Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO have such powerful screens and processors that they can comfortably work with multiple apps at once. Split Screen, or Split Screen, turns your device into a pocket-sized work tool, allowing you to chat in a messenger and watch videos, or compare product characteristics in two different browsers. In 2026, this feature became the standard for the HyperOS shell, but users often face difficulties in finding the right settings.
Multitasking implementations on Xiaomi may vary depending on the version of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS. Some users confuse the usual switching between running programs with simultaneous display of them on a single screen. It is important to understand that splitting the screen is a specific mode that requires proper activation, while simply swiping up from the Menu button only shows a list of recent applications.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways you can activate split-screen mode on current smartphone models, learn how to set up hotkeys, what apps support this mode, and what to do if the standard method does not work. By mastering these skills, you will significantly increase your productivity and usability of the gadget in everyday life.
For starters, it’s worth noting that the basic functionality of Xiaomi’s shell offers several ways to enable this option. The standard method involves using a menu of running applications, but there are also faster ways available through the control panel or special gestures. The choice of the specific method often depends on the user’s habits and device model.
Activation through the menu of running applications
The most common and versatile way to run two apps simultaneously on Redmi and POCO smartphones is to use the recent task menu, which works consistently on most firmware versions, from MIUI 12 to the fresh HyperOS. First, you need to open the first app you want to see at the top of the screen, like the browser or YouTube.
Once the application is running without closing it completely, swipe from the bottom up (or press the Menu button if three-button navigation is enabled) to go to the menu of running applications. In this list, find the card of the desired application. In the upper right corner of the card (or if you press it long, depending on the version of the shell), additional control icons will appear.
Among the icons that you're looking at, you're looking at a symbol that looks like two rectangles on top of each other, and clicking on this icon will activate split-screen mode, and the screen will split in half, and the app you select will take the top part, and the menu will open at the bottom of the second app, and you'll just have to click on the icon of the second program from the list of frequently used programs, or find it in the general list.
⚠️ Note: Not all applications support split-screen operation. If you don't see the split icon or it's inactive, the app developer has banned it from multitasking.
Windows are intuitively controlled in this mode, and there's a dividing strip between the two programs that are running, and if you pull it up or down, you can change the proportions of the display by giving more space to one of the applications, and you can swipe or click the cross over one of the windows, and then you can turn the rest of the app around.
☑️ Verification of compatibility of the regime
Using the sidebar for quick access
A more advanced and faster way to organize your workspace is to use a sidebar toolbar, known as the Toolbar or "Sidebar," which allows you to run a second application on top of an already open one without interrupting the current process. To take advantage of this feature, you first need to activate the panel itself in the system settings.
Go to Settings → Special Features → Toolbar (the path may vary slightly depending on the HyperOS version). Make sure the switch is activated. In the Apps menu, add the programs you plan to use in multitasking mode most often. This can be a calculator, notes, messengers or a browser.
When the panel is set up, the process of launching is as follows: When in any application, swipe from the edge of the screen (usually from the top corner) to the center to leave the side curtain. Find the desired application in the list and click on it. It will open in a floating window. To turn this window into a second full screen, click on the split screen icon inside the floating window itself or drag it to the edge of the display if the interface allows.
- 🚀 Allows you to run up to 4 floating windows simultaneously on top of the main application.
- 📱 Ideal for working with documents when you need to quickly copy data.
- ⚙️ Requires pre-setting a list of favorite apps for quick access.
Importantly, the sidebar is particularly useful for floating windows, which are an extended version of split screen. You can move these windows around the screen, resize them, and fold them into the sidebar when they are temporarily unnecessary. This gives you flexibility not available in the classic split screen.
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For quick switching between windows in the sidebar, double tap the app icon in the curtain – this will roll or expand the window without having to look for it on the screen.
Customization of gestures and hot keys
For those who appreciate speed and don't like to go deep into menus, Xiaomi offers the option of customizing special gestures. Although there is no single "shake to split" gesture in stock firmware, you can use combinations of actions in the task menu. However, there are hidden or additional settings that make life easier.
In some regions and firmware versions, the App Launch Accelerate feature is available. Go to Settings → Additional Settings → Button Management (or similar path depending on the model). Here you can configure a long-term press on the Recent button or other navigation elements to call certain actions, although there may not be a direct command on Split Screen, this speeds up access to the task menu.
