How to turn on a floating window on your Xiaomi phone: a complete guide with pictures and tips

Floating window on Xiaomi: why it is needed and how it works

The floating window (or multi-window) mode on Xiaomi smartphones allows you to open applications in a miniature format on top of other programs. This is convenient for working with instant messengers, maps or notes simultaneously, without switching between tabs. The feature is available on most models with MIUI 12 and later, but its activation and settings often cause questions among users.

Unlike a standard split screen, a floating window does not divide the display in half, but creates a compact window (size). ~30-50% You can, for example, watch a YouTube video in a small window while you're texting to Telegram or checking your route in Google Maps. However, not all apps support this mode – some (such as games or banking programs) may block it for security reasons.

It is important to understand that the functionality depends on the version of MIUI and the model of the smartphone. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro (MIUI 13), the floating window works differently than on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra (MIUI 14). There are also differences in management: on some devices, the window can be folded into an icon on the sidebar, on others – only close.

What Xiaomi models support floating windows

The feature is available on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 12 and higher, but there are nuances.

• 📱 Xiaomi Series: Xiaomi 11/12/13, Mi 10/10T, Mi Mix 4 — Full support with flexible settings.
• 📱 Redmi: Redmi Note Series 9/10/11/12, Redmi K40/50 — It works, but may not have a sidebar for quick access.
• 📱 Series POCO: POCO F3/F4/F5, POCO X3/X4/X5 — Support depends on the firmware version (on stock) MIUI Yes, in custom, no).
• ⚠️ Exceptions: Budget models (Redmi) 9A, POCO C31) and devices MIUI 11 or older may not support the function.

To find out exactly if there are floating windows on your phone, check the MIUI version in the settings: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If the version is below 12.0.3, update the firmware through Settings → System Update.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi) A3 with pure Android) floating windows are not available due to the lack of a branded shell MIUI. In this case, only the installation of custom firmware with support for the function will help.

Step-by-step: how to turn on a floating window

Activation takes less than a minute, but the path to settings varies depending on the version of MIUI. Follow the instructions for your firmware:

For MIUI 14/13/12.5 (new versions)

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Select the Floating Windows (or the Window in the Window).
3. Activate the switch to Turn on the floating windows.
4. In the section Call method select: 👆 Gesture up (swipe your finger from the bottom edge of the screen upwards and hold it down). 📱 Through the notification panel (adds a button to the curtain). 🔄 Double pressing of the "Recent" button (not working on all models).

For MIUI 12 (old version)

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Functions Lab.
2. Find the option Floating windows and turn it on.
3. Return to Settings → Applications → Application Rights → Additional → Floating Windows.
4. Select applications that can be opened in floating mode.

Enable the function in the settings|Add the required applications to the list of allowed|Check the compatibility of the model|Update MIUI Up to the latest version if required)-->

After activation, try to open the floating window:

1. Start an app (such as YouTube).
2. Make a gesture up from the bottom edge of the screen and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds.
3. The app will fold into a small window. Drag it into a comfortable place.

To add the app to the list of permitted:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Rights → Floating Windows.
2. Find the desired application in the list and activate the switch.
3. If the app is not listed, it does not technically support mode (e.g. 1C or Zoom).

💡

If the app doesn't open in a floating window, try running it in normal mode first and then rolling it into a multi-window through a gesture. Some programs (like Spotify) require this sequence.

MIUI 14 has an experimental feature called Forced Floating Mode for unsupported applications, to enable it:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in your phone settings).
2. Return to the additional settings → For developers.
3. Find the option Forced to allow floating windows and turn it on.
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Forced mode can cause app malfunctions (e.g., SberBank Online will close when you try to open in a floating window.

Problem Solving: The floating window is not working

If the function is not activated or the windows do not open, check the following points:

If the floating window freezes or brakes, follow the following steps:

1. Clear the app cache: Settings → Apps → [App name] → Clear the cache.
2. Turn off animation in the developer settings (Windows animation scale → No animation).
3. Check if the power saving mode is on for this application.

On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10), floating windows may disappear after locking the screen, which is due to battery optimization.

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization
2. Find the app that disappears and select No Limits.
3. Restart the application in floating mode.

💡

If floating windows are unstable, first check the compatibility of the application and the version of MIUI. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by updating the firmware or resetting the application settings.

Alternative ways to multitask on Xiaomi

If floating windows don’t fit or work on your model, use alternative methods:

• 🔄 Split screen: Open Recent apps, tap the app icon, and select Divide screen. Works on all models with MIUI 10+.
• 📲 Quick Answers: Telegram or WhatsApp can respond to messages directly from the notification without opening the app.
• 🖥️ Desktop Mode (DeX): Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Redmi K60 Pro is available mode MIUI+, Turns your phone into a PC with multiple windows.
• 🔗 Application Links: In some programs (such as Google Chrome), you can open links in a new window through the context menu.

For advanced users, there is an option using ADB to force multi-windows on incompatible models.

adb shell settings put global force_resizable_activities 1

It allows you to resize windows for all applications, but it requires an unlocked bootloader and can cause the system to run in an unstable way.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions