How to Close a Floating Window on Xiaomi: From Gestures to Hidden Settings

The floating window on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most controversial features of MIUI. For some users, it is a convenient way to multitask, for others – a source of irritation when a miniature application is not closed in standard ways. Especially often the problem arises with the windows of messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), video players or system notifications that “stick” on the screen.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to close floating windows, from basic gestures to deep system settings. It is important to understand that the behavior of windows depends on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS) and the device model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.). If the standard downward swiping does not work, do not rush to reset the settings: most likely, the problem is solved in 2-3 touches.

Before you go to radical measures, check if the window is a system dialogue (for example, a request for permission or a notification of low charge). Such windows are often blocked from closing for security. Also note that some applications (for example, YouTube Premium or Floating Apps) create floating windows by default - their behavior is customized in the application itself.

1. Basic methods of closing a floating window

Start with the simplest methods – they work 80% of the time:

• 👆 Swipe down the window (not the frame!) MIUI 14 and newer than a fairly short movement from the top edge of the window to the bottom of the screen. If the window is stuck to the edge, try swiping it to the center and then down.
• 👉 Double tap on the window header. Works for application windows (e.g. Google Maps in navigation mode).
• ❌ Close button (cross) In some windows it is hidden - swipe your finger over the top of the window to detect it.
• 🔄 The "squeeze" gesture, put two fingers from the edges of the window to the center (as in reducing the photo). POCO and Redmi with MIUI 13+.

If the window is not responsive to touch, check if the One-Hand mode is on (can block gestures). Open Settings → Special Features → One-Hand Control and turn off the option.

2.Closure through the panel of recent applications

When the floating window is not closed by the swipe, try to manage it through the multitasking menu:

1. Open the latest apps bar (swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen with a delay of 0.5 seconds).
2. Find a thumbnail of a floating window – it’s usually marked with an icon 📌 framed.
3. Swipe the thumbnail upwards (on MIUI 14) or click on the cross in the corner.
4. If the window is left on the screen, go back to the panel and hold its thumbnail for 2 seconds - a context menu will appear with the option to Close all floating windows.

An important nuance: on some models (Xiaomi 12 Pro, Redmi K50), the latest app panel may not show floating windows.

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If the latest app bar opens late, try changing the system animation. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times), then open Developer Settings → Animation Speed window and select No animation.

3. Floating window settings in MIUI

The system allows you to flexibly adjust the behavior of floating windows. If windows appear too often or do not close, check these parameters:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Floating Windows.
2. Turn off the option to Allow Floating Windows (this will block their creation for all applications).
3. In the Exclusions section, check if the problem app is added to the list of allowed ones.
4. Click Reset Floating Windows Settings if previous changes didn’t help.

On HyperOS, the path to settings may vary: Settings → System → Additional → Floating Windows. Also note the option to automatically fold windows – if it is enabled, windows can “hide” instead of closing.

4. Closing through the application settings

Some apps (e.g. Facebook Messenger, VK, YouTube) create floating windows by default to turn off this feature:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find a problem app (like Telegram) and select Permissions.
• 🚫 Turn off permission to display over other windows.
• 🔄 Restart the application (close it in the latest taskbar).

For Google Chrome and other browsers, check the settings of the sites:

1. Open the browser, go to ⋮ → Settings → Site settings.
2. Select Notifications or Pop-ups.
3. Remove sites that are allowed to create floating elements.

⚠️ Note: Disabling the Display over other windows permission may disrupt some of the app's features (e.g. YouTube Premium peep mode or WhatsApp incoming calls.

5. Radical methods: dumping and ADB

If the floating window does not close in any way, and the system settings do not help, you will have to use advanced tools.

Resetting launcher settings

This method will return the standard behavior of the desktop and windows:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Press. ⋮ → Show system and find the launcher MIUI (or POCO Launcher).
3. Select Warehouse → Clear the data and confirm the action.

After resetting, all widgets and shortcuts on the desktop will disappear – they will have to be configured again.

ADB-commands to shut off floating windows

For power users: connect your phone to your PC and follow the commands:

adb shell settings put global multi_window_enabled 0


adb shell settings put global force_resizeable_activities 0

Once you're done, restart the device. To return the function back, replace 0 with 1.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This can cause control gestures or touch buttons to fail. Before executing commands, back up the settings in Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Save important files in Mi Cloud or on PC

Record passwords from Wi-Fi and accounts

Take a picture of the location of the labels on the desktop

Check the battery charge (minimum 50%)-->

Problems with specific models

On some Xiaomi devices, floating windows behave outside the box due to the features of firmware or iron.

Redmi Note 11/12 and POCO X4

These models often "stick" the windows Google Assistant and Game Turbo.

• Turn off Game Turbo in Settings → Special features → Game Turbo.
• Update the Google App to the latest version in the Play Market.
• Reset the Google Assistant settings: Hold the Home button → ⋮ → Settings → Reset.

Xiaomi 13/14 on HyperOS

In the new shell, floating windows are integrated with Smart Sidebar gestures to turn off:

1. Swipe from the right edge of the screen to the center to open the Smart Sidebar.
2. Press. ⚙ → Settings → Turn off the Smart Sidebar.
3. Reset the device.

Devices with root rights

If you have Magisk or custom recovery installed, use the Disable MIUI Floating Windows module (available in the Magisk repository).

1. Reboot the phone.


2. Open Magisk Manager and activate the module.




3. Clear the cache in Settings → Storage → Clear the cache.

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On HyperOS devices, floating windows are closely linked to the Smart Sidebar function. Disabling the sidebar automatically blocks the creation of new windows, but does not close the already open ones.

7.If nothing helps: hardware reset

In extremely rare cases, a floating window may be the result of a system failure (for example, after a failed update or installation of an incompatible application). If none of the methods worked, do a soft reset:

1. Turn off the phone with a long press of the power button.
2. Hold the Power Button + Volume up for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the recovery menu, select Wipe data → Wipe All Data (manage volume buttons).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

Important: This method will delete all data from the device, including photos, messages and installed apps.

• 📱 Floating window blocks access to settings.
• 🔄 The phone does not respond to touches in the window area.
• 🔧 Previous methods have failed to produce results.

After reset, set the phone as new and check if the window appears again. If the problem persists, this may indicate a hardware defect in the screen (such as a faulty touch layer).

FAQ: Frequent questions