Also worth mentioning is the Expanded Scale feature in special features, which is sometimes used as a crutch to simulate separation, but this is not a native solution. Real optimization is achieved through the proper use of navigation gestures. If you use gesture control (no buttons), swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger in the center of the screen will open the task menu where the split button is located.
⚠️ Note: When using gesture navigation, the area to call the task menu may be smaller than when using buttons.
For advanced users familiar with USB debugging, there are ADB commands that allow you to force split-screen mode on any application, even those that are blocked by the developer. However, this requires connecting to a computer and entering commands in the terminal, which is beyond the standard setting for the average user.
adb shell am start -D -n com.android.settings/.Settings$SplitScreenSettingsActivityUsing such commands can be unstable on newer versions of Android and HyperOS, as security policies become stricter, so rely primarily on the standard interface tools that are constantly being improved by Xiaomi engineers.
Solving problems with incompatible applications
A common problem faced by Xiaomi smartphone owners is the inability to share the screen with a particular application. The system may give a message that the application does not support this mode, or simply not show the corresponding button, due to the limitations that software developers put, or the optimization of the interface for large screens.
There is a method of forcing split-screen support to be enabled through the developer menu. Be careful when changing these settings, as they affect the operation of the entire system. To access this menu, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI (or HyperOS) version and quickly press 7-10 times on the build number until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
Then go back to the main settings menu, select Additional → For developers. In the settings list, find Force activities to be resizable. Activate this switch. After that, you need to fully restart the smartphone to make the changes take effect.
| Parameter | Status before change | Status after change | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split Screen Support | Only for compatible | For all applications | Medium. |
| Interface display | Standard. | Possible distortions | Low. |
| Stability of the system | Tall. | Failures are possible | Medium. |
| Required reboot | No. | Required. | No. |
After rebooting, try to split the screen again with the problematic app, and in most cases, the button will appear, but remember that applications that are not adapted for horizontal or split mode may not display correctly: text may bump into each other, and buttons become non-clickable.
What to do if the application crashes?
Working with floating windows in HyperOS
With the advent of the HyperOS shell, the concept of split screen has expanded, and it's not just two static windows, it's a dynamic floating window system. You can run an app in a small window over another, move it around and resize it, and this is especially true for the big Redmi Note screens and Xiaomi flagships.
To move the app to floating window mode from split screen mode, click on the divider bar between the windows. In the menu that appears, select an icon that depicts a window in the middle of the screen. The application will shrink and become floating. You can run several of these windows, creating your own desktop on top of the main interface.
Memory management with multiple windows becomes critical. The system can automatically unload background applications if RAM is scarce. In the Memory Expansion settings, you can add virtual memory at the expense of internal storage, which will help keep more applications active in split-screen mode without lags.
- 📺 Ideal for watching streams during correspondence.
- 📝 Keeping a calculator or notes always on hand.
- 🔄 Easy switching between floating and full screen mode with one touch.
An interesting feature is that you can fix a floating window, and if you click on the pin icon in the header of the floating window, it will remain hanging on top of other applications even when you switch tasks or go to the desktop, which makes the smartphone look like a computer with widgets attached.
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Floating windows in HyperOS are an evolution of the regular Split Screen, giving more freedom, but requiring a new type of window management.
Features of the split screen on the Xiaomi Pad tablets
Owners of Xiaomi Pad tablets have even more options. On larger diagons, splitting the screen is not just a convenient feature, but the main use case. The tablet interface is sharpened to work with multiple windows by default.
Tablets often use drag & drop, and you can open the sidebar, grab the app icon, and drag it to the free area of the screen, and it will offer you the options to sit on the left, right, or over the current window, which is much faster than standard smartphone methods.
In addition, tablets support PC Mode (in some versions of firmware or through third-party launchers), which turns the interface into a kind of Windows. Here, windows can be scaled arbitrarily, like on a computer. Screen splitting here works without restrictions, supporting even three and four windows at the same time, if the matrix resolution allows.
⚠️ Note: On tablets without a stylus, it can be difficult to control small elements in split-screen mode.
Tablets also have a "Translation" feature from the phone, so you can take the screen of your smartphone to your tablet and use it as a second monitor, but it's a separate ecosystem feature that works in conjunction with splitting the screen on the tablet itself.