How to Start Separating Your Screen on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Typical Errors

Xiaomi’s split-screen (or multi-window) feature allows two apps to be used simultaneously – for example, watching YouTube videos and chatting to Telegram without constantly switching. Despite the obvious benefits, many users face difficulties in the first run: somewhere the button is hidden in the settings, somewhere the mode is unstable, and some models require pre-activation in the developer.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to enable multi-window on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices running MIUI 12-14, including hidden chips and bypassing typical restrictions.

If you’ve never used split screen, start with the basic method through the recent app bar. This is the most versatile way, which works on 90% of Xiaomi devices without any additional manipulation. But if your model stubbornly ignores standard gestures, don’t worry: there are alternative options in the article, including activation through the developer settings and even manual editing of configuration files (for advanced users).

It's important to understand that not all applications support multi-windows, for example, games and some banking programs may block split mode for security or performance reasons, and we've compiled a list of compatible applications and explained how to circumvent restrictions on unofficially supported services.

1. Standard method: splitting through the panel of recent applications

This is the simplest and most intuitive method that works on most Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and newer.

1. Open the first app you want to pin to the top of the screen (like Chrome).
2. Swipe from the bottom up and hold your finger to open the recent apps panel.
3. Click on the app icon (not the preview!) and select Split screen (or Multiwindow on some firmware).
4. Select the second app from the recent list or through the main menu.

After that, the screen will split into two parts with the ability to adjust the border by dragging the dividing line. To exit the mode, pull the line to the edge of the screen or press the Close button in the multi-window menu.

Note that on some models (e.g. POCO F3 or Redmi K40), the split screen option may not be in the context menu. This is not a bug — it's just the manufacturer hid it by default.

2. Activation through Developer Settings (if no button)

If the recent app bar does not have a split screen option, it can be enabled manually through developer mode, which works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 10 and above, including the POCO Launcher.

First, activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and click on it 7 times in a row until you become a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and open a new section → For developers.

Now turn on the multi-window:

• 🔧 Find the Enable Free Form option (or Force Multi-window in English firmware) and activate it.
• 🔄 Reboot the device – this is a must for the application of changes.
• 📱 After the reboot, check the recent apps bar: the split screen option should appear.

Activate Developer Mode |Find the "Force multi-window" setting |Reboot your smartphone |Check the recent app panel-->

⚠️ Attention: On firmware MIUI 13+ European region (EEA) Force multi-window may not be available, in which case use an alternative method. ADB (described in section 4).

3. Screen splitting through gestures (for MIUI 14)

The latest versions of MIUI 14 have multi-window gesture control, making it easier to start the mode, to activate this feature:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Gesture Management.
2. Find the split screen and turn on the slider.
3. Select a gesture: swipe from the bottom corner of the screen or hold the Home button (navigation bar).

Now to start a multi-window is enough:

• 👆 Swipe from lower left/right corner upwards (depending on the gesture you choose).
• 📲 Select the second app from the list or from the main screen.
• 🔄 Adjust the boundary between windows by dragging the dividing line.

The advantage of this method is speed: you don’t have to open the recent app bar, but on some models (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the gesture can conflict with other features, such as calling Google Assistant.

💡

If the split-screen gesture doesn't work, check Settings → System → Gestures to see if it conflicts with other destinations. For example, a swipe from the corner may be busy calling the camera or voice assistant.

4. Alternative methods: ADB and third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work (for example, on custom firmware or older models like Redmi 5 Plus), you can use tools for developers or third-party utilities.

Method 1: ADB teams

This will require a computer with ADB drivers installed and enabled USB debugging on your smartphone.

adb shell settings put global force_resizeable_activities 1

This command is forced to enable multi-window support for all applications. Once executed, restart the device.

Method 2: Apps from Play Market

If you don’t want to mess with ADB, install one of these apps (Accessibility Service rights are required):

• 📱 Split Screen Launcher – Creates a shortcut for fast multi-window launch.
• 🔧 Multi Window Mode – emulates system function on unofficial firmware.
• 🛠️ Taskbar – Adds taskbar as on PC, with support for split screen.

⚠️ Note: Applications from third-party sources may request excessive permissions (e.g., access to notifications or other information). SMS). Install them only from the official Google Play and check reviews.

5.Why Screen Split Doesn't Work: Typical Problems and Solutions

Even after setting it up properly, the multi-window can fail to start, and here are the most common reasons and ways to fix them:

On devices with a MediaTek processor (such as the Redmi 9A or POCO M3), splitting the screen may not work smoothly due to manufacturer limitations, in which case only a firmware update or third-party launchers will help.

6. Optimization of work in multi-window: tips and tricks

To make split screen usage as convenient as possible, use these tips:

• 🔄 Quick Application Switching: In Multi-Window Mode, swipe down from the top edge of any window to open its menu and select another app.
• 📱 Resize windows: pull the dividing line up/down or left/right (some models support horizontal separation).
• 🔇 Turn off audio in one window: Click on the speaker icon in the top multi-window bar to mute audio in the active app.
• 📎 Frequently used pairs: c MIUI 14 you can save application combinations for quick launch (for example, YouTube) + Telegram).

If you work with documents or spreadsheets a lot, try a combination of Google Docs + Google Keep or Excel + Calculator, and for multimedia, Netflix in the top window and messenger in the bottom one are ideal.

7.Share split on Xiaomi tablets (Pad 5/6)

On the Xiaomi Pad 5 and Pad 6 tablets, the multi-window works differently than on smartphones, thanks to a larger screen and an adapted version of MIUI for Pad.

• 🖥️ Free window: The application opens in a floating window that can be moved and sized.
• 🔄 Separation 50/50 or 70/30: fixed proportions for easy work with two applications.
• 📱 Multi-window for 3 applications: Pad 6 Pro supports simultaneous operation with three windows (two vertical ones) + floating).

To activate the mode:

1. Open the first appendix.
2. Swipe from the bottom edge of the screen up and hold to open the docking station.
3. Drag the icon of the second app to the left or right side of the screen.
4. For the third window, hold the app icon and select Free Window.

Tablets feature: Multi-windows are more stable than smartphones, thanks to MIUI for Pad optimization. However, some apps (such as TikTok or Instagram) can automatically unfold to the full screen - in this case, use Forced mode via ADB.

💡

On Xiaomi tablets, multi-window supports up to 3 apps at a time, but this requires MIUI for Pad 13.5 or later. On older versions of firmware, the maximum number of windows is 2.

FAQ: Frequent questions about splitting the screen on Xiaomi