Double apps in Xiaomi: how to create clones of applications and why it is necessary

Have you ever wanted to use two accounts in the same messenger on the same smartphone? Or keep separate profiles for work and personal affairs on social networks? Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in feature that allows you to do this - dual applications (or "app cloning"). It's not just a handy feature, but a full-fledged tool for sharing digital life without buying a second phone.

The dual application function appeared in the firmware MIUI A few years ago, but still many users either don't know about its existence or use it inefficiently. In this article, we'll look at how dual applications work on Xiaomi, Redmi and other platforms. POCO, What applications can be cloned, and how it affects the performance of the device, and you will also learn about hidden nuances that are not written in the official instructions.

What are dual applications and how do they work

Dual Apps (Dual Apps) is a firmware function MIUI, It allows you to create full copies of the installed applications, and these copies work independently of the original, they have their own data, cache, notifications, and even icons on the desktop, essentially it's like if you installed the application twice, but without having to download it again.

Technically, the function is implemented through a user space virtualization mechanism, where the system creates an isolated container for a cloned application, where it works with a separate data set. It's not the same as multiplayer mode in Android, there's no need to switch between profiles, and cloned applications are available simultaneously.

It is important to understand that dual applications are not the same as:

• 🔄 Second account in the app (for example, in Telegram or WhatsApp you can add a second number without cloning).
• 👥 Android Multiplayer Mode (where you need to switch between profiles completely).
• 📱 Two phones with one number (here we are talking about one device).

The main advantage of dual apps is that you can use two accounts on the same service at the same time, for example, you can be online on the main and working WhatsApp account without leaving one, or you can keep your personal and business profiles on Instagram on the same screen.

What Xiaomi models support dual applications

The dual app feature is available on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, steerable MIUI 8 and newer. There are a few nuances, though:

1.Older models (released before 2017) may not support the feature due to performance or firmware version limitations.For example, Xiaomi Mi 5 or Redmi Note 3 Pro require manual activation via an engineering menu.

2. Budgetary devices with 2-4 GB of RAM (for example, Redmi) 9A or POCO C31) Technically support dual applications, but their work may be unstable due to lack of resources.

3. Flagships and mid-segment (starting with Xiaomi Mi 8, Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO F3 and newer) work with dual applications without problems, as they have sufficient memory and performance.

To find out exactly if your device supports dual apps, check:

1. The MIUI version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Availability of the Double Appendix in Settings → Annexes.
3. Model of the processor: devices on Snapdragon 6xx/7xx/8xx Or MediaTek Helio. Gxx/Dimensity usually maintain a function.

⚠️ Note: On Android One devices (e.g. Mi) A1/A2/A3) dual app feature is disabled by default, as these smartphones run on “pure” Android without a shell MIUI. Root rights will be required to activate it.

How to enable dual applications on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

You can activate dual applications in a few minutes, the main thing is to make sure that the device has enough free space (each clone takes up the same amount as the original application). MIUI 12/13/14:

Step 1. Open Settings and go to the Apps section.

Step 2. Select Double Appendices (in some versions) MIUI It can be called App Cloning or App Twin).

Step 3. Click Add App and select from the list the ones you want to clone. Popular options: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Viber.

Step 4: Confirm the clone creation, and a new icon with a badge will appear on your desktop. 👥 corner.

Step 5: Launch a cloned application and log in to another account.

Make sure that the MIUI version is not lower than 8

Free up at least 1 GB of memory

Close the original application before cloning

Check for system updates-->

If there is no Double Apps in the settings, try:

• 🔍 Update MIUI Up to the latest version through Settings → Updating the system.
• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes the item appears after the reboot.
• 🛠️ Reset application settings in Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset application settings.

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F1 or Mi 9T) After creating a dual application, the clone notifications may disappear, and this is treated by rebooting or resetting the notification settings for a particular application.

What applications can be cloned and which can not

In theory, you can clone any application, but in practice there are limitations. MIUI blockage:

• 🔒 System applications (Settings, Phone, Messages, Camera).
• 🛡️ High-security applications (banking applications, some encrypted messengers).
• 🎮 Anticheat games (PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, Genshin Impact – their cloning can lead to a ban of an account).

Here’s what you can clone without any problems:

• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Signal.
• 📷 Social networks: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter.
• 📧 Mail and Clouds: Gmail, Outlook, Google Drive, Yandex.Disk.
• 🎵 Music and Video: Spotify, YouTube, VK Music.

There is also a hidden list of applications that can only be cloned through the ADB (For example, some Chinese services or applications with limited support MIUI). To do this, you will need to connect the smartphone to the PC and execute the command:

adb shell pm create --user 0 --clone com.package.name

Where com.package.name is the application package ID (you can find it through the App Inspector or the APKMirror website).

The Impact of Dual Applications on Performance and Battery

Each clone of the app adds an extra load to the system. 3-5 You're not going to notice the difference, but if they're two apps, 10+, The consequences may be noticeable:

To minimize the impact of dual applications on performance:

• 🔋 Turn off auto-start for clones in Settings → Permits → Auto-start.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache of cloned apps once a week.
• ⚡ Use energy saving mode for background clones.
• 🔄 Reboot the device once in a while. 2-3 If you use a lot of dual applications.

💡

If the dual app starts to slow down, try removing the clone and re-create it, often solving lag problems without losing the main application data.

Hidden functions and life hacks for dual applications

Function of dual applications in MIUI It has a few hidden possibilities that few people know about:

1 Different clone icons, so you don't confuse the original app with the clone, you can change the dual app icon.

1. Press and hold the clone icon on your desktop.
2. Choose to Change (or Edit)
3. Click on the icon and select the other one.

2. Quickly switch between accounts: In some applications (e.g. Telegram), you can use a gesture to quickly switch between the original and the clone.

• Open the original app.
• Swipe down from two fingers and the menu will open a quick switch to the clone (does not work in all versions). MIUI).

3. Cloning through ADB If the app you want doesn't appear on the cloning list, you can add it manually through the app. ADB:

adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 com.package.name

This command will create a clone for an application with the specified package (for example, com.whatsapp for WhatsApp).

4. Reset the clone data without deleting. If the cloned application has started to glittle, you don't have to delete it completely.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Double Apps.
2. Select the clone you want and press Warehouse.
3. Click Clear Data and Clear Cache.

💡

Double annexes to the MIUI They're based on Google's "Work Profiles" technology, but with enhanced capabilities, which means that the clones are not only isolated from each other, but also from the host system, which increases security.

Problems with dual applications and how to solve them

Despite the convenience, dual applications sometimes run insecurely, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

1. The clone does not install or makes an error.

• 🔹 Make sure that the device has enough memory (minimum 1 GB of free space).
• 🔹 Check if permissions for the application Dual applications in Settings are disabled → Permits.
• 🔹 Update. MIUI last-minute.

2 Notifications do not come to the cloned application.

• 🔹 Go to Settings. → Notifications → Notification settings for apps and enable notifications for clone.
• 🔹 Turn off the power saving mode for the cloned application.
• 🔹 Reset the device.

3 The clone disappeared after the update MIUI.

This is a known problem with some firmware versions.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Double Apps.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Restore.
3. If there is no item, delete and create a clone again.

4.The dual app is not updated via Google Play.

The app clones are not automatically updated via Google Play.

• 🔹 Remove the clone and create it again – it will pull up the latest version.
• 🔹 Download. APK the latest version manually and install it on top of the clone (via Settings) → Annexes → Install unknown applications).

⚠️ Note: If you use dual applications for banking services or messengers with two-factor authentication, never save passwords or access codes in clones. In the event of a system failure, data can be lost without recovery.

FAQ: Frequent questions about dual apps in Xiaomi