How to watch video in a floating window on Xiaomi: PiP modes and free window

Have you ever tried to chat in a messenger and watch a video on Xiaomi at the same time, but switching between windows was driving you crazy? or wanted to leave the YouTube stream in plain sight while checking your email? The solution is a floating window (Picture-in-Picture, PiP) mode, which allows you to fix video on top of all open applications. MIUI This feature doesn’t work as clearly as it does on “pure” Android, and some apps (like YouTube) actively block it. In this article, we’ll discuss all the working methods for different versions of firmware and Xiaomi models, including bypassing restrictions.

Now, let's warn you, not all apps support PiP by default, like YouTube only allows a floating window for premium subscribers, and TikTok doesn't allow that at all, but there are workarounds to turn on hidden settings to use third-party utilities. We tested all methods on Redmi Note smartphones 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Lite and POCO X5 Pro MIUI 13/14, Therefore, the instructions are relevant to most modern devices of the brand.

What is a PiP Mode and How Does it Work for Xiaomi?

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) is an Android feature that allows you to reduce video to a small window and fix it on top of other applications.

• 📱 It works on all smartphones with Android 8.0+ (including MIUI 9 and newer), but the setting may be different.
• 🔄 V MIUI 12-14 An alternative mode is added - "Free window", which is not supported by all applications.
• 🚫 Some services (such as Netflix or Disney)+) Blocking PiPs because of politics DRM (contention).
• 🔧 On older models (Redmi) 5/6, Mi A1/A2) You may need to manually enable through the Developer Settings.

The main difference between PiP and the "Free Window" MIUI:

Important: On Xiaomi smartphones with MediaTek processors (for example, Redmi Note 11 or MediaTek) POCO M4 Pro) PiP mode may not work smoothly due to firmware optimization features. If the floating window video slows down, try turning off "Performance Improvement" in Settings → Additionally. → Laboratory.

Method 1: Standard PiP for Supported Applications

If the app initially supports Picture-in-Picture (e.g. Google Chrome, VLC Twitch, you can activate the mode in two clicks:

1. Open the video to the full screen.
2. Press the Home button (or swipe up on new models).
3. The video will automatically shrink to a floating window.

If the window doesn't show up,

• 🔹 Make sure that the app settings allow PiP (e.g., Chrome: Settings) → Picture-in-Picture).
• 🔹 Check if the mode is turned off in Settings → Annexes → Special access → Picture-in-Picture.
• 🔹 On some models (Xiaomi Mi 10, Redmi) K30) First, you need to turn on the PiP in the Developer Settings.

How to turn on PiP for YouTube without a premium subscription:

1. Open your video in your browser (such as Chrome or Firefox) via m.youtube.com.
2. Run the video to the full screen.
3. Return to the home screen, the video will remain in the floating window.

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If the floating window doesn’t move, touch it twice and a control panel will appear with the size and closing buttons.

Method 2: Free window mode in MIUI

Exclusive function MIUI, It doesn't work with all programs, but it does support Gallery, Camera, Screen Recording and some instant messengers.

How to turn on:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Free window.
2. Activate the switch at the top.
3. Select an app from the list (such as Camera or Gallery).
4. Open this app, then click on the Windows icon in the notification bar.

Regime restrictions:

• 🚫 Not working with YouTube, Netflix, TikTok.
• 📏 Fixed-sized window (cannot be stretched over the entire screen).
• 🔊 The sound only continues to play if the window is active (touching it).

Update MIUI to the latest version

Make sure the app is on the list of supported

Turn off the power saving for this application

Restart the smartphone after enabling the function-->

Method 3: Bypassing YouTube restrictions through the browser

The most reliable way to watch YouTube in a floating window without a premium subscription is to use the mobile version of the site in the browser.

Instructions for Chrome/Firefox:

1. Open m.youtube.com in your browser.
2. Launch the video, then roll it out to the full screen.
3. Return to the main screen, the video will remain in a small window.
4. To control playback, touch the window twice.

Challenges and solutions:

• 🔇 No sound? Check if it's turned off in the window itself).
• ❌ In the browser settings, turn off "Saving traffic" and "Simplified mode".
• 🔄 Try another browser (like Kiwi Browser with extension support).

Method 4: Third-Party Applications for PiP

If the standard methods don't work, you can install specialized utilities.

• 📺 Floatube – bypassing YouTube restrictions (requires YouTube Premium for some features).
• 🎬 VLC — Supports PiP for local video and streaming.
• 🔄 Picture-in-Picture Enabler – includes PiP for non-consensual applications (root required).
• 📱 Multi Window for MIUI — Alternative to the Free Window with Extended Settings.

How to set up Floatube:

1. Download Floatube from the official website (not from Play Market!).
2. When you first start, allow access to "Overlaid on top of other applications."
3. Open the video on YouTube, then click "Open in Floatube" from the Share menu.
4. The video will open in a floating window with gesture control.

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Apps like Floatube can violate YouTube's rules, and use them at your own risk, because accounts can theoretically be blocked for automated requests.

Solving problems with PiP on Xiaomi

If the floating window is not working, check these points:

Frequent user errors:

• 🔹 Try to enable PiPs in apps that don’t support it (like Instagram).
• 🔹 Not updated. MIUI, Although the new versions have fixed bugs with floating windows.
• 🔹 Forget to give permission to “Map on top of other applications” for third-party utilities.

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After the update MIUI PiP mode is missing, reset the settings of the application responsible for multimedia: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Media → Reset.

Alternatives to PiP: split screen and gestures

If a floating window doesn’t work, there are other ways to multitask on Xiaomi:

• 📲 Split screen: Keep the app icon in the menu of recent → Select the second application.
• 👆 Swipe Up and Hold gesture: Quick switch between the last two apps.
• 🔄 Screen Duplication Mode: To stream video to another screen (e.g. TV) without loss of quality.

How to turn on split screen:

1. Open the first app (like YouTube).
2. Click on the square button (recent menu).
3. Hold the app icon and drag it to the top of the screen.
4. Select the second app from the list.

Limitations:

• 🚫 Not all apps support split screen (e.g. Netflix blocks playback).
• 📱 On models with MediaTek (for example, Redmi 9) there may be a slowdown.

FAQ: Frequent questions about PiP on Xiaomi

If none of these things work, check if the system-level PiP mode is turned off.

1. Activate Developer Settings (7 times click on "Version") MIUI" In Settings → The phone).
2. Go back to the basic settings, open "For developers."
3. Find the “Picture-in-Picture” option and make sure it’s enabled.