How to make a split screen on Xiaomi MIUI 12: guide to multi-tasking

Smartphones are no longer just call devices, becoming powerful handheld computers that require efficient window management. Owners of Xiaomi devices with a MIUI 12 shell often face the need to simultaneously view video and chat in the messenger or copy text from one source to another.

Despite the obvious benefits, many users don’t know how to activate this mode, as standard gestures may not be obvious or turned off by default. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the ways Split Screen is activated, review the options menu settings, and learn to bypass system limitations. You’ll learn why some programs don’t support separation and how to force them to work in multi-window mode.

The MIUI 12 shell is based on different versions of Android, which makes its own adjustments to the management of windows. We will focus on both the classic method through the menu of recent applications, and more advanced techniques that include the use of third-party software. Understanding the principles of multi-tasking on your gadget will open new horizons for using your smartphone in everyday life and work.

Standard activation method through the menu of recent applications

The most common and standard way to run two apps at once on Xiaomi is to use the task menu, which does not require any additional software installation and works on most models that have MIUI 12 installed. First, you need to open the application you want to place on the top or left of the screen, and then fold it or go to the window management menu.

Once you have called up a list of running programs (usually swipe from the bottom up with a delay or click on the corresponding navigation button), find the desired window. On some versions of the firmware next to the application icon or in the preview corner, a special icon may appear to allow you to expand the action menu. If there is no icon, try to make a long press on the preview of the application or swipe on it up (depending on the type of navigation).

In the context menu that opens, you should select the option Split screen or Split screen. After selecting this option, the current application will occupy half of the display, and in the second half a list of frequently used programs will appear, you will only choose the second application from the proposed list or find it through a search.

And it's important to remember that you can adjust the size of the dividing line, and if you pull a black or gray bar in the middle of the screen, you can change the proportions of the space you occupy, making one window bigger than the other, and this is especially useful when you want to, for example, watch a video in a small window and use the main part of the screen to work with documents.

Setting up hot keys and menu of additional features

If a standard call through the task menu seems uncomfortable or takes too long, MIUI offers an alternative option through a hidden menu.Sidebar or special gestures can be activated in the settings, which will greatly speed up the switching process.To access these settings, go to Settings, then select Additional Features and find Full-screen gestures or Floating Windows.

Inside this menu, there's often an option called "Accelerated Start" or "long-press" action, and by activating the appropriate switches, you can start split-screen mode with a simple swipe from the corner of the screen or other customized action, which makes the smartphone a real tool for professional work, where you can access the right functions in a fraction of a second.

⚠️ Note: Some global versions of the firmware MIUI The 12 option menu may differ from the Chinese versions. If you don't find the items described, try changing the region in your phone's settings to "India" or "China", but do so with caution, as this may affect the operation of system applications.

You should also pay attention to the navigation button settings. If you use the classic three buttons at the bottom of the screen, the split function can be triggered by a long press on the Menu button (square or three bars) after the first application is launched. This is a legacy method that still works on many devices and is the fastest way to activate Split View.

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To quickly activate the split screen when using navigation buttons, launch the first application, then press the "Menu" button for a long time. The screen will split, and you will have to choose the second application.

Using third-party applications for forced separation

Not all app developers add multi-window support to their products. As a result, when you try to run Instagram or banking apps in a split screen, you may be faced with a message that the app does not support this feature.

One of the most popular solutions is the Split Screen Shortcut app, or Google Play analogs, which works by creating a shortcut for any installed application that automatically activates split-screen mode when it starts, and once you install it, you just need to give it the necessary permissions through the special features menu.

The setup process usually looks like this:

• 📲 Download the assistant app from the official app store.
• 🔐 Grant the right to Special App Access in the system settings.
• 🚀 Run the application through the created shortcut, and it will open in split mode.

Using these tools allows you to bypass the software constraints set by the developers, but it is worth remembering that forced separation can lead to incorrect display of the interface of some programs, since they were not adapted to work in a reduced window.

Compatibility issues and list of supported applications

Even with all settings, some applications may not work in Split Screen mode, due to developer policies or software specifics. For example, applications with vertical screen orientation often cannot work correctly in horizontal split mode, and vice versa.

MIUI 12 automatically detects compatibility, but the user can check the support status themselves. Usually, applications that work exactly in this mode are marked with the appropriate icon in the control menu. If the icon is not there, this does not always mean a complete ban, but the probability of successful launch is lower.

Below is a table showing the typical behavior of popular split-screen apps on Xiaomi:

Financial and security applications are particularly important, and they often block screenshots and screen recording, automatically making them impossible to display in split mode, as this mode is technically a form of screen capture.

Controlling windows and changing proportions

Once you've successfully split the screen, you get a fine-tuning field, and the dividing line is not just a visual limiter, it's a complete control tool, and by moving it around, you can prioritize one of the applications by giving it 70 percent or even 80 percent of the display space.

The top or bottom of a split window (depending on orientation) often has additional control buttons, so you can swap an application into a floating window, close it completely, or swap apps, which is not available in all versions of MIUI, but if it is, it makes navigation much easier.

To exit split-screen mode, you just drag the separation line to the end of the app, and the second app will be closed, and you can also use a swipe from the edge of the screen (if gestures are enabled) to return to full-screen mode of the current active window.

Keep in mind that using two apps at the same time puts a lot of stress on the processor and RAM. On models with a small amount of RAM (less than 4 GB), the system can automatically unload the background application from memory to ensure smooth operation of the active one.

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