How to Open Two Windows on Xiaomi Phone: All Ways to Split the Screen

Multitasking on Xiaomi smartphones is no longer a luxury – it is a necessary tool for work, study or entertainment. The ability to view two applications simultaneously on the same screen saves time and simplifies the routine: you can chat in the messenger without closing the video on YouTube, or check the data from the table with the message in Telegram. However, not all users know how to activate this mode on their devices – especially if we are talking about models with custom firmware or outdated versions of MIUI.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can share your screen on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark phones, from standard features to hidden chips. You’ll learn which models support multitasking out of the box, how to get around the limitations on budget devices, and what to do if the feature is lost after the update. And a unique life hack for smartphone owners with physical navigation buttons, which is not in the official instructions.

1. Which Xiaomi phones support dual window mode?

The split screen feature is officially available on most Xiaomi devices running MIUI 9 and later.

• 📱 Flagship models (Xiaomi) 13/14, Mix Fold, Black Shark 5): Out-of-the-box support with advanced settings (including floating windows).
• 💰 Mid-size segment (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5): function is present, but may not have a visual prompt in the interface.
• 🔋 Budget devices (Redmi) A2, POCO C55): Often activation is required through the developer settings.
• ❌ Outdated models (Redmi) 4X, Mi A1): Not officially supported, but there are workarounds (see section 5).

To check your device’s compatibility, open Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If MIUI version is below 9, update your firmware or use alternative methods (about them below).

⚠️ Note: Some Android Go Edition devices (e.g. Redmi Go) have a system-level lock on multitasking. ADB may cause disruption.

2. Standard way: how to split the screen through gestures

On most modern Xiaomi smartphones (with MIUI 12+), the two-window mode is enabled via navigation gestures.

1. Open the first app (like Chrome).
2. Swipe your finger up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger for 1 second – a recent app panel will open.
3. Click on the app icon at the top of the card and select “Split Screen” (or “Split Screen”).
4. Select the second app from the recent list or from the home screen.

You can now adjust the window size by dragging the dividing line up/down. To close the mode, pull the line to the edge of the screen or click on the "Close" button.

First appendix opens

Navigation gestures enabled (Settings → Display → Navigation)

Free at least 3 GB of RAM (for smooth operation)

Power saving mode is disabled (can block background processes)-->

If the “Share the screen” item is not in the menu, it means:

• 🔄 Your version. MIUI outdated (update to Settings) → Updating the system).
• ⚙️ The function is disabled in the developer settings (see section 4).
• 📵 The app does not support multitasking (such as some games or banking programs).

Gestures | Buttons (on screen) |Physical buttons |Don't know-->

3. Alternative method: split screen via navigation buttons

If your Xiaomi uses virtual or physical navigation buttons (three dots at the bottom of the screen), the algorithm will be different:

1. Open the first appendix.
2. Click on the square button (recent apps) and hold it for 2-3 seconds.
3. The screen will split into two parts, the top one will show the current app, and the bottom one will show the recent ones.
4. Select the second app from the list.

This method works on devices with MIUI 10-14, but may not be available on some budget models. If button retention does not work, try:

• 🔧 Enable full-screen gestures in Settings → Display. → Navigate, then return to the buttons.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone – sometimes the system “forgets” to activate the function.

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On some models (e.g. Redmi 9A), you need to quickly press the square button twice to activate Split Screen, rather than hold it.

4. Enabling the mode through the Developer Settings

If the standard methods don't work, maybe the function is hidden in the developer menu to activate it.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version and the notification “You are a developer!” will appear.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open “More → For Developers”.
4. Find the option “Multi-tasking → Allow split screen”

Once activated, try splitting the screen again through gestures or buttons, and if the option is not in the developer menu, then:

• 📱 Your device does not support the function at the software level.
• 🔧 Manual editing of the configuration file is required (see Section 6).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 13 for POCO) Turning on the developer mode can reset the settings USB-Before you change the parameters, save important data.

5. bypasses for devices without official support

If your Xiaomi doesn’t support Split Screen out of the box (like the Redmi 5A or Mi A2 Lite), you can use one of these methods:

Method 1: Multitasking applications

Some third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher) have a built-in split-screen feature, install them from Google Play and activate the mode in the launcher settings.

Method 2: Use ADB (for advanced users)

You can force multitask on Android Debug Bridge.

adb shell settings put global force_split_screen true

After you execute the command, restart the device. If the function does not appear, try an alternative command:

adb shell am start -n com.android.systemui/.split.SplitScreenActivity

Method 3: Floating windows (for MIUI 12+)

Some devices can include floating windows (analogue Picture-in-Picture), which work on top of the main screen.

1. Open the app (such as YouTube).
2. Swipe your finger down from the top edge (call the notification panel).
3. Click on the icon "Floating window" (square with an arrow).

The window will shrink and float on top of other applications, and you can change the size by pulling corners.

Problem Solving: Why isn't the split screen working?

If you have completed all the steps, but the two window mode is still not activated, check these points:

If the problem is not solved, try resetting the interface settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global Stable may need to re-assign your Mi Account after resetting.Make sure you remember your password!

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If none of these methods worked, check to see if the feature is hardware disabled. For example, some Redmi models in China block multitasking due to battery optimization, in which case only flashing to the global version of MIUI will help.

7. Optimization of the two-window operation

To use Split Screen as efficiently as possible, use these tips:

• 🔋 Saving Charge: Multitasking mode makes the battery go down faster. Turn on Dark Theme and reduce the screen brightness to 50%.
• 📱 Quick Switching: To swap apps, hold the icon of any window and drag it in the opposite direction.
• 🔒 Orientation Lock: Lock the screen in landscape or portrait mode through the notification panel so that the windows don’t get lost when you turn.
• 🎵 Single source sound: By default, sound comes only from an active window. To listen to music from Spotify in the second window, click on the speaker icon in the control panel.

For convenience, you can pin frequently used pairs of apps, for example, if you are constantly working with Google Docs and Chrome:

1. Split the screen and open the desired applications.
2. Press and hold the dividing line.
3. Select Save the Combination (available on MIUI 14+).

Now, this pair will appear in the menu of recent apps as a single unit.

FAQ: Frequent questions about split screen on Xiaomi