How to split the screen on Android: a complete guide to split screen

Multitasking on mobile devices has long ceased to be the prerogative of tablets. Modern smartphones have such large displays and powerful processors that using one app at a time becomes a waste of resources. The split screenfunction, or “split screen,” allows you to run two applications side by side, significantly increasing productivity.

You can chat in the messenger while watching a training video, or copy data from the browser directly into an Excel spreadsheet without constantly minimizing windows. However, despite the prevalence of this function, many users still do not know how to activate split screen on their device, since the interface of different Android manufacturers is very different.

In this article we will analyze in detail all the ways to activate multitasking, from standard gestures to hidden developer settings. We will also look at the nuances of working on Samsung, Xiaomi and pure Android devices so that you can use your gadget to its full potential.

The standard activation method is through the recent applications menu

The most common method, which works on most devices running Android 7.0 and higher, is associated with the running tasks menu. You don't need third-party utilities or complex commands. It is enough to follow a simple sequence of actions to launch split screen mode.

First, open the application that should occupy the top (or left) part of the display. Then bring up the multitasking menu. On devices with navigation buttons, this is done by pressing the square key, and on smartphones with gesture controls, by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen with a short delay.

In the list that opens, find the icon of the desired application. Depending on your smartphone model, the steps may vary slightly. On some models you just need to click on the application icon at the top of the preview window, on others - hold your finger on the preview.

• 📱 Click on the application icon at the top of the window card.
• 🖱️ Select “Split screen” or the icon with two rectangles.
• 📲 Select the second application from the recent list or the all apps menu.
• ↔️ Drag the dividing bar to resize the windows.

After selecting the second application, the screen will instantly split into two active zones. You can interact with both apps at the same time: scroll the feed, enter text, or press buttons. The border between windows is movable, which allows you to give priority to one of the applications, increasing its area.

⚠️ Attention: Not all applications support working in split screen mode. If you try to run a game or video player in split screen, the system may notify you that the application does not support this function and will expand it to full screen.

Interface features on Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Samsung has implemented one of the most advanced implementations of multitasking in its shell One UI. Owners of devices of this brand have access to additional tools that make it easier to launch pairs of applications. The term is used here Pop-up View in combination with the standard division.

To activate the function on Samsung, you need to go to the recent applications menu, as described above. However, unlike stock Android, there is often a special panel at the top of the application card. Clicking on the application icon brings up a context menu where you need to select “Open in split screen mode.”

A unique feature is the ability to save pairs of applications. If you often use a combination, for example, “Calculator” and “Notes”, the system will offer to save them as a group. In the future, launching this group will take one touch, which saves time when performing routine tasks.

Settings → Display → Edge panel → Application panels

Through the Edge panel settings, you can add your favorite applications to the sidebar. From there, they can be dragged directly onto the screen, creating a split window instantly. This is especially convenient on large screens of series Galaxy Note i Galaxy S Ultra.

Specifics of working on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO

Shell MIUI and its successor HyperOS from Xiaomi offer their own approach to organizing the workspace. Here the feature is often called “Floating Windows” or has a specific gesture to activate. Users of these devices should be attentive to the gesture settings.

In most cases, the algorithm is similar to the standard one: recent tasks menu → long press on the application → mode selection. However, in new firmware versions the company is experimenting with control. Sometimes you just need to drag an application by a corner in the multitasking menu to make it collapse into a floating window or split the screen.

It is worth noting that on budget Redmi and POCO models with a small amount of RAM, the function may not work correctly. The system can forcefully unload one of the applications from memory if resources RAM are exhausted. In this case, when switching focus, the application will restart.

Device model	Split screen support	Implementation features	Min. Android version
Xiaomi Mi 11	Full	Gestures and buttons	Android 11
Redmi Note 10	Full	Only buttons (sometimes)	Android 11
POCO X3 Pro	Limited	Depends on the load RAM	Android 11
Xiaomi Pad 5	Extended	Up to 4 windows simultaneously	Android 11

If the standard method does not work, check the gesture settings. In the Settings → Desktop → Recent tasks section there may be an option that disables additional actions when pressed for a long time. Enabling this option will return the ability to quickly access split screen.

Hidden settings and developer mode

Sometimes it happens that the smartphone hardware is quite capable of supporting multitasking, but the manufacturer has software limited this ability for certain applications. In such cases, developer settings come to the rescue developer settings.

To access these settings, you must first activate developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the “Build number” item. After the message “You have become a developer” appears, a new section will appear in the main settings menu.

Inside the “For Developers” section, find the item “Force activities to be resizable”. Enabling this switch forces the system to try to launch in split-screen mode even those applications that did not initially declare support for this function.

Risks of using developer mode

Enabling experimental features may lead to unstable operation of some applications, incorrect display of the interface, or increased battery consumption. Use these settings with caution and only if you understand the consequences.

After enabling this option, you must restart your device. Now, when you try to split the screen with an “unsupported” application, the system will try to scale its interface. The result may vary from full functionality to distorted buttons and text.

⚠️ Warning: Forced resizing may cause controls in the application to become inaccessible or overlap each other. This is especially critical for banking applications and games.

Problem solving: why split screen does not work

Despite its apparent simplicity, users often encounter a situation where the function is not available. The most common reason is limitations from the applications themselves. Developers can block work in the background or in a reduced window for security reasons or interface features.

Another reason may be a lack of free RAM. If you have a dozen heavy applications open, the system simply will not be able to allocate resources for simultaneous operation of two of them in active mode. In this case, clearing background tasks before running a split screen will help.

It is also worth considering the screen orientation. Some apps only support splitting in portrait mode, while others only support splitting in landscape mode. Try rotating your smartphone to see if the feature's availability changes.

If the problem persists at the system level, your firmware version may have bugs. Check for system updates in the Settings → About phone → System updatesection. Manufacturers often fix multitasking bugs in