How to bring back screen splitting to Xiaomi: The complete guide

Multitasking on mobile devices has become a necessity for modern users. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the usual display split function suddenly disappears from the interface or stops being activated by standard gestures. This may be due to the upgrade of the MIUI shell or the transition to the new HyperOS, where the logic of some system elements has been reworked by the company’s engineers.

There are many ways to reclaim the ability to use two apps simultaneously, from activating hidden settings to using special button combinations. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the current methods of enabling Split Screen that work at the moment.

Despite the apparent complexity of the interface, Android, in conjunction with the shell from the Chinese manufacturer, offers flexible window management tools. Understanding the menu of recent applications and special features will allow you to quickly restore functionality. Let's look at the main reasons why the mode may not be available, and how to eliminate them.

Application compatibility check and system requirements

Before you look for a solution in deep settings, you need to make sure that the problem is not the limitations of the programs themselves.Share-sharing feature on Xiaomi is technically not supported by some heavy applications, especially games and messengers with non-standard window architecture.The system automatically blocks the launch of Split Screen for such programs to prevent malfunctions in the operating system.

Also worth considering is the version of the installed shell. On older versions of MIUI 12 or MIUI 13, memory management algorithms can force the background processes to close, which visually looks like the inability to share the screen. Users of new devices with HyperOS should check whether the Full Screen View mode for a particular application is activated, which takes priority over separation.

Your device needs enough RAM to function properly. If there are a lot of heavy processes running in the background, the system may ignore the request to split the display. Free up the device's resources before attempting to activate the mode.

⚠️ Note: Some banking applications and services with high security requirements may be forced to close or block the split screen function in order to protect your data from screenshots and intercept information.

There is a list of applications that are guaranteed to work in multi-window mode, as opposed to specific software. If you try to share a screen with a program that is not on this list, the system may react by refusing:

• 📱 Browsers (Chrome, Yandex, built-in browser) MIUI)
• 📺 Video players (YouTube, VLC, MX Player)
• 💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber)
• 📝 Office packages (Docs, Word, Excel)

Activate through the menu of recent apps

The most common and standard way to return the split screen on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones is to use the menu of running tasks, a method that is basic for most versions of the shell and does not require a connection to a computer or install additional software, but many users simply do not notice the hidden functionality of the icons in this menu.

To activate, you need to open the menu of recent apps by swiping from the bottom up and holding your finger (or pressing the square button if you use classic navigation). Find the app card you want to pin to the top or left of the screen. In the upper right corner of this card, there are usually two small icons: a lock and a symbol resembling two rectangles or a window.

This is the symbol that is responsible for the Split Screen function. Pressing it instantly puts the application in split-screen mode, after which the system will prompt you to select a second application for the bottom of the display. If the icon is missing, try pressing and holding the application card - in the context menu that appears, there may also be an item "Share Split" or "Split screen".

Importantly, on devices with larger diagonals and newer versions of HyperOS, the interface may be different. In some cases, the separation icon is hidden in an additional menu that is called by a long tap. Experiment with taps if a standard click fails.

Use of special capabilities for forced launch

If the standard method through the task menu doesn't work or the icon is missing, you can use the system tool "Special capabilities", which allows you to force the split screen even for some applications that do not usually support this feature, or when the shell interface is not working properly.

To activate, go to your smartphone settings along the Settings path → Advanced Settings → Special Features. In the list that opens, look for “Share Split.” Once you turn on this option, a floating button or panel will appear on the screen, which will always be available on top of other windows, which allows you to start Split Screen mode at any time by simply clicking on the button that appears.

This is especially true for POCO models and Redmi budget lines, where manufacturers sometimes cut back on interface functionality to improve performance, and feature-based activation bypasses these limitations by using system APIs directly.

Once you turn on the feature in the special features settings, a small icon may appear on the screen, and by clicking on it, you can select a split application, which does not require root rights and is safe for device warranty.

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If the special features icon interferes with the review, in the settings of the same tab, you can change its transparency or position on the screen so that it does not overlap important interface elements.

Set up hot keys and gestures

For those who often multitask, it can be inconvenient to constantly climb menus. The MIUI shell allows you to set up the start of split screen using a combination of buttons or special gestures. This greatly speeds up the process and makes working with two windows more comfortable.

You can set up the settings → Additional settings → Keyboard shortcuts (or “Hot Keys”). You can set the function to run on a long press of the Menu button (square) or a combination of volume buttons. Select “Share-Share” and assign a convenient action for you.

Now, if you're in any application, you can activate split-screen mode with a simple click of a configured combination, and the system will suggest you select a second application, and the screen will split, which is especially useful when you need to quickly copy information from one source to another.

It’s worth remembering that on devices with a screen cutout or dynamic islet, gestures may work differently, and in such cases, using physical navigation buttons (if enabled) is a more reliable option.

Comparison of activation methods on different versions of MIUI and HyperOS

The interface and available features can vary significantly depending on the version of the operating system, and understanding these differences will help you find the right activation method for your particular device. Below is a table comparing the available methods at different stages of shell development.

As you can see from the table, with the release of HyperOS, Xiaomi began to integrate the split-screen functions more deeply into the system, often hiding them behind long presses or moving them to the sidebar.

The new versions also offer the ability to resize windows more flexibly, dragging the dividing line, allowing you to tailor the space to the content, for example, making the video player window larger and the chat window narrower.

Solving problems with broken screen splitting

There are times when a feature is turned on but the screen is not shared, or one of the applications is immediately closed, and this can be caused by overflowing cache systems or conflicting versions of applications. The first step should always be to clean the cache of the service "Security" and the applications that you are trying to run.

If cleaning the cache didn't work, try restarting the device in safe mode, which will determine if a third-party application is interfering with the system, and if the split screen is working in safe mode, then the problem is in one of the launchers or utilities you installed.

In extreme cases, if nothing works, you can try resetting the interface settings, which won't delete your personal data, but will return the location of the icons and system settings to factory values. → The phone. → Version. MIUI/HyperOS (No multiple clicks required, look for the menu "Advanced settings" →"Resetting settings" →"Resetting system settings").

⚠️ Warning: Resetting system settings will remove all your Wi-Fi passwords, alarm settings and the location of widgets on your desktop.

Using a sidebar for quick multitasking

Special attention should be paid to the Sidebar, which in recent versions of MIUI and HyperOS has become the main tool for working with floating windows and split screen, a more advanced analogue of the simple Split Screen, allowing you to run several applications on top of the main one.

To use this method, turn on the sidebar in Settings → Special Features → Sidebar. Turn on the Always Show Toggler and add the apps you want to see to the list. Now, swipe from the edge of the screen, you can call the panel and drag the app icon to the screen. It will open in a floating window that can be scaled or pinned to the side, simulating screen splitting.

This method often works more stable than classic separation, since floating windows are less loading and do not require strict separation of the display resolution in half.

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The sidebar in HyperOS is a split-screen evolution that provides more flexibility in window management compared to the classic Split Screen.

Use this tool to create complex work scenarios, like leaving your navigator open on top of a map in a small window while you chat, a level of multitasking that was previously only available on tablets.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)