How to make a split screen on Xiaomi 9C: a step-by-step guide

Modern smartphones, including the affordable Xiaomi Redmi 9C, have enough performance to perform many tasks at once. Users often face the need to chat in the messenger while watching videos or studying information in the browser. Split Screen is a standard feature of the MIUI shell, which turns your gadget into a powerful tool for multitasking, allowing you to run two applications side by side.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways you can activate this mode on your device, look at standard methods through the menu of recent apps, and more advanced options using a floating window, and understand these mechanisms will help you significantly improve your productivity with your device without constantly switching between tabs.

It is worth noting that the MIUI interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version installed on your Redmi 9C. However, the basic principles of navigation remain unchanged for the entire Xiaomi ecosystem. Below are proven algorithms of actions that are guaranteed to work on current versions of the software.

Activate through the menu of recent apps

The most common and intuitive way to run two apps at once is to use the task menu, which doesn't require a deep dive into the system settings and is available immediately after you turn on your smartphone. To start, open the application you want, like your browser or YouTube, so that it appears in the list of active processes.

Then you need to go to the running app management menu. Depending on the type of navigation you choose (buttons or gestures), the action may be slightly different. If you use on-screen buttons, click on the square menu icon. If you have gesture control enabled, swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger in the center of the screen.

In the list that opens, find the app card you want to pin at the top of the screen. The app card (usually on the top right or with prolonged pressing, depending on the version of MIUI) will have a special icon. Click on it to open the contextual action menu.

• 📱 Click on the icon with two rectangles located in the upper right corner of the application card.
• 👆 Make a long press on the preview of the application in the list of running tasks until the selection menu appears.
• 🔄 If the icon is not visible, try swiping the app card down a little (relevant for some launcher versions).

Once you select the split mode, the selected app will occupy the top half of the display. At the bottom of the screen, the system will prompt you to choose a second app from a list of recently used or from a full list of installed programs. The screen resolution of the Xiaomi 9C (720 x 1600) allows you to comfortably display content in both windows, although the font can become slightly smaller than usual.

⚠️ Note: Not all applications support split screen mode. If you don't see a split icon for a particular program, then the developer hasn't optimized it for multi-window mode.

Using a floating window for flexibility

An alternative to classic splitting is a floating window, which, unlike static splitting in half, allows the second app to be placed as a small window over the main one, especially on a Redmi 9C screen, where diagonal can be a limiting factor for two full windows.

To activate a floating window, go to the recent app menu as described in the previous section. Find the desired program and click on the menu icon. In the list of options, select an item that looks like a window inside the window or has the corresponding text designation. The application will open in floating mode on top of the current activity.

You can move this window around the screen, touching the top of its header and dragging it to the desired area. There's also a sizing feature available: pull around the corners or edges of the window to increase or decrease its area. This gives you full control over how much space the secondary task takes up.

• 🖱️ Drag the window behind the top panel to any corner of the display for easy access.
• 📏 Change the size of the window by holding your finger on the boundary and moving in the right direction.
• ❌ Close the floating window by clicking on the cross in the upper right corner of its header.

Using floating windows allows you to run more than two applications at once, creating complex use cases. For example, you can watch videos in a floating window, chat in the messenger in the second floating window, and social feed in the main window. However, it is worth remembering the RAM of your device, since many active processes can lead to slowdown of the system.

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Use floating windows for calculator or notes – they’re convenient to keep open on top of other applications for quick computation or writing ideas.

Set up quick commands and gestures

For Xiaomi 9C owners who appreciate speed, the MIUI shell offers the ability to activate split screen with special gestures, which allows you not to go to the task menu every time, but to perform the action with a single movement of your finger directly from the running application.

To enable this feature, you need to go to system settings. Find the section that provides additional interface features. Here you will see an option that allows you to start split-screen swipe three fingers down, which is standard for many Android and MIUI smartphones.

Settings → Additional settings → Split screen → Start swipe down with three fingers

Activate the switch opposite the corresponding item. Now, when you're in any application, just swipe three fingers from the top of the screen to the bottom. The system will automatically try to deploy the current application in the top half and suggest that you select the second one for the bottom.

It is important to note that the gesture must be done clearly and quickly. If the system does not respond, check whether the protective glass or cover prevents the correct reading of multi-touch touches. Also make sure that the screen sensitivity settings are not set limits.

Working with the side menu panel

Another effective tool for organizing space on the Xiaomi 9C is the Sidebar, which allows you to quickly open applications in floating window or split screen mode without interrupting current activities, especially for tools such as a voice recorder, calculator or translator.

To activate the sidebar, go to the settings and find the Side menu section (often in the category "Special features" or "Additional"). Here you can turn on the display of a transparent strip on the side of the screen. When you touch this bar, a list of favorite applications comes out.

You can set up a list of apps that will appear in this menu, add the programs you use most often in the background, and when you start an application from the side menu, the system will ask whether it is open in full screen, in floating window or in split mode.

• ⚙️ Set up the list of apps in the sidebar menu for quick access.
• 👆 Use a short or long tap on the icon in the panel to select the start mode.
• 📂 Group tools by task type for easier navigation.

Using the side menu saves time and makes the transition between tasks less noticeable. You can read an article in your browser and periodically open notes or messenger from the side without losing the context of the main page. This is the ideal scenario for students or specialists working with texts.

⚠️ Attention: The side menu may overlap interface elements in some games or applications with non-standard aspect ratios.

Compatibility issues and vertical mode

Despite the convenience of the feature, Redmi 9C users may face limitations, and many apps, especially social networks like Instagram (in some versions) or bank customers, block split-screen work for security reasons or interface design.

If the application doesn't support splitting, you'll see a message saying, "This application may not support split screen," in which case the system will either refuse to run the mode or force the application to full screen, displacing the second window, and you can't get around this restriction with regular MIUI funds without root rights.

Also, it's worth mentioning vertical separation mode, which in some firmware and landscape mode (horizontally), applications can divide the screen from left to right, not top to bottom, depending on the orientation of the device and the settings of the particular application.

To check for support for a particular application, try running it in split mode, if the interface looks distorted or the application closes, then there is no optimization, in such cases, you only have to switch between windows using the menu of recent tasks.

Optimizing Performance with Multitasking

Xiaomi 9C is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and various options for RAM (3GB or 4GB). Running two heavy applications at the same time, such as a navigator and a video player, can put a strain on the system. RAM fills up quickly, which leads to more aggressive offloading of background processes.

To minimize lags and twitching when working in split-screen mode, it is recommended to close unused applications. Do not keep open dozens of tabs in the browser or heavy games if you plan to actively use multitasking in other programs.

Also worth watching for updates to apps in the store Google Play or GetApps. Developers often release patches that improve compatibility with new versions of Android and MIUI, which can positively affect the stability of the window.

• 🧹 Clean RAM regularly through the built-in cleaner.
• 📉 Reduce the brightness of the screen when working from the battery in two windows mode.
• 🔄 Update Google Play System Apps and Services for Better Compatibility.

If you notice that the phone gets very hot when using split screen, take a break.The prolonged load on the processor and screen, combined with the bright glow of the two active zones, can lead to trottling (decreased performance for cooling).

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Effective multitasking on the Redmi 9C is possible, but requires intelligent management of running processes and understanding the limitations of iron.