Split screen turns a single Xiaomi display into two independent work areas. Instead of switching back and forth between two apps, you keep both visible at once, each running in its own window.
This is useful whenever a task needs input from one app while you act in another. Comparing a shopping list while messaging someone, keeping a video playing while you scroll social media, or copying text from a browser into a notes app are typical cases where split screen removes the constant app switching.
How MIUI triggers split screen
MIUI does not rely on a single fixed method across all devices. On many phones you open the recent apps overview and use a small icon on an app card to send that app into split mode, then pick a second app from the list below it. On other devices or MIUI versions, a shortcut button or a specific gesture inside the recents screen starts split screen directly, without extra menus.
Because the exact trigger depends on the MIUI version and sometimes the device model, it helps to check the recents screen first and look for a small split-screen icon on individual app cards. If it is missing there, a system-wide gesture or button shortcut is usually the alternative.
Resizing and swapping windows
Once two apps share the screen, a thin divider line sits between them. Dragging that divider up or down changes how much space each app gets, which is helpful when one app only needs a small preview area and the other needs more room to work in.
Tapping and holding the divider often reveals extra controls, such as swapping the position of the two apps or closing one of them without leaving split mode entirely.
App support and limits
Not every app is built to run in a small window. Some apps, particularly games or apps with fixed layouts, refuse to open in split mode or force full screen automatically. If an app disappears from the second window slot, that is usually the reason.
Split screen also behaves differently from floating windows or the freeform multitasking some Xiaomi devices offer. Split screen locks two apps to fixed top-and-bottom or side-by-side zones, while floating windows let an app move freely as a small overlay on top of everything else. Depending on what you need, one approach fits better than the other.
A practical caveat: switching out of split screen and back in does not always restore the exact same app pairing. If you rely on a specific two-app combination daily, it is worth checking whether your MIUI version lets you pin that pairing as a shortcut for faster access.