or refuse to work in split mode.

4. Comparison of methods: which method is better

We tested all three methods on Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC with MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 14 firmware.

Important: on firmware below MIUI 12, Split Screen may not be available or not work properly, in which case only updating or installing custom firmware (e.g. LineageOS) will help.

If you need more flexibility (like opening more than two windows or setting hotkeys), consider third-party apps.

5. Third-party screen split applications

If the built-in MIUI features don't suit you, you can use third-party utilities, which offer advanced features, such as:

• 🔹 Change the size of the windows (not only) 50/50).
• 🔹 Hot keys for quick switching between windows.
• 🔹 Support for more than two windows (on some devices).
• 🔹 Saving templates of frequently used combinations of applications.

The best apps for Poco X3:

1. Split Screen Launcher – Adds a split screen button to the main screen, works without root, but requires permission to display over other windows.
2. Multi Window supports free-form windows and gestures for control. There is a free version with ads.
3. Floating Apps – allows you to open applications in floating windows (like on Samsung DeX), Suitable for multimedia and instant messengers.

Attention! Third-party applications may conflict with MIUI, especially if you have battery optimization enabled for them.

• 🔸 Turn off battery optimization for the selected application (Settings) → Annexes → Battery management).
• 🔸 Provide all permissions requested (especially display over other windows).
• 🔸 Restart the phone after installation.

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If the split-screen app doesn’t start, try clearing its cache (Settings → Apps → [App Name] → Clear the cache).

Example of Split Screen Launcher:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and allow the display to be displayed over other windows.
3. Add the Split Screen widget to the main screen.
4. Slip on the widget - the menu of selecting applications for separation will open.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right setup, the Poco X3 split screen mode can be unstable. Let's look at the typical bugs and how to fix them.

Problem 1: The split screen gesture doesn’t work.

⚠️ Attention, some of the Poco firmware X3 The gesture conflicts with other functions (e.g., a gesture for a screenshot). To fix this, go to Settings. → Gestures → Gesture for screenshot and turn it off.

Also check if One Hand (Settings → Display → One Hand Mode) is enabled – it can block gesture recognition.

Problem 2: The application does not open in split mode.

Some apps (e.g. Instagram, TikTok, banking programs) block multi-window work for security or optimization reasons.

• 🔹 Try opening the app in your browser (such as the web version of Instagram).
• 🔹 Use Free Form Mode (through Developer Settings).
• 🔹 Install an alternative client (e.g. Instagram Lite instead of the main app).

Problem 3: The screen splits, but one of the windows doesn't respond to touch.

This can be due to conflict with navigational gestures or protective film.

1. Turn off gesture control (Settings → Display → Navigation Panel → Buttons).
2. Reboot the phone.
3. If you use a protective glass, check its quality (cheap glasses can not recognize multi-touch).

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If neither method works, check firmware integrity, system files may be damaged, and then resetting to factory settings or flashing through Fastboot will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions