Multitasking is one of the key advantages of modern smartphones, allowing users to perform several actions simultaneously without constantly switching between windows. Owners of Xiaomi devices running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS often face the need to use instant messengers and browsers simultaneously, which greatly improves the efficiency of work.
Split Screen, or Split Screen, allows you to split the display into two active areas, each with a separate application, which is especially true for owners of devices with large diagonals, since the standard Android interface does not always allow you to easily navigate between tabs when you are actively using it.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways to activate this mode, consider possible compatibility problems with specific programs and give recommendations for optimizing the workspace for maximum convenience.
Why you need a split screen and what applications are supported
The main purpose of using split-screen mode is to increase user productivity, allowing them to watch a training video and take notes or chat in parallel, but not all programs installed on a smartphone are able to work correctly in this format due to the peculiarities of their architecture.
Split Screen is most often a problem-free feature with standard utilities and popular services optimized for tablets and large screens, including browsers, email clients, navigators and most social networks, where content adapts to changing window sizes.
There is a category of applications that force the full screen to open, ignoring the system's attempts to split the display, often involving banking programs, games with a non-standard orientation or specific utilities that require constant focus.
⚠️ Note: When you run some banking applications in a split screen, the security system can automatically close them or block the screenshot feature to protect your financial data.
Below is a list of the types of programs that most often support split screen on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices:
- 🌐 Browsers (Chrome, Yandex, Opera) – allow you to read articles and search for information at the same time.
- 💬 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) - allow you to correspond while watching videos.
- 📺 Video services (YouTube, Netflix, Film Search) – convenient for viewing content in parallel with other work.
- 📝 Office packages (Documents, Notes, Calendar) – help you work with text and graphs at the same time.
The standard way to activate through the menu of recent applications
The most common and versatile method of enabling Split Screen mode on Xiaomi smartphones is to use the running task menu, which works on the vast majority of MIUI firmware versions and is relevant for the new HyperOS, providing a stable result.
First, you open the app you plan to place at the top of the screen, then fold it or go to the window management menu, and then open the second app so that the system can form a split display structure.
It's important to understand that the order of action matters: first, you pick the primary app that occupies the top half of the display, and then the system will suggest you choose the second one, and if you don't see the right icon, it may not support this feature.
☑️ The algorithm for enabling Split Screen
Once you do this, the screen will split in half, and you can fully interact with both windows, and you can move the boundary between them by changing the proportions of the content that you display depending on your current needs.
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The main secret to success is to make sure that the recent task menu displays an app icon, not just a thumbnail, as the function management is there.
Use of side panel and floating windows
An alternative and often more convenient way is to use a sidebar, which in Xiaomi shells is called "floating windows" or "Sidebar." This tool allows you to quickly call frequently used applications on top of the current screen without having to fold the active window.
To activate this feature, swipe from the edge of the screen to the menu area where shortcuts are usually hidden. If the panel does not appear, check the settings in Settings → Additional Features → Floating Windows and enable the sidebar display.
When dragging an application from the sidebar to the screen, it can open as a small floating window or immediately take up half the display, depending on the action chosen. To transfer the floating window to split screen mode, you need to click on a special strip at the top of the mini window.
This method is particularly useful for quick checks or responses to a message, as it doesn’t require a complete switch of context, and you can continue to type text in a document while the calculator or messenger is open in the corner.
⚠️ Note: On some small screen models, the system may limit the number of floating windows running simultaneously to maintain processor performance.
How to set up a list of applications in the sidebar?
Set up hot keys and gestures for quick work
For users who are constantly multitasking, it is critical to minimize the number of actions to start the feature. Xiaomi system settings provide special gestures and combinations to speed up this process.
One useful feature is the ability to lock applications in split-screen mode, which means that when one of the windows is closed or the device is rebooted, the system can automatically suggest that you restore the previous window configuration.
You should also pay attention to your gesture control settings. If you use gesture control instead of navigation buttons, swiping from the bottom up and holding your finger can open the menu of recent tasks faster than a standard tap.
Newer versions of HyperOS have the ability to drag and drop apps right from the desktop, and if you hold your finger on an app icon and drag it to the center of the screen, you often open a display mode selection menu where you can immediately select split screen.
| Action. | Description | Where to find out. |
|---|---|---|
| Swipe up and hold | Opening the menu of recent tasks | Settings → Desktop |
| Double-push | Blocking the orientation of the screen | Control panel (curtain) |
| Drag from the panel | Launch of the second annex | Sidebar. |
| Pressing the divider | Change the size of windows | The boundary between the windows |
Windows management: resize and close
When the split screen mode is activated, a wide range of space management options open up to the user, and a special dividing strip is placed between the two active windows that responds to touch.
By moving this band up or down, you can change the proportions of the display to give priority to one of the applications, for example, to watch a video, you can leave only a narrow strip for the messenger, freeing up maximum space for video content.
To exit split-screen mode, drag the dividing strip to the very edge of the display, completely closing one of the windows, and you can also press the "Close" button or cross, which is usually located in the center of the dividing strip or in the corner of one of the windows.
Some users prefer to close one application completely to deploy the second to the full screen, and drag the separator towards the closed application, and the remaining window will automatically occupy the entire display area.
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If one of the applications in the split screen stopped responding to touch, try quickly dragging the dividing bar back and forth – this often reboots the window interface without closing the application.
Problem Solving and No Function in the Menu
Quite often, users are faced with a situation where the item "Share screen" is simply absent from the menu of recent tasks for a particular application. This is not a system error, but indicates that the application developer did not add the corresponding manifest to the code of the program.
In such cases, you can try using third-party launchers or special utilities to force Split Screen mode, but their operation is not guaranteed and can lead to system instability.
Another common problem is the automatic shutdown of heavy gaming or RAM shortages, and MIUI aggressively optimizes resources by closing the background processes, which include the second window in split mode.
To solve memory problems, you can use the built-in accelerator or manually close unnecessary background applications before starting split-screen mode, which will free up RAM resources and increase the stability of two applications at the same time.
⚠️ Warning: Forced split-screen activation for incompatible applications via the engineering menu can lead to image distortion or incorrect display of interface elements.