[GUIDE] Enable Multi-Window Mode on Android 6.0 Marshmallow

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Quinny899

Recognized Developer / Recognized Contributor
Jan 26, 2011
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8,744
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Salford, Greater Manchester, UK
quinny898.co.uk
There's a hidden feature in Android 6.0, multi window. It has its warnings:
LTBQgdy.png

So decide if this is actually for you before following these steps

It's not shown in user builds, so we have to do some messing. You'll either need root or a custom recovery to do this, but as not everyone wants root, here's how you do it with TWRP, a USB cable, and a PC with ADB:

1. Boot your device into recovery
2. Mount your system by going to Mounts > Tick System
3. On your PC open a command line, somewhere like your desktop is useful
4. Type the following command:
HTML:
adb pull /system/build.prop
5. Open the build.prop file with your favourite (decent) editor, I recommend using Notepad++ on Windows
6. Find the "ro.build.type" line
7. Change the text after = to "userdebug" from "user"
BONUS: If you want a nicer DPI here, change the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" to your preferred DPI
8. Save the file
9. Go back to the command line and enter the following command:
HTML:
adb push build.prop /system/
10. Now open a shell doing:
HTML:
adb shell
11. Now a adb shell will open, enter these commands:
HTML:
cd system
chmod 644 build.prop
12. Reboot the device as normal
13. When the device has booted, go to the developer options
14. Scroll down to the bottom of the "Drawing" category
15. Enable multi-window and have some fun!

If you're rooted...
1. Download "Build.prop editor"
DpAmcMy.png

2. Find "ro.build.type"
zmWQy4K.png

3. Edit it to have the value "userdebug" from "user"
zmWQy4K.png

4. Reboot when prompted
5. When the device has booted, go to the developer options
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the "Drawing" category
7. Enable multi-window and have some fun!

 
Last edited:

prwnd

Senior Member
Sep 11, 2011
95
14
I flashed the latest hammerhead twrp with fastboot command, it was successful, but when I reboot bootloader and choose recovery, it keeps loads forever and sometimes the screen flashes black. I tried CWM after that, it said root needed. How do you guys got recovery on M?
 

elreydenj

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2012
956
183
How do you use it after enabling?

I get how to use it, but how do you consistently pick the two apps that you want to appear?

---------- Post added at 11:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:26 AM ----------

I get how to use it, but how do you consistently pick the two apps that you want to appear?


It seems to be all over the place. I cant figure out how to always get the two apps that i want in multiwindow to show....
 
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hsay

Senior Member
May 18, 2012
1,605
567
pune
I flashed the latest hammerhead twrp with fastboot command, it was successful, but when I reboot bootloader and choose recovery, it keeps loads forever and sometimes the screen flashes black. I tried CWM after that, it said root needed. How do you guys got recovery on M?

This is the wrong place to ask this question . Check your pm i have given you the solution and please ask your questions in the right thread next time onwards :)
 

kidhudi

Senior Member
Feb 1, 2011
792
170
Jackson
I did it. Reboot into recovery. Swap the Roms. Don't reboot . reboot into recovery again from the reboot tab. Select multiboot tab just to ensure you are OK and the M ROM is the internal.. Mount system and do what the op says. Reboot into recovery again swap Roms again . reboot system and you should be OK. Takes like a half an hour to do though

PS. NEVER FIX SU. ALWAYS SKIP
 
Last edited:
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kidhudi

Senior Member
Feb 1, 2011
792
170
Jackson
Nope my primary is still rooted. And I an typing this from my secondary M ROM with multi window enabled. All you have to do is never fix su for either ROM and never boot the system with M as your primary ROM and you are ok
 
Last edited:

CronosTech

Senior Member
Oct 2, 2012
119
30
Delhi
Help me too

This is the wrong place to ask this question . Check your pm i have given you the solution and please ask your questions in the right thread next time onwards :)

This is the worst thing to do here but could u please guide me too to the recovery as i searched all i could but still got no answer. Even the Guys in the Discussion group had no answer. Please Help ME,.:(
 

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  • 104
    There's a hidden feature in Android 6.0, multi window. It has its warnings:
    LTBQgdy.png

    So decide if this is actually for you before following these steps

    It's not shown in user builds, so we have to do some messing. You'll either need root or a custom recovery to do this, but as not everyone wants root, here's how you do it with TWRP, a USB cable, and a PC with ADB:

    1. Boot your device into recovery
    2. Mount your system by going to Mounts > Tick System
    3. On your PC open a command line, somewhere like your desktop is useful
    4. Type the following command:
    HTML:
    adb pull /system/build.prop
    5. Open the build.prop file with your favourite (decent) editor, I recommend using Notepad++ on Windows
    6. Find the "ro.build.type" line
    7. Change the text after = to "userdebug" from "user"
    BONUS: If you want a nicer DPI here, change the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" to your preferred DPI
    8. Save the file
    9. Go back to the command line and enter the following command:
    HTML:
    adb push build.prop /system/
    10. Now open a shell doing:
    HTML:
    adb shell
    11. Now a adb shell will open, enter these commands:
    HTML:
    cd system
    chmod 644 build.prop
    12. Reboot the device as normal
    13. When the device has booted, go to the developer options
    14. Scroll down to the bottom of the "Drawing" category
    15. Enable multi-window and have some fun!

    If you're rooted...
    1. Download "Build.prop editor"
    DpAmcMy.png

    2. Find "ro.build.type"
    zmWQy4K.png

    3. Edit it to have the value "userdebug" from "user"
    zmWQy4K.png

    4. Reboot when prompted
    5. When the device has booted, go to the developer options
    6. Scroll down to the bottom of the "Drawing" category
    7. Enable multi-window and have some fun!

    69
    Just to share how I enabled multi window on a Nexus 7 2013. Instead of changing ro.build.type to userdebug which may have the system-wide effect of enabling all hidden experimental code/features which may cause instability, I discovered a more specific property to enable multi window - just adding persist.sys.debug.multi_window=true in build.prop and restarting device will only enable multi window feature.
    7
    Just to share how I enabled multi window on a Nexus 7 2013. Instead of changing ro.build.type to userdebug which may have the system-wide effect of enabling all hidden experimental code/features which may cause instability, I discovered a more specific property to enable multi window - just adding persist.sys.debug.multi_window=true in build.prop and restarting device will only enable multi window feature.

    I've created a flashable zip for this. I know probably this is a "hack-y" way.

    What this zip do:
    a) Change ro.build.type from userdebug to user (if found)
    b) add persist.sys.debug.multi_window=true
    6
    @Quinny899 I made a video on how to get multi-window on Android M. You can add it to the OP if you'd like. :)

    6
    same question....how to do it for secondary M review in


    Use any file explorer with root permissions (I used es explorer). Boot into your lollipop rom. Navigate to /data/media/multirom/roms/ and locate the build prop file for that android M ROM. edit as per op. Reboot into the android M ROM. Profit!!! I did not even need to use a pc for this